Karnataka Church Trains Parishes to Respond to Mental Health Needs

BENGALURU, September 24, 2026: The Karnataka Catholic Church is strengthening its response to mental health concerns by training parish communities to recognise signs of distress, listen without judgement and connect people with appropriate professional support.

The Karnataka Regional Catholic Mental Health Conference 2026, held on September 19 and 20 at Paalanaa Bhavana Main Hall, Bengaluru, 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 held 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 called attention to the Church’s role in promoting mental wellbeing across families, parishes and society.

The sessions, organised around “Understand • Recognise • Respond,” addressed mental health through the perspectives of faith, childhood, youth, family life, parenting and ageing.

Fr. Shinto Mathew, OCD, National President of CMHM, spoke on a biblical approach to positive mental health, focusing on human dignity, suffering, hope and compassion rather than judgement. Fr. Santhosh Dias, National Secretary of the CBCI Office of Healthcare, examined mental health concerns in families, educational institutions, workplaces, parishes and healthcare settings.

Children’s and young people’s mental health received particular attention. Ida D’Souza of MAHE, Manipal, discussed bullying, school stress, excessive screen use, family conflict and emotional warning signs among children. Dr. Anita Rego of Pearlss 4 Development addressed academic and career pressure, relationships, social media, loneliness, anxiety, substance use and warning signs of self-harm among young people.

Saji Kurien, counsellor and Director of Digital Engagement at CMHM, addressed parenting through his session “Mindful Parenting – Connecting Before Correcting,” while Dr Patrick Jude of CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, focused on loneliness, grief, retirement, illness, dependency and other mental health concerns affecting senior citizens.

Family wellbeing was discussed by Dr. Eliza Pereira of Florina’s Angels, who highlighted communication difficulties, financial pressures, caregiving, parenting, illness and grief. Dr. Luke Salazar of St John’s Medical College and Hospital, Bengaluru, addressed mental health stigma and encouraged greater openness and awareness within parish communities.

The conference also included practical training. During “The Listening Parish,” facilitated by Dr. Sibi George, participants worked through situations involving people experiencing distress and discussed appropriate ways of listening and responding. Dr Sojan Antony of NIMHANS introduced participants to Psychological First Aid through role-play and group exercises.

Participants also discussed mental health challenges within families, among children and youth, senior citizens and parish communities. A poster presentation and gallery walk helped them identify practical parish-level responses.

A Karnataka Regional Mental Health Ministry team was constituted during the conference, with Bishop Joseph Arumachadath, Chairman of the Health Commission, and other Church and mental-health professionals taking responsibility for 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 undertake to promote mental wellbeing.

Fr. Alban Zeo, Regional Director of CMHM, Karnataka, thanked the resource persons, organisers, volunteers and participants. Fr. Shinto Mathew also appreciated Fr. Alban Zeo for his efforts in organising and coordinating the conference.

The gathering emphasised the need for parishes to become communities where people can speak about mental health concerns without fear of judgement and receive compassionate accompaniment and appropriate professional support.

By Sr. M. Gincy Thekkanath, PDDM

Secretary, CMHM, Bangalore