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COURAGE NEWSLETTER
April 2017
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Fr. Bochanski Introduces Director of Communications
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Fr. Philip Bochanski
Executive Director
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To the Courage and EnCourage Community:
It's a real pleasure to introduce
Ann Schneible and to welcome her to the Courage Office and to the Courage and EnCourage family. Ann has accepted the newly-created position of
Director of Communications for Courage International.
In this new role, Ann will work to make the work of Courage and EnCourage better known in the Church on the local and national level, while always respecting the privacy of our members and the sensitivity of our ministry. As you will see in the letter she has attached, Ann comes to us with an extensive background and training in Catholic communications media, which will be a great asset to our apostolate.
I hope that you will pray for Ann as she settles into her new job. I know that she is looking forward to meeting and working with you.
Sincerely,
Fr. Philip Bochanski
Executive Director
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From Our New Communications Director
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Ann Schneible
Communications Director |
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"It was with great pleasure that I joined the Courage team this past March to serve as its first-ever communications director. I am looking forward to the opportunity to help disseminate the message of hope which this apostolate brings to men and women with same-sex attraction and their loved ones . . . [and] to communicate this beautiful apostolate to the world."
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Click to read Ann's letter
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Please be sure to read
Ann's entire letter to learn of the following:
- her remarkable background by which God has prepared her well for serving Courage
- how she can assist if we have the opportunity to share our stories with the media
- the priority which she places on the privacy of our members
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Newsletter Wins Award!
Thanks to your dedication to Courage, we have been designated as a recipient of the 2016 All Star Award from our email service. Our mailing list has surpassed
2500 subscribers who open our newsletter and click on our links at
much higher rates than is typical. We are in the
top 10%!
Thank you for your interest and support!
WANTED: Your Recommendations for the Newsletter
We'd like to invite you to be even more involved by sending in your suggestions of the best of the best resources for Courage, EnCourage, and pastoral and catechetical purposes. Let us know what has been most helpful to you so we can share that with others. Just send an email to our newsletter editor.
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Upcoming Events
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Sports Camp XVIII
May 25-28, Pennsylvania
Cost: $410 (scholarships available)
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Courage and EnCourage Retreat
Sunday May 28, San Antonio, TX
"I Have Told You So That My Joy May Be in You and That Your Joy May Be Complete"
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30th Annual Courage/EnCourage Conference
Mundelein, IL, July 27-30 (Clergy Study Day
, July 26)
University of Saint Mary of the Lake (suburban Chicago)
Look for a special conference email later this month.
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2016 Conference Videos
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Fr. Bochanski speaks at conference
Fr. Bochanski speaks at conference
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The
videos from our 2016 Courage conference
at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., are now available. For those of you who have never attended a conference, these videos give you a sense of the quality of the speakers who will be present this summer. Below the 2016 videos you will find dozens of other videos of exceptional speakers from our conferences since 2011.
Conference videos 2011-2016
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Courage Resources
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Focus on Fr. Paul Scalia
2017 Conference Keynote Speaker
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Watch Fr. Paul Scalia on "Fear of the Lord" |
Fr. Paul Scalia, the Episcopal Vicar for Clergy in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is better know to the Courage family as the chairman of our Board of Directors. We are looking forward to having him join us at our conference this summer as he delivers a keynote message on the prophetic Catholic witness. Experience what a gifted teacher he is by viewing his talk on
"Fear of the Lord"
from our 2013 conference.
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| Fr. Scalia's new book |
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We are also excited to announce the release
of Fr. Scalia's first book, That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion, published by Ignatius Press. From the publisher's description:
"Fr. Paul Scalia reveals a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, these insights place the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Among the topics explored are deepening one's knowledge of Jesus, partaking of the life of grace through the sacraments, and cultivating the art of prayer as a continuous conversation with God."
Pondering Fr. Scalia's guidance in this book will surely assist those striving toward Goal #2 of Courage, which includes dedication to fostering one's spiritual life.
Fr. Scalia's new book: That Nothing May Be Lost |
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EnCourage Resources
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Saint Augustine
by Philippe de Champaigne
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introduced by Kathleen Hattrup on
Aleteia.
A prayer attributed to St. Augustine reminds us that "when we feel that life is overwhelming, . . . 'heroes and saints of every age' are at the ready to give support."
God of our life,
There are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders and weigh us down . . .
Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise . . .
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by Philip M. Sutton, Ph.D., LMFT, LCSW, LP
Longtime friend of Courage, Dr. Phil Sutton, offers his helpful list of "C's" and "P's" that may be familiar to experienced EnCourage members, but are well-worth revisiting. These succinct guidelines help
parents, other family members, and friends understand what they "
can
do,
cannot
do,
may
do, and
ought not
do to respond in love to the knowledge that a loved one desires or is engaging in behavior which is worrisome and which we believe may be harmful to him or her, and others."
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Pastoral and Catechetical Resources
For clergy, parish and diocesan staff, catechists,
mental/medical health care professionals, and other pastoral ministers
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Focus on Dr. Jean C. Lloyd, PhD
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Dr. Lloyd writes for Public Discourse,
a publication of The Witherspoon Institute |
Jean C. Lloyd, PhD, is a teacher, writer, and happily married mother of two young children. She loves to proclaim the goodness and mercy of God to all people, but particularly to those dealing with sexual brokenness, drawing from her own personal journey with same-sex attraction. Her writings on these issues are published online at
Public Discourse.
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"May I make two requests?
Continue to love me, but remember that you cannot be more merciful than God. It isn't mercy to affirm same-sex acts as good.
Practice compassion according to the root meaning of 'compassion': Suffer with me. Don't compromise truth; help me to live in harmony with it.
I'm asking you to help me take up my cross and follow Jesus" (Dr. Jean C. Lloyd).
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Here are two excellent essays that exemplify Dr. Lloyd's unique ability to speak to the hearts and minds of clergy and other pastoral ministers:
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Courage does not necessarily fully endorse all of the ideas included in resources that are not produced by Courage, but we still like to share items that we and our members have found to have considerable helpful content.
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