Planning an Annual Mass Celebrating

Planning an Annual Mass Celebrating

the Lives of People with Mental Illness

This model is used in the Archdiocese of Chicago

Purpose:

To celebrate the lives of people with mental illness and their families, friends, and mental health professionals. The mass lets people know that the Church cares and wants to help people with a connection to mental illness on their faith journey. Due to stigma people with these illnesses often feel alone and isolated from family, friends, society, and their church. The mass reinforces that we believe everyone is created with dignity and everyone has something to offer.

Location:

Where possible the location should be easy to get to. In a large city, that means near public transportation. We have the mass at a parish that has a large number of nursing homes that have people with mental illness residing in them.

Three areas for planning are Liturgy, reception and publicity.

Liturgy planning and participation should include people with mental illnesses and families. Readings, prayers of the faithful, offertory procession, and music are opportunities to include all. Prayers of the faithful should each address a person who has a mental illness, then a family member, then a friend, then a mental health professional. Our liturgies should be prayerful but don’t have to be perfectly executed. Participation should be open to all people with varying capabilities. This reflects who we are as a people of faith. The celebrant should have knowledge of the issues facing people with mental illness and focus the homily on those issues.

The reception as we envision it is a time for gathering, sharing food and conversation. We do not have speeches; we do not pass out literature. We focus on interaction with one another. The food is provided by the committee and is simple. We usually have plenty of leftovers and provide bags for people to take home leftovers.

Publicity accomplishes two things. First the invitation lets people know when and where. Secondly, it let’s the wider faith community know that the Church is concerned and wants to reach out to people with mental illness and their families. Prepare a flyer and a bulletin announcement. Send these to all the parishes and follow-up with phone calls. If possible get the Bishop to endorse the mass with a letter or note that can be included or quoted in the flyer. Publicize the mass in Diocesan newspapers and announcements. Also use the secular press as well.

Annual Mass Planning Checklist

Add to it as you develop your plan.

ð Form a committee to plan the mass.

ð Approach appropriate diocesan personnel that they may be aware of the mass

ð Identify potential locations for the mass

ð Review locations and make selection

ð Determine date and time of mass

ð Form a publicity subcommittee

o See if diocesan the Bishop will send you a letter affirming the effort which can be used in publicity to parishes

o Develop flyers

o Develop bulletin announcements

o Create an ad that can fit in bulletin’s ad space, that may be used if there are ad spaces that are blank

o Send emails to parishes

o Follow up with phone calls to parishes

o Publicize in diocesan papers and newsletters

o Use secular press and media as able

o Use a Facebook ad

ð Form a reception committee

o Determine food and drink needs for the event

o Secure an appropriate parish hall for the reception

o Consider the needs of those with various allergies

o Provide bags or boxes so that some attendees may take away extras

o Identify and invite key personnel from various agencies who will be there and who may be able to field questions from those attending

o Consider not having promotional flyers and handouts, as this is more of a celebration rather than an event to disseminate information.

ð Form a liturgy committee

o Include people with mental illnesses and families in liturgy

§ Readings

§ Prayers of the faithful

· Prayers of the faithful should each address a person who has a mental illness,

· then a family member,

· then a friend,

· then a mental health professional

§ Offertory procession

§ Music.

o Celebrant should have knowledge of the issues facing people with mental illness

§ Homily should focus on those issues people with mental illness face

Following Jesus who embraced all, the NCPD Council on Mental Illness reaches out to accompany our brothers and sisters with mental illness and their families while assisting the Catholic community by providing resources and education for spiritual and pastoral support.