Deacon channels personal loss into global mental health ministry

When Deacon Ed Shoener lost his daughter, Katie, to suicide in 2016, her obituary did far more than announce her passing and celebrate her life.

“I am convinced that God used Katie’s obituary to deliver His message of love,” Deacon Shoener said. “It was just one small thing, but God used Katie’s obituary to help people understand that He is with them in their struggle with mental illness – and He has mercy on those who die by suicide.”

Her obituary, which spoke to the needs of those who struggle with mental illness, went viral.

“Millions of people read it, and tens of thousands of people from across the world contacted me,” he said. “Again and again, I heard from people who lamented that the Catholic Church offered little to minister to those suffering from mental illness and their loved ones.”

In response, Deacon Shoener – who serves at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa. – partnered with Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix to establish the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. The lay association, which today counts more than 7,000 members across 75-plus countries, works to combat mental illness stigma and to extend resources to parish leaders around the world.

New Jersey Catholic Mental Health Conference

Deacon Shoener is one of several leading figures in the field who will be featured during a one-day conference, “From Isolation to Belonging, Mental Health and the Catholic Church.” The program will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 2 at the Saint John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. The cost to attend is $40 per person, and registration is limited. To register, visit the New Jersey Catholic Conference at njconf.com.

Bishop Dolan, who himself has lost multiple family members to suicide, will be the keynote speaker. Other speakers are mental health counselor Beth Hlabse, program director of the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Ben Wortham, vice president for Behavioral Health Integration at Catholic Charities USA.

The International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers “works to make mental health ministry an integral ministry in the Church that is available in every Catholic parish and community,” Deacon Shoener explained.

Pastoral care in support of mental health

For those facing mental health struggles, a number of factors including insurance and government support might impact the ability to find good care. His organization offers assistance locating treatment and medical services in one’s own community. Spiritual support is offered to individuals struggling with mental health – and their families, too – and tools and insights are offered to clergy and lay ministers. The organization also offers resources for those interested in starting a mental health ministry.

“You do not need to be a mental health professional to offer this ministry,” he said. “All you need is a deep love of Christ and desire to help those among us with mental health challenges.”

Deacon Shoener believes pastoral care dedicated to supporting mental health has grown.

For example, Pope Leo’s prayer intention for October 2026 will be dedicated to mental health ministry. And just two years ago, Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral, Human Development, described mental health ministry as essential – and “a universal human right.”

“This ministry would not have been possible 20 years ago because there was so much stigma and shame associated with mental illness. Most people were not willing to talk about it,” he said. “But the door has cracked open a bit, and the Holy Spirit is blowing through that opening.”

To learn more about the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, visit CatholicMHM.org.

If you are experiencing a crisis, dial 988.

Learn more information about the New Jersey Catholic Mental Health Conference HERE.

This article was written by David Karas for the Catholic Star Herald, the newspaper of the Diocese of Trenton.