As the Mental Health Crisis Escalates, the Family Preservation Alliance and Global Leaders Unite in Response— Calling All Faiths and Nations to Scars to STARs Day for Healing, Hope, and Lasting Peace
Register: scarstostarsday.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. | May 9, 2025 – Global NewsWires On behalf of families worldwide, the Family Preservation Alliance extends its profound congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his election as the 268th Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
As a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting families’ psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being, we were deeply inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s first message: “Let us begin by building peace.” Thesewords could not be more timely. In an age when trauma, suicide, division, and systemic breakdown are taking an unprecedented toll on children, families, and communities, the call to build peace is not just spiritual—it is urgent.
“This message of healing and unity is central to our mission,” said John S. Hamel, Jr., President of the Family Preservation Alliance.”As President of the Family Preservation Alliance, I reflect on the spiritual values that shaped my journey. I was educated by the Augustinians, whose teachings instilled in me the foundational importance of family, justice, and compassion. My siblings attended Villanova University and Merrimack College, rooted in Augustinian principles that guide our advocacy today.”
We are deeply humbled to share that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has received a copy of Building Bridges of Hope: Overcoming Trauma in Family Court—the #1 international bestselling book co-authored by Hamel, which chronicles both his journey and the Family Preservation Alliance’s mission to restore dignity and connection within fractured families. That His Holiness would receive this work is a profound affirmation of the global need to heal families as a path toward lasting peace.
We further celebrate that this moment aligns with Pope Francis’s proclamation of 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope—a spiritual call to restore compassion, repair what has been broken, and bring light to those suffering in silence. We are reminded, too, of the unwavering support for families demonstrated by Saint John Paul II, whose teachings upheld the family as the cornerstone of civilization and a sanctuary of love and responsibility.
In that spirit of global solidarity, the Family Preservation Alliance is honored to serve as a lead organizingpartner of Scars to STARs Day 2025, alongside the STAR Network Foundation, WEHealUS™, the CPTSD Foundation, and Alternative Healthcare Solutions. This free, global summit will take place on May 16 in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month—bringing together survivors, clinicians, policy leaders, and spiritual voices in a shared mission of recovery and resilience.
Remarkable partners support the scars to STARs Day:
- The Kennedy Forum, led by Patrick J. Kennedy, champions mental health parity and bipartisan policy reform.
- SHRM – the Society for Human Resource Management, representing over 300,000 HR leaders in 165 countries, is embedding trauma-informed practices into the global workforce.
- Promly, a youth-driven mental health platform founded by Jennifer Libby, tackles the suicide crisis facing Gen Z through innovation and empathy.
Together, we invite people of all faiths, nations, and communities—from the Vatican to villages, mosques to synagogues, boardrooms to living rooms—to join this day of reflection, education, and action. Scars to STARs Day is our gift to the world, offering hope in a time of profound need.
Scars to STARs Day has confirmed participation from 49 U.S. states and over 64 countries, demonstrating a truly global call for healing, peace, and solidarity.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy with a commitment to peace, we echo his call: let us build bridges, not barriers— transform trauma into healing.
Scars to STARs Day 2025 – A Global Gift of Healing
📅 Date: Thursday, May 16, 2025
🌍 Where: Virtual – Free Registration at www.scarstostarsday.org
💠 Cost: Free – Offered in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month
Join us. Together, we begin building peace.