Standing Rock Reservation Ministry; Holy Rosary Mission
The Diocese of Rapid City is piloting a Mental Wellness Ministry in several parishes during this grant period, including some located on the Pine Ridge and Standing Rock reservations that are supported by the Black and Indian Mission Office.
The core of this parish-based ministry is a peer-to-peer relational ministry, BeFriender Ministry, which is supplemented by increased access to mental wellness resources and training offered by behavioral health professionals from Catholic Social Services and other agencies. The ministry has been funded in part by a grant from the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry of the University of San Diego.
Leadership Team training for BeFriender Ministry will be attended by Sr. Jacque Schroeder, OSF, of the Standing Rock Ministry team, and Joyce Tibbetts, a parish life coordinator with Holy Rosary Mission.
"I'm hoping very much to involve all our parishes in the mental health ministry. I'm particularly interested in the development of the one-to-one peer ministry for the grieving who have experienced the loss of a spouse, child, or a significant change of life," said Sr. Jacque. "For us here on Standing Rock, such a ministry would greatly help the recipients as well as the caregivers. It could be a wonderful tool of evangelization, as well."
