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COURAGE NEWSLETTER
September 2017
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"To love someone as Christ loves us
means to love that person in the truth."
Cardinal Robert Sarah
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As discussions intensify about the Church's best pastoral response to persons with same-sex attractions, it is helpful to be reminded of the goodness of the liberating truths our Lord has to offer us through His Church.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, a good friend of Courage, recently offered a calm and clear voice in an
opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal
. The essence of his message was that "to love someone as Christ loves us means to love that person in the truth" for "only through living in harmony with God's creative design do people find deep and lasting fulfillment."
He then went on to assure readers:
Chastity, ... challenging as it may be, is part of the good news of Jesus Christ for all Christians. ...
Jesus calls us to this virtue because he has made our hearts for purity, just as he has made our minds for truth. With God's grace and our perseverance, chastity is not only possible, but it will also become the source for true freedom.
He closed by writing beautifully of the gift to the Church that is found in people like the members of Courage:
It is my prayer that the world will finally heed the voices of Christians who experience same-sex attractions and who have discovered peace and joy by living the truth of the Gospel. I have been blessed by my encounters with them, and their witness moves me deeply. ... These men and women testify to the power of grace, the nobility and resilience of the human heart, and the truth of the church's teaching on homosexuality.
We are grateful for Cardinal Sarah's affirmation of what we believe and what we do in the Apostolate of Courage. All of the items included in this newsletter, in one way or another, echo his confidence in the goodness of the truths of our faith or demonstrate the importance of helping people to find freedom in Christ and support from one another to live those truths.
God bless you,
The Courage Central Office
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Contents of This Newsletter:
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Resources
for
Living
and Loving in Truth
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Discover the Truth With Invited to Courageous Love
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Click to view trailer or order
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Invited to Courageous Love
is a five-part DVD series with study guide produced by Courage. The series explores Catholic teaching on a wide range of questions connected to same-sex attractions. This valuable catechetical tool is for use in a wide variety of settings such as parishes and Courage/EnCourage groups, as well as for individuals and families. Please spread the word!
Episodes:
- The Good News About Chaste Love. A look at the lived reality of women and men who experience same-sex attractions, who are ultimately drawn to the power and interior peace found in the virtue of chastity.
- Sex and Sexuality in the Divine Design. Considers the meaning of sex and sexuality from the perspective of Catholic anthropology and natural law.
- Insights From the Medical and Social Sciences. Experts unpack the secular research about same-sex attractions that often confounds cultural understanding.
- Same Sex Attraction and the Family. A guide for parents and others whose sons and daughters, family, and friends experience same-sex attractions and may be involved in same-sex relationships.
- Providing Authentic Pastoral Care. An authentic roadmap to pastoral care, including the work of Courage, which supports Catholics who experience same-sex attractions in their efforts to live chastely.
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Courage Featured on EWTN's
Meet members of Courage and EnCourage who have discovered peace and joy by living the truth of the Gospel
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Fr. Joseph Mary Wolfe interviews
Courage members and staff
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Our apostolate will be showcased in two different episodes of EWTN's
The Church Universal, a series that spreads the news about Catholic lay movements and their role in the new evangelization. Be sure to mark your calendar or set your DVR!We hope to add videos of the shows to our site when they become available.
"The Courage Apostolate: Welcoming and Accompanying People Who Experience Same-Sex Attraction"
- Sunday, October 29 at 5:00 pm
- Tuesday, October 31 at 5:00 am
- Wednesday, November 1 at 11:00 pm
"The EnCourage Apostolate: Strengthening Families Affected by Same-Sex Attraction"
- Sunday, October 8 at 5:00 pm
- Tuesday, October 10 at 5:00 am
- Wednesday, October 11 at 11:00 pm
- Sunday, November 19 at 5:00 pm
- Tuesday, November 21 at 5:00 am
- Wednesday, November 22 at 11:00 pm
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Truth and Love in Catholic Schools
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Fr. Philip Bochanski
Executive Director of Courage
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In an
article written for
Legatus Magazine, Fr. Philip Bochanski, the Executive Director of Courage, does a marvelous job distilling the Church's teachings on human sexuality and same-sex attraction in particular. He then outlines the implications of these teachings for Catholic educators. He concludes:
The goal of every Catholic educator should be to "speak the truth in love," as Saint Paul advises. Of course this means treating every person with "respect, compassion and sensitivity," as the Catechism insists. It also means being honest about the demands of the Gospel, and accompanying each student along the path that God has marked out for human happiness and fulfillment.
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Offering Information Nights in Parishes and Beyond
Issue # 2 of "Promoting Your Courage Chapter in Your Diocese" series
This
issue discusses how one might go about creating and promoting a program for an
informational night that could be offered multiple times in various settings, including parishes, universities, and other venues. Many thanks to Karl M. for sharing his experience with us!
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Finding Freedom in the Truth About Identity
Plus Wise Counsel for Parents
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Daniel Mattson |
Courage member, Daniel Mattson, recently gave a
talk at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. He spoke about the lessons he has learned as a Prodigal Son who has returned to his Father's house, leaving behind a "gay" identity and finding his peace in reclaiming his identity as a man and a beloved son of the Father. There is also a consoling and hope-filled section in Dan's talk, starting at about 37:20 minutes, directed to parents of children with same-sex attractions.
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Barb
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Earlier this year, the
testimony of a Courage woman, was included in her
diocesan magazine. Having discovered her same-sex attractions at a young age, Barb endured several decades of "rejection, abandonment, self-doubt, and negative self-identity." Finally, she "made the choice to place [her] trust in God" and to seek support in living chastely. She was directed to an EnCourage group where she was loved well, and then later she helped to found a Courage women's group where she meets with other women who support one another in living the
five goals of Courage. Barb's inner wounds are healing, and Courage has been a critical part of that process. "My
Courage membership fosters my loving relationship with God. ... The Courage ministry is key to maintaining the precious God-given gift of chastity. I guard it carefully."
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40 Days of Prayer and Fasting:
Becoming Good News for The Gender-Challenged
Andrew Comiskey and our friends at Desert Stream/Living Waters would like to invite the Courage/EnCourage family to join them in prayer
starting October 11. The goal is not just to effectively pray for loved ones and a culture lost in deep confusion, but to also "become good news" ourselves for "any fractured person whose heart is open," by taking steps to better live the truth in love.
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Integrity Restored Men's Intensive
Cancelled: October 12-15 in
Immaculata, Pennsylvania
Will be rescheduled for Spring 2018.
Watch for new date in future newsletter.
For men struggling with pornography addiction or other compulsive sexual sin.
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Courage/EnCourage Regional Retreat
Saturday, October 28, in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Quiet Time, Talks, Discussion, Mass, Confession
Open to Courage, EnCourage and others supportive of Courage's ministry.
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Courage Fall Women's Retreat
November 2-5 in Northern New Jersey
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Christian Manhood Retreat
December 8-10 in Southern California
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Courage/EnCourage Annual Conference
July 12-15, 2018, at Villanova University in Pennsylvania
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Latin American Conference of Courage Latino
November 17-19 in
Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
Clergy Study Day for Latin American Conference of Courage Latino
November 17 in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. before conference
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Canada Shrines Pilgrimage
October 6-11, 2018 - Save the date!
All Courage and EnCourage
members are invited to join Fr. Bochanski on a 6-day pilgrimage to the Canadian Shrines. Our destinations will include:
- Basilica of Notre Dame
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St. Anne de Beaupre Shrine
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(Montreal)
- St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal (Montreal)
- Mary Queen of the World (Montreal)
- St. Francis Xavier Church (Kahnawake)
- Shrine of Our Lady of the Cape (Trois Rivieres)
- St. Anne de Beaupre Shrine (Quebec City)
- St. Anthony's Hermitage (Lac Brouchette)
- Montmorency Falls (Quebec City)
This journey will be a time of spiritual refreshment and good fellowship for the Courage-EnCourage community. We hope you will plan to come!
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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.
All other photos used with permission.
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