About Courage
Courage, an apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church, ministers to those with same-sex attractions and their loved ones. We have been endorsed by the Pontifical Council for the Family, and our beloved John Paul II said of this ministry, “Courage is doing the work of God!”
By developing an interior life of chastity, which is the universal call to all Christians, one can move beyond the confines of the homosexual identity to a more complete one in Christ. To help do this, five goals of Courage were created by members themselves when the apostolate was founded in 1980. These goals are read at the start of each meeting and each member is called to practice them in his/her daily life.
1. Chastity: Live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.
2. Prayer and Dedication: Dedicate one’s life to Christ through service to others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
3. Fellowship: Foster a spirit of fellowship in which all may share thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone.
4. Support: Be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian life and in doing so provide encouragement to one another in forming and sustaining them.
5. Good Example: Live lives that may serve as good examples to others.
For more information on the worldwide Courage organization, please visit the Courage Apostolate website
About EnCourage
In addition to the Courage groups, our Apostolate also includes outreach to friends and family members, especially parents, of people with same sex attraction. Sometimes this person may be a member of Courage; in many other cases, the homosexual family member has drifted away from the Church, and parents, siblings and friends struggle with how to stay faithful to the Church’s teaching and still be supportive of their loved ones.
Through talking with people with same-sex attraction, we have come to see that, while everyone’s story is unique, there are some common experiences that many people with same-sex attraction share, many of them connected with childhood development and family life. EnCourage provides a supportive environment in which to hear and evaluate this common story, which can often be difficult for parents to accept. EnCourage can help loved ones to move past questions like “What’s wrong with him?” or “What did I do wrong?” and focus on the genuine love and patience that makes reconciliation and real friendship possible with God and others.
EnCourage draws family members together in much the same setting as a Courage meeting. The group is formed around four important goals:
First, to promote a spirit of compassion and acceptance, both of one another in the group, and of the loved ones about whom they are so concerned.
Second, to form a commitment to a life of prayer, reception of the Sacraments, spiritual reading and meditation, and spiritual direction.
Third, to encourage their loved ones in the formation of chaste friendships, which can be the first step toward a deeper understanding of the virtue of chastity and the call to holiness.
Fourth, to witness by good example to others in their same situation, as well as to their loved ones with same sex attraction.