Prayer Room
A sacred space for prayer, reflection, and healing
Welcome to our Prayer Room, a sacred space where you can pause, breathe, and connect with God. These prayers are offered for those experiencing mental health challenges, their families, and all who seek comfort and hope.
With intercession of St. Dymphna, Patron of Mental Illness
Lord, we pray for those who have a mental illness.
Help us understand that the way we talk about people with a mental illness affects the people themselves and how we treat the illness.
So often people who have a mental illness are known as their illness; people say that "she is bipolar," or "he is schizophrenic"; when we talk about mental illness, we should not use that phrase.
People who have cancer are not cancer; those with heart disease are not heart disease.
Let us always remember that people with a mental illness are not the illness – they are beautiful creations of God.
There is so much fear, ignorance and hurtful attitudes that the people who suffer from mental illness needlessly suffer further.
Help us to support and be compassionate to those with a mental illness, every bit as much as we support those who suffer from any other illness.
Grant courage to those for whom we pray and fill them with hope.
If it is according to Your Divine Will, grant them the recovery and cure they desire.
Help them to remember You love them; they are never alone.
Saint Dymphna, Patron of those with a Mental Illness, pray for us.
Amen.
"Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7
This prayer reminds us of the dignity of every person created in God's image. Mental illness does not define a person – it is a condition they experience, not who they are. As we pray for those struggling with mental health challenges, let us also examine our own hearts and the way we speak about and treat those who suffer.
St. Dymphna, who herself fled persecution and is invoked as the patron saint of those with mental illness, intercedes for all who struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. May her prayers bring comfort and healing.
With intercession of St. John of God, Patron of Mental Illness
Lord we Pray for those who have a Mental Illness.
There is so much fear, ignorance and hurtful attitudes that the people who suffer from mental illness needlessly suffer further.
Help us to support and be compassionate to those with a mental illness, every bit as much as we support those who suffer from any other illness.
Let us always remember that people with a mental illness are not the illness – they are beautiful creations of God.
St. John of God, you understand and witnessed the difficulties of living with a mental illness.
You lived in the darkness but found hope.
You wrote: "When you feel depressed, have recourse to the Passion of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and his precious wounds, and you will feel great consolation".
Lord our God, grant courage to those for whom we pray and fill them with hope.
Help them to remember You love them; they are never alone.
Saint John of God, Patron of those with a Mental Illness, pray for us.
Amen.
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18
St. John of God (1495-1550) personally experienced mental illness and understood the suffering it brings. After a profound conversion experience, he dedicated his life to caring for the sick and those with mental illness. His own struggles gave him deep compassion for others who suffered.
His words remind us that even in the depths of depression and darkness, we can find consolation in turning to Christ's Passion. When we meditate on Jesus' suffering, we remember that God himself entered into human pain and redeemed it. We are never alone in our struggles – Christ walks with us through every dark valley.
In the style of the Prayer of St. Francis, by Lizzy Ojo Martens, Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries
Lord as I reflect on the mental health challenges present within my community, as well as my own lived experience, I ask that you make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is division, let me sow unity.
Where there is stigma, belonging.
Where there is unfamiliarity, awareness.
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Where there is silence or shame, light.
Where there is isolation, inclusion and companionship.
Where there is hopelessness, hope.
O Divine Counselor, grant that I may not so much see to be comforted as to comfort others, and to speak as to listen.
For it is giving that we receive.
And it is in your presence that we find peace.
Amen.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." - Matthew 5:9
This beautiful prayer, inspired by the Prayer of St. Francis, calls us to be instruments of God's peace in addressing mental health challenges in our communities. It reminds us that we have the power to transform stigma into belonging, isolation into companionship, and hopelessness into hope.
The prayer challenges us to move beyond seeking comfort for ourselves to actively comforting others, and to listen more than we speak. In a world where mental health struggles are often met with silence and shame, we are called to bring light, awareness, and compassionate presence. When we give of ourselves in service to others, we receive far more than we could imagine—and in God's presence, we find the peace that surpasses all understanding.
This prayer was written by Lizzy Ojo Martens for Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries (sanctuarymentalhealth.org), an organization dedicated to helping faith communities become sanctuaries of hope and healing for people affected by mental health challenges.
With wisdom from Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis
Lord, we Pray for Those Who Have a Mental Illness.
Christ took all human suffering on himself, even mental illness.
Whoever suffers from mental illness "always" bears God's image and likeness in themselves. — Pope Saint John Paul II
Comfort those who live with mental illness and support those who, like the Good Samaritan, soothe their spiritual wounds.
Let us pray for them and their families, so that they are never left alone, or discriminated against, but instead are welcomed and supported. — Pope Benedict XVI
Along with indispensable psychological counseling, Jesus' words also help.
We bring to mind and heart: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
May people who suffer from mental illness find support and a light that opens them up to life. — Pope Francis
Amen.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
This powerful prayer brings together the wisdom of three recent popes, each emphasizing crucial aspects of the Church's compassionate response to mental illness.
Pope St. John Paul II reminds us of the fundamental dignity of every person, emphasizing that mental illness never diminishes the image of God within us. No matter what challenges we face, we remain beloved children of God, created in His image and likeness.
Pope Benedict XVI calls us to be like the Good Samaritan, actively caring for those with mental health challenges. He emphasizes the importance of community—ensuring that no one suffering from mental illness is left alone or discriminated against, but instead welcomed and supported.
Pope Francis highlights the integration of faith and professional care, noting that while psychological counseling is indispensable, Christ's words of comfort and invitation also bring healing. He invites us to embrace Jesus' promise of rest for the weary and burdened.
Together, these three shepherds of the Church guide us toward a holistic, compassionate, and dignified approach to mental health ministry—one that honors both the spiritual and medical aspects of healing.
We are developing additional multimedia prayers for various needs:
Check back soon for more resources.
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