TORCH Groups

What is a TORCH Group?

In the light of your love

We are an ecumenical friendship group. All are welcome to join us. However, we exist specifically to ensure that there is always a place of welcome for those suffering from, who have recovered from, or who care for someone, with mental health needs in our local community.

The word TORCH summarises who we are and what we do.

T stands for Table talk

O stands for Open to all

R stands for to Reach Out in love

C stands for Companionship

H stands for Help as you can

 

Mental health care is moving out into the community. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in our life time. Discrimination remains a real problem. Many sufferers are isolated and are unknown to the wider community. When I worked as a mental health chaplain, I used to worry about what happened to our patients when they left our care. Will we warmly welcome them into our Churches?

Please consider starting a TORCH group in your community

Pope Francis has inaugurated an initiative called CHARIS. One of the key a feature of this initiative is to reach out in love and care to those who are on the margins of society. He urges us to reach out if possible ecumenically in this endeavour. In our Catholic community, our parish prayer group has adopted this friendship group as a response to Pope Francis’ CHARIS initiative. Four members of the prayer group are also members of the friendship group.

I present this Torch initiative to you as an example of how your parish could reach out to the wider community in this way.

The TORCH group concept grew out of a local parish response to an initiative by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales, under the direction of Bishop Richard Moth, who was then the Bishop for mental health.  The Catholic Church funded a number of experimental projects to discover ways that the Catholic Church could increase pastoral and spiritual care for those with mental healthcare needs, their families and their carers. Eleven grants were given to support a variety of new initiatives. One such initiative was to establish a mental health Parish Prayer Group. This provided a model for other parishes to follow. In support of this initiative two members of my parish in Redhill, Surrey, began such a group in 2012. We now have eleven years of experience with this group, which has grown and developed considerably over the years.

The word TORCH suggests a light that shines in the darkness. We all experience dark times in our lives. When we do, it’s good to know we are not alone but there are others with us ‘banishing the darkness and bringing in the light.’

We encourage Table Talk where everyone is listened to attentively, in turn. No one speaks while someone else is talking. Many people today do not have the experience of being listened to deeply. Everyone’s story is important. Each person is unique and is special in his or her own way. Our listening is non-judgemental. In this way we notice each person’s needs and respond to them compassionately, with care and comfort as we are able.

We meet monthly, either over coffee and biscuits mid-morning, or over a simple meal at lunchtime. Our group is Open to all. It is an outreach into the local community and welcomes anyone who wants to come of any religious persuasion or none. In this way we practice hospitality of heart as we Reach out in love to all we who come. Each person contributes something when we get together e.g. sandwiches, bread, cheese, ham, cake and biscuits, fruit juice etc. We provide opportunities to socialise within the group and in the local community, to combat the isolation sometimes experienced by our members. Sometimes we watch a film together. We have a Christmas dinner at a local restaurant and may go to the theatre together. We try to create opportunities for people to meet and enjoy each other’s company.

At the end of our sharing together, we take a moment in silence to pray for the people present and for the needs they have shared. In this way, we respect the differences in our spiritualties. We do have a prayer if the group would like to use it. At the end of the meal, teas and coffees give us the opportunity for socialising informally. Thus the group shares a mutual Companionship, in which all give and take and enjoy each other’s company. Finally, if there is a particular need, we Help as we can. That might mean simply organising a lift or praying for a difficult situation. Sometimes we help simply by our presence and by ‘being there’.

Our group meets in my home. A church hall or community room would work well. One of the first members of our group was the victim of sexual abuse and would not go near a church because of the recent abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Others have said it is a blessing to be in a home, sharing a meal around a table, something they never enjoy anywhere else. I do make an effort to arrange the table as beautifully and welcoming as possible.

It is good to have at least two people to co-ordinate activities. One member or the coordinator, telephones the members of the group two days before the next meeting. Attendance depends on the well-being of the participants at the time. On this call, food contributions are arranged which are always simple and inexpensive. Many of our members are on benefits and it is important to keep the meal simple and inexpensive. Someone may bring a bag of crisps or  a cheese sandwich. We always have a good spread somehow! Our meeting starts at 1pm and finishes about 3pm.

People join us through word of mouth, by personal invitation or by responding to an announcement in the parish newsletter. They also come through the parish co-ordinator for the sick and housebound and from other church communities who know of our existence and refer people to us.

Once a year, we try to reflect on what we did, how did we do it and how could we do it better next time. This has allowed the group to own its own activities and to grow and develop uniquely.

We have a pool of about 12 ongoing group members, out of which we consistently have five or more on our lunch day. There are often ongoing healthcare needs which may prevent attendance at the last minute. Any more than 12, makes it difficult to have enough time for the sharing. A second group would then be needed. I also co-ordinate lift sharing or taxis for many of our group do not have a car.

Your group may like to choose a name for themselves. Our group is called the ‘St Bernadette’s Group’.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, has recently made a range of courses available to ‘empower anyone involved in this ministry to walk alongside those who struggle with mental health issues’. All courses are MHFA England accredited and are heavily subsidised by the diocese. One of these courses is the Mental Health Ambassador one day course. Two of our group have undertaken this. It has helped us to become more confident leaders.

Here are some of the comments made by group members

“We all agree that spending time talking is very useful. Going round the room gives us time to interact and share.”

“I like to lift up the spirits of others who are struggling with certain aspects of their lives.”

“I find the group very inclusive and I look forward to coming.”

“I enjoy having a good laugh and seeing the funny side of life.”

“It is good to meet to have lunch and go on outings.”

“I have been coming to the St. Bernadette group for many years. I was introduced to the group by a friend…I have met some wonderful people who have their own life experiences and challenges which can be hard for them to cope with at times, but by sharing our stories we can pray, comfort and console each other…I can only hope that I have been a good listener and supporter for the group. I hope the group continues to be a support to our members…and we can continue to provide a shoulder to lean on. May we continue to pray and help each other for many years to come.”

“I had no idea when invited by someone I only knew by sight from church, to join a lunch group. What a lasting treasure this would be, where we not only eat very well but make deeper friendships through the sharing of our highs and lows, if we want to. Our leader then encourages us to pray for each other in silence. This has resulted in us forming a seldom experienced trust and lasting fellowship with each other and the Lord. I could not recommend this group more highly.”

“What I enjoy about this group is the meal we share together. It gives us a chance to discuss any problems that have come up, and everyone can pray for you. I enjoy the social outings as well. We need able-bodied people who are well mentally to join the group to support those who are unwell.”

“This is a wonderful prayer group, sharing lunch and anything on our minds, or difficulties of daily living and to be there for one another. Taking the time to care and listen gives us support. It’s great fun and enjoyable just to get together in this way.”

TORCH Prayer

Thank you for bringing us together again today.

Thank you for the time to share the highs and lows of our lives with each other. We hold up in prayer to you, all our needs and the needs of those we are praying for, especially ……

Fill us all with your love.
Let the light of your love shine the way forward, when the way seems dark.
Smooth the way when the way seems hard.
Raise us up when we fall.
When we are broken, love us back to life.
Heal us in body, mind and spirit.

In the light of your love, lead us together, safely home to you.

Amen

Where should I go for more information?

Margaret McGettrickMA (retired board registered hospital chaplain West London Mental Health NHS Trust, St Bernard’s Hospital, Ealing and Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust, East Surrey Hospital Redhill) is the Co-ordinator of the St Bernadette’s Torch group in the Parish of the Nativity of the Lord, Redhill, Surrey.                                                                                                                            

email: mmcgettrick@googlemail.co.uk

Please consider starting a group in your parish

I will turn the darkness before them into light Isaiah 42:16