Message From Our Executive Director | | |
Dear Friends,
Lent comes from an old English word meaning spring; it is the liturgical season where we seriously reflect on the death and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ. It is based on the forty days of fasting by Jesus. Lent is tailored for our fallen nature; it is meant to be a physical, mental, and supernatural journey to facilitate our intimacy with God by expiating our sins and reminding us of God’s never-ending mercy. When we sin, we wound the mystical body of Christ, as well as to our personal being. By doing penance and mortification, we can expiate or “remedy” the wound. Divine Mercy gives us unceasing hope and affirmation of God’s patient love! Temptation is actually a spiritual forge; the early Fathers of the Church help us to understand it better.
The great bishop and Father of the Church St. John Chrysostom (died 407AD) preached: "God does not impede temptations, first, so that you may be convinced of your strength; secondly, that you may be humble, not proud; thirdly, that the devil, who may doubt whether you have really abandoned him, will be certain of that fact; fourthly, so that you may become as strong as iron, understanding the value of the treasures which have been granted to you."
God’s grace and a will that is formed by self-denial are crucial factors in battling temptation. The many dangers of the modern world include the billions of ways we can self-indulge without sin. We buy and become dependent on different electronic gadgets. We allow them to absorb much time in stimulating our senses towards pleasure or distraction. We also live in cultures that dramatically indulge ego by affirming us in our sinfulness, making countless jokes of all seven deadly sins, which only harm persons and families. The devil can use societal apathy towards sin via temptations that tantalize the senses and affirm our ego rather than demand our self-sacrifice. Society should rather exhort us like a great coach towards excellence in virtue, especially chastity and the need for confession. Virtue through struggle is true peace.
As St. John writes above, temptation if rejected serves a great purpose. That is, if we choose self-denial, even with non-sinful things, such as scripture meditation instead of an innocuous movie, going to daily mass, fasting for the love of God, we grow closer to Our Lord. Then, with His grace, we strengthen the will. Ironically, temptation can make us humble, remind us that we are fragile: we can fall, we can lose heaven. Rejecting temptation, while sometimes causing suffering, may initially encourage more attacks from the devil, but this also means we are over the target! We grow in greater holiness by perseverance.
In the end, Lent lovingly underscores the infinite Mercy of God! The Passion of Our Lord emphasizes the extraordinary lengths God goes to rescue us in our frustration and despair. We fail and fall, but the Lord still awaits us; He will embrace us and reset us back on track. God never dispatches hope! Prayer and confession are crucial. Only with Christ can we master temptation, but with Christ we only grow in peace of soul; that amidst suffering we find the joy of deeper unity with Christ on earth, and eternal glory in paradise.
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Father Brian Gannon
Executive Director
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Special Edition Papal Audience Newsletter
Coming March 19
| | St. Peter's Basilica 400th Anniversary | | |
This November will mark 400 years since Pope Urban VII consecrated St. Peter's Basilica, and with its anniversary, plans were released to expand the experience of Church pilgrims, including new translation services, increased access, special events and displays, and more. Check out this article to read more about the basilica's history and this year's celebrations - maybe this is the year to plan your pilgrimage!
| | Courage and EnCourage Chaplains Share Their Experiences | | |
Head to our YouTube channel to see videos from some of our chaplains. These Catholic priests and deacons share how serving as chaplains with Courage International has transformed their priesthood and deepened their spiritual lives. In their own words, they reveal the grace, clarity, and renewed sense of spiritual fatherhood that comes from walking with others in truth and love.
This video is from Deacon Al Stoverink (Diocese of Springfield) as he discusses accompanying Courage members on their journey to knowing Christ's love.
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| | 2026 Monthly Prayer Intentions | | |
Please join us again this year in praying together as a community for a specific intention each month. Click on the intentions list below to save or print as a reminder to pray along with us!
“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20
| | Remember to Help Us Keep Chapter Information Up-To-Date! | | |
Do you know if the information for your chapter is accurate on the Courage website? Do you know about a recent change in your chapter? Please take a look at your chapter listing on our website and let us know if there have been any changes. Chapters are organized by state and diocese for both Courage and EnCourage.
You can submit changes directly through our form. Thanks for keeping us informed! Keeping this updated and accurate means that any person who reaches out can find help and support near them.
| | Truth & Love, an initiative of Courage International, is a multifaceted Catholic resource for anyone seeking the tools to support men and women who experience same-sex attractions. | |
| Members Discuss the Five Goals of Courage | | Click the videos below to see Courage members Garrett and Brian as they discuss the Five Goals of Courage! | | |
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Visit our YouTube channel for lots of helpful content like these resources!
Subscribe, like, and share to spread the word.
| | For Spanish Speaking Members and Friends | | There's a lot going on in the Courage and EnCourage apostolate all over the world! Don't forget that our website can be viewed in Spanish, and that there is a Spanish language newsletter sent out on the same day as this, our English version! | | Gender Identity Discordance* | | New Book: Clear Love for Confused Parents
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We are happy to share this resource, particularly for our EnCourage members: Clear Love for Confused Parents, written by Andrew Comiskey (of Desert Stream Ministries). Linked here is his blog post discussing the book, but here is an excerpt:
"...I wrote Clear Love for Confused Parents to help transform parents through the sexual misidentification of their children. It’s not a ‘fix it’ guide; rather, it’s an invitation for parents to become more like Jesus. Parents who may deny their own need for healing are suddenly mowed down by a beloved’s more obvious confusion. Voila! Confusion now shared, an adult wounded by a child’s brokenness. Now the parent needs to get saved. Again."
You will also recognize the author of the book's foreword, Fr. Paul Scalia, who "emphasizes Augustine’s mom, Monica, whose salvation deepened as she interceded for her son’s."
Purchase Clear Love for Confused Parents here.
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Courage and EnCourage and Gender Identity Discordance
While the primary mission of Courage and EnCourage remains supporting people living with the experience of same-sex attractions and those who love them, we thought it could be helpful to our readers to occasionally set aside some space in our newsletter to address this topic. For more resources, on the Truth & Love site, go to Resources > Health & Well-Being > Gender Identity Discordance.
* For an explanation of the expression, "gender identity discordance," and coverage of the subject, see the Handbook for Courage and EnCourage Chaplains starting on page 81.
| | ATTN: Chaplain Meeting Upcoming | | |
Chaplains: please note that our next quarterly meeting is Tuesday, March 17 at 3pm EDT (UTC -4hr). A reminder email will be sent out soon or you can email bonnies@couragerc.org for more information.
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Southern Courage & EnCourage Retreat
March 27-19, 2026
Birmingham, Alabama
Join the Sister Servants of the Eternal World as they host another annual retreat for Courage and EnCourage members. This retreat is a safe space for members of Courage International to grow in faith, find support, and be reminded of God’s unfailing love and mercy. If you’re longing for a deeper relationship with God and His Church, this retreat is for you!
Contact retreats@sisterservants.com for further information and registration.
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Dawn of Mercy Healing Group
Beginning April 8, 2026
Do you suffer from the trauma of sexual abuse or assault? Do you feel anxiety, fear or shame? Dawn of Mercy is offering a 10-week program to help you recognize your reactions to this trauma and learn coping skills and tools to turn unhealthy thoughts and actions into healthy ones. This upcoming program begins April 8, meeting online one evening a week, for women who have experienced sexual abuse or assault at some time in their life. Join us as we journey down the path of healing together. Call 469-613-DAWN (3296) or email healing@dawnofmercy.org. Learn more at www.dawnofmercy.org.
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Sports Camp
May 22-26, 2026
Sports Camp is a dynamic men’s weekend of athletics, fellowship, and prayer designed for members of Courage and other men who experience same-sex attractions and who also desire to develop and live the virtue of chastity, regardless of past sports experience or ability.
Save the date - more information to come soon!
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2026 Courage and EnCourage Annual Conference
July 16-19, 2026 (Clergy Study Day July 15)
Mundelein, Illinois (Archdiocese of Chicago)
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Watch our Events Calendar regularly for updates.
NOTE TO CHAPLAINS: You are encouraged and more than welcome to participate in all Courage & EnCourage events. Please feel free to reach out to the event organizer to see how you can be involved.
| | Disclaimer: 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. | | | | |
