This year, the team at Bethlehem Catholic High School (BECAHI) has combined accompaniment, education, and advocacy to form a Christ-centered approach to mental health and wellness for its students
Danielle Frio, Director of Counseling and Student Leadership at BECAHI, was inspired by the mental health ministry beginning at her parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem
“We talk a lot about forming students spiritually and academically,” Frio said, “but we also need to look at the emotional piece, because it’s a huge factor in the success of a student — in their spiritual life, their academic life, and their future.”
Rather than relying only on reactive care, such as a struggling student seeking out a guidance counselor, Frio and BECAHI staff added a proactive approach centered on the Catholic faith
“It’s going to be a truly holistic approach, which is the way the Church approaches mental health,” said Fr. Stephan Isaac, the school’s chaplain. “Christ is the Divine Physician who heals all wounds.”
Accompaniment
This fall, BECAHI set aside the Raphael Room, where students can, as Frio put it, “go and grow.”
The room is intended to be a quiet place to study, to regroup after an emotional conversation with the counselor, or just to destress and engage in healthy emotion-regulating activities
Consistent with the Christ-centered framework of the initiative, the room features a prayer corner equipped with the Hallow app and noise-canceling headphones. Students can spend time in prayer and meditation, a critical part of emotional — as well as spiritual — health. The Raphael Room also has reading materials, art supplies, and other stress-reducing activities
“I have noticed so many kids peacefully spending time in the room, making me and my peers feel comfortable in the space that was created just for us,” said Sasha Mathew, a BECAHI senior
“Sometimes students haven’t quite figured out what works for them,” Frio said. “That’s part of the learning process, so now when we send them off after graduation, they have already explored positive ways to deal with stress.”
“Being able to discuss our mental health and normalizing these conversations helps to take away fear surrounding these topics,” Mathew said. “By providing safe spaces for students to talk with one another, BECAHI helps to create a community in which no one has to walk by themselves.”
Education
Beginning with this year’s freshman class, BECAHI has set aside several class sessions within the freshman seminar to focus on mental health and wellness. The school plans to build up the curriculum every year, selecting a course for each grade that can set aside time to focus on mental wellness
Frio explained that major goals of the mental health education are reducing stigma and sharing reholic faith complements psychological re
“We’re teaching them, in a way, spiritually, how to suffer,” said Fr. Isaac. “We’re teaching them how to carry their Cross with Christ. We have all the awesome stress reduction strategies, but [we remind them] do not forget Our Lord, most especially in prayer.”
Advocacy
In February 2027, BECAHI will host a school-wide event to promote awareness of mental health issues, called “Luminate.” It will take place overnight, highlighting the researchindicating that the risk of severe depressive symptoms and suicide spikes significantly during late-night hours
A team of students from all grade levels is working with Frio and a few adult leaders to plan the event, incorporating themes of light to combat the darkness often experienced by those suffering from mental illness
“I’m so excited to be a part of it,” Mathew said
“The kids know that this is an issue,” Frio said. “They know that mental health, their own and their peers’, is something that needs to be addressed.”
“[With this mental health program], we’re forming mature, responsible adults who know how to deal with their emotions, how to handle their stress and anxiety, and who know that faith is principal in that regard,” said Fr. Isaac
Photos by Regan Horvath
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