cathoholic_anonymous Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Does anyone know of specific women's communities that minister to the mentally ill, or at least have room for such an apostolate? Any information would be gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stlmom Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I believe the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent dePaul serve the mentally ill as part of their apostolate to the poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SisterAli Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 [quote name='stlmom' post='1124830' date='Nov 20 2006, 11:10 PM'] I believe the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent dePaul serve the mentally ill as part of their apostolate to the poor. [/quote] Marian Sisters....Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska They work with mentally retarded kids....dunno if that's what you are looking for. God Bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicemary Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I know that the Sisters of the Good Shepherd do work with troubled youth, many of whom are mentally ill. I really have not heard of any sisters who specialize in that field. Some of the sisters that have hospitals may be your best bet....many have psych units in the general hospital setting. And they may also be open to someone working in the mental health field. Good luck in your search, it is work that is so desperatly needed in today's society Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathoholic_anonymous Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 I will take a look at the Daughters of Charity of SVP. I am a member of the Society of St Vincent de Paul and I love the work I do within that, so it is probably a very good idea to consider the sisters. I am deeply in love with Carmelite spirituality, though, and I am investigating two Carmelite communities - one cloistered, one apostolic. It is difficult for me to reconcile my spirituality with something that I feel is a fundamental part of my vocation: caring for the mentally ill. In a way, I feel as though I owe my vocation to a teenager with a mental illness. I'm in her debt, and the best way to repay her is surely to minister to those like her. Perhaps this ministry will take the form of daily prayer inside an enclosed community. Perhaps I will have to get involved in an 'hands-on' apostolate. (Although I'm beginning to see that you can't get more hands-on than prayer.) Whatever I'm meant to do, it will all become clear in time. [quote]They work with mentally retarded kids....dunno if that's what you are looking for.[/quote] Mental illnesses are different from mental handicap. Mentally handicapped people have limited intellectual ability. Mentally ill people are of normal intelligence, but are fundamentally disturbed in some way. Depression, anorexia, self-harm, and schizophrenia are all examples of mental illness. Thank you for the suggestion, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathoholic_anonymous Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 I've just looked at the website for the SVP Daughters of Charity. I'm confused. The international website shows the sisters wearing habits. The website for the British province shows them in ordinary clothes. Perhaps the habit is a superficial consideration, but I feel it is important to wear one. Does anyone know what the rules are in an order where some sisters wear habits and others don't? Can you choose to have one, or is it up to your superior? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stlmom Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 [quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1124982' date='Nov 21 2006, 07:29 AM'] I've just looked at the website for the SVP Daughters of Charity. I'm confused. The international website shows the sisters wearing habits. The website for the British province shows them in ordinary clothes. Perhaps the habit is a superficial consideration, but I feel it is important to wear one. Does anyone know what the rules are in an order where some sisters wear habits and others don't? Can you choose to have one, or is it up to your superior? [/quote] I can't be sure of this, but it seems to be decided within each province. We have several provinces in the USA, with some sisters wearing a uniform blue dress and short veil. Generally the Daughters in the USA wear some combination of plain blue and white clothing and no veil. We have them in St. Louis, and they are wonderful. They work with the most desperate of the poor in many cases, including the homeless mentally ill. God bless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
be_thou_my_vision Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I asked Sr Gilmary of the Religious Sisters of Mercy about this (I am interested in working with eating disordered patients) and she said that one of the sisters is a psychiatrist, so yes, they do work with the mentall ill. Their whole apostlate is not devoted to it, but I believe they are open to sisters working with those who are mentally ill. (Don't quote me on that!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicemary Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 what exactly do you want to do to help the mentally ill? It would be a wonderful apostolate. I know that if you chose to do so, most entry level positions require a Masters degree or higher. Not sure how old you are, or if you want to spend so much time in school! Most care of the mentally ill is done in the outpatient setting today. And it is surely a tangle of red tape and beauracracy. As to wearing a habit, not sure how that particular population would take to that much of a religious figure. That might really scare them away. Would be interesting to see how they would react to the habit. Just yesterday I got this flyer in the mail and it was from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary(no Carmel and no habit) but the flyer said that they '....minister to the mentally and physically challenged...'. Didn't take the time to check for a website, but here is the address: 8124 Edgemere Blvd. el Paso, Texas 79925. Guess you can goggle them and see. Hope this helps PS Am in the medical field and have worked in psych before, so might be able to answer any questions from that standpoint. You can email me off phorum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
be_thou_my_vision Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 The Religious Sister of Mercy that is a psychiatrist works in the clinic that the sisters own... lots of the sister nurses work there too. AliceMary, I agree with you about the habit and working with the mentally ill. The patients may be very standoff-ish if they have something against the Catholic Church and they see a nun in habit come in to care for them... I have read quite a few books about this, and it is a problem. I am all for the habit, but being in habit while working with people who have a mental illness and being in habit while teaching in the classroom are two totally different things. Catholic Anonymous, you may be called to a community that is not officially Carmelite, but that doesn't mean that you will not live out your Carmelite calling of detached love and simplicity... the desert spirituality. I think all religious will agree that they take with them a lot of different spiritualities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathoholic_anonymous Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 [quote]what exactly do you want to do to help the mentally ill? It would be a wonderful apostolate. I know that if you chose to do so, most entry level positions require a Masters degree or higher. Not sure how old you are, or if you want to spend so much time in school![/quote] I took psychology for A-Level and I got a high A grade, but I doubt I could manage to qualify as a clinical psychologist. Too much maths. It is the spiritual care of the mentally ill that concerns me, primarily because I have a friend in a psychiatric unit. She became ill as a result of terrible sexual abuse that she's had to bear ever since she was seven years old. She's now fifteen. She suffers from chronic anorexia and tendencies to self-harm. She has made at least three attempts to take her own life. At one point I was the only person who knew what was going on - her own parents didn't know about it until she was admitted to hospital after her first overdose. That was in early November last year. So I prayed alongside her and tried to let her know that God loves her. She was comforted by this at first (she used to ring me at two a.m. to get me to read her favourite psalms down the phone, as a way of preventing herself from cutting) but a few months after her admittance to the hospital her faith died. It's a wonderful hospital. She's receiving the best medical and psychological care she possibly could. But her soul has been neglected. There is great need for spiritual care in these places. I'm nineteen at the moment and in my second year Cambridge. After I've finished my course I may do further study at a nearby Catholic women's theological institute that is affiliated with the university. The Theology for Ministry degree should prepare me for hospital chaplaincy or something of that sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicemary Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Being a hospital chaplain might be right up your alley. You could help alot of people who really need comfort. However, I wonder how many of these jobs are there? Aren't alot volunteer type positions? As to the mentally ill and relgion, again they are not exactly at the best point in life to be looking for God. A severly psychotic person will not embrace our concept of God for the most part. You have lofty ideas and I encourage you to continue to have that desire. Continue in school and developing yourself.In time, and with study you will find your path! Best of luck in your search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortnun Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 [quote name='alicemary' post='1125330' date='Nov 21 2006, 04:52 PM'] Being a hospital chaplain might be right up your alley. You could help alot of people who really need comfort. However, I wonder how many of these jobs are there? Aren't alot volunteer type positions? As to the mentally ill and relgion, again they are not exactly at the best point in life to be looking for God. A severly psychotic person will not embrace our concept of God for the most part. You have lofty ideas and I encourage you to continue to have that desire. Continue in school and developing yourself.In time, and with study you will find your path! Best of luck in your search [/quote] Alicemary brings up a great point: chaplaincy. I have to do a clinical summer internship for my degree (Master of Divinity). And to be a certified (American) chaplain you have to have four units (1 summer = 1 unit; 12 months = 4 units). So I've had to do a bit of "research" in this area... As far as jobs... I am familiar with the American market for pastoral staff and chaplains. And I would venture to say, particularly as baby boomers age, there will be a HUGE market for clinical pastoral care workers and chaplains. And a concentration/focus on the mentally ill, I imagine, would translate very well in the job market. That's my hunch. You may be interested in the International Network contact listed on [b][url="http://www.acpe.edu/networks.htm"]this site.[/url] [/b] Also, [b][url="http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/nav/chaplaincies.htm"]here's a UK site[/url][/b] I found on chaplains that has a link about hospitals. Other US sites:[b] [url="http://www.professionalchaplains.org/"]Association of Professional Chaplains[/url][/b] and [b][url="http://www.nacc.org/"]National Association of Catholic Chaplains[/url][/b]-- both are quite reputable from what I hear about them. I don't have particularly direct contact with either group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathoholic_anonymous Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 Thank you for the advice and encouragement, everyone. Please keep me in your prayers. I have built up a sort of 'unofficial' ministry to people with mental illnesses already. As well as my friend in hospital, I know three other people who are battling with depression or other mental health difficulties. I talk to them regularly and they often ask me to pray with them. One girl, formerly an agnostic, now carries the Beatitudes with her everywhere she goes. The Holy Spirt really helps me in these situations. I am always so aware of His presence when I talk with these three people, so perhaps this is a small sign that I am doing the right work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stlmom Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 [quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1126161' date='Nov 22 2006, 02:49 PM'] Thank you for the advice and encouragement, everyone. Please keep me in your prayers. I have built up a sort of 'unofficial' ministry to people with mental illnesses already. As well as my friend in hospital, I know three other people who are battling with depression or other mental health difficulties. I talk to them regularly and they often ask me to pray with them. One girl, formerly an agnostic, now carries the Beatitudes with her everywhere she goes. The Holy Spirt really helps me in these situations. I am always so aware of His presence when I talk with these three people, so perhaps this is a small sign that I am doing the right work. [/quote] Good for you, CA! I hope you do find your vocation through the friendship you extend to these people, it sure sounds like you have a chaplain's heart . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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