How Is the Karnataka Church Preparing Parishes to Respond to Mental Health Needs?

The Karnataka Catholic Church is strengthening its approach to mental health by helping parish communities recognise signs of distress, listen without judgement and connect people with appropriate professional support. The Karnataka Regional Catholic Mental Health Conference 2026 was held on September 19 and 20 at Paalanaa Bhavana Main Hall in Bengaluru. The event brought together parishioners, youth representatives, family ministry members, nursing students, volunteers and pastoral workers. Hosted by the Archdiocese of Bangalore and organised by the Catholic Mental Health Ministry (CMHM), Karnataka, the conference was conducted under the theme “Hope, Healing and Community: Building Mentally Healthy Parishes.” Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore highlighted the importance of mental health for healthy living and spoke about the Church's role in promoting wellbeing among families, parishes and wider society. Understanding, Recognising and Responding The sessions followed the approach “Understand • Recognise • Respond” and examined mental health from different perspectives, including faith, childhood, youth, family life, parenting and ageing. Fr. Shinto Mathew, OCD, National President of CMHM, discussed a biblical approach to positive mental health, focusing on human dignity, suffering, hope and compassion. Fr. Santhosh Dias, National Secretary of the CBCI Office of Healthcare, addressed mental health concerns in families, educational institutions, workplaces, parishes and healthcare settings. Children and young people received particular attention. Sessions discussed issues including bullying, school stress, excessive screen use, family conflict, academic and career pressure, relationships, loneliness and other emotional challenges. Focus on Families and Senior Citizens The conference also addressed mental health concerns affecting families and older people. Sessions explored communication difficulties, financial pressures, caregiving, parenting, illness and grief within families. Discussions on senior citizens covered loneliness, grief, retirement, illness and dependency. The programme also addressed mental health stigma and encouraged greater openness and awareness within parish communities. Practical Training for Parish Communities The conference included practical exercises designed to help participants respond to people experiencing distress. During a session titled “The Listening Parish,” participants worked through different situations and discussed appropriate ways of listening and responding. Psychological First Aid was also introduced through role-play and group exercises. Participants discussed challenges affecting families, children and young people, senior citizens and parish communities. A poster presentation and gallery walk provided additional opportunities to identify practical parish-level responses. A Regional Mental Health Ministry Team A Karnataka Regional Mental Health Ministry team was constituted during the conference. Bishop Joseph Arumachadath, Chairman of the Health Commission, along with other Church and mental-health professionals, will be involved in promoting mental health ministry across the Catholic Church in Karnataka. The conference concluded with a “One Small Step” exercise, inviting participants to identify one personal commitment and one practical action their parish could take to promote mental wellbeing. The gathering emphasised the importance of creating parish communities where people can speak about mental health concerns without fear of judgement and receive compassionate accompaniment alongside appropriate professional support.