With more than 25 percent of Americans suffering from a mental health disorder, parish priests are faced with the task of ministering to parishioners who could be struggling with a wide range of issues. Priests themselves are also not immune to mental health problems, which is why Mundelein Seminary has a variety of programs and qualified staff in place to help seminarians learn about mental health issues and confront their own struggles.
In this episode of our Formation podcast, Father Jacob Rouse ’18 of the Archdiocese of Dubuque talks about his road to the priesthood and details his personal experience with mental health issues. He discusses the programs and processes in place at Mundelein Seminary that helped him take care of his own mental health throughout his formation. He also talks about how transparency with his mental health struggles has enriched his priesthood and allowed him to connect with parishioners and others who face similar difficulties. Click here to watch his longer video on his experiences with mental health issues.
He also discusses his use of social media as an evangelization tool to engage the culture and shares a few of his favorite things. You can subscribe to his YouTube channel or follow him on Instagram to see more of his content.
