• The suicide of Rev. Dennis Conway has prompted the Archdiocese of Dubuque to enhance its mental health support and awareness initiatives.
• The church is actively working to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness and encourage open conversations about mental wellness.
• New support strategies, including a mental health task force, are being implemented to assist parishioners and priests.

The Archdiocese of Dubuque is responding to the suicide of Rev. Dennis Conway by increasing its focus on mental health support and awareness. This includes implementing new strategies to reduce stigma, provide education, and offer resources for mental wellness. The church's efforts reflect a broader societal shift towards recognizing and addressing mental health challenges within religious communities and the population in general. Archbishop Thomas Zinkula and Father Aaron Junge are spearheading these initiatives, emphasizing openness and transparency about mental health struggles.

• What: The Archdiocese of Dubuque is launching a mental health task force to raise awareness, provide education, and offer resources following the suicide of Rev. Dennis Conway. They are also implementing psychological testing for future priests.
• Who: Key individuals include Archbishop Thomas Zinkula, Father Aaron Junge, and the late Rev. Dennis Conway. Organizations involved are the Archdiocese of Dubuque, St. Wenceslaus, and Immaculate Conception churches.
• When: The priest's death occurred in November. The mental health task force is a recent initiative.
• Where: The events are primarily taking place within the Archdiocese of Dubuque in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The death of Rev. Dennis Conway has served as a catalyst for increased awareness and action regarding mental health within the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The church's decision to implement a mental health task force and provide psychological testing for future priests signifies a significant shift towards prioritizing mental well-being within the religious community. This proactive approach can potentially serve as a model for other religious organizations and communities facing similar challenges. The situation highlights the importance of open dialogue, accessible resources, and ongoing support for mental health, particularly within vocations that often carry significant emotional and spiritual burdens.

"Based on correspondence near the time of his death, Father Dennis clearly was suffering from an acute mental health crisis."

"The more we can just be honest about it and more transparent rather [than] try and hide these kinds of things, it doesn’t help, I don’t think, in the long run,"

"The fact that it catalyzed prayer and conversation around the overall mental health of priests and religious is, I believe, God bringing good from a very tragic situation."

The Archdiocese of Dubuque's response to the suicide of Rev. Dennis Conway marks a crucial step towards destigmatizing mental illness and promoting mental wellness within the church community. By implementing new support strategies and encouraging open conversations, the Archdiocese is actively working to create a more supportive environment for its members. This tragedy has sparked a broader conversation about the mental health of religious leaders and the need for increased resources and support. The initiatives undertaken by the Archdiocese serve as a promising example of how religious institutions can proactively address mental health challenges.