Austin and Catherine Mardon, a married couple since 2003, have turned their personal battles with mental illness into a mission to support young people in need. Austin, a Canadian assistant adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 30 after a difficult youth that included a NASA meteorite recovery expedition in Antarctica. Catherine, a former lawyer from Oklahoma, suffered a traumatic brain injury and PTSD following a brutal attack after testifying in a case. Both now write and speak publicly about mental health, emphasizing that effective treatments exist and that faith must be paired with action.
The couple foster children and young adults with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a condition that causes permanent brain damage before birth and has no cure. They explain that many of these young people fall through the cracks of the foster system and end up on the streets. By taking some into their home, hosting parties and holiday gatherings, and offering practical support, the Mardons aim to give these individuals the dignity and family care they often lack.
In 2017, the Mardons were inducted into the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester, a papal knighthood, for their work on behalf of the disabled. They met Pope Francis in a general audience in November 2016. “We don’t help people because they’re Catholic, we help people because we’re Catholic and we’re called to do it,” Catherine said, echoing a lesson from a Carmelite nun teacher.
Both Austin and Catherine urge Catholics—priests and laity alike—to recognize that mental illness is not a character flaw but a medical condition that requires medication, therapy and compassionate support. They warn against the misconception that prayer alone can cure mental illness, stressing that faith without action can be hollow, while action without faith can be misguided.
Looking ahead, the Mardons hope to inspire others, especially older adults without children, to step in and offer family‑like care to young people exiting foster care. They believe that such support can prevent the loss of human dignity and help these young adults build healthy relationships.
