Jesus, Mary, & Joseph, Make Our Hearts Like Unto Thine
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Dear friends,
We are in a liturgically rich time of year as we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary during the month of May and look forward to the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in June. We invite you to draw inspiration from the entire Holy Family by listening to a
presentation by Courage Executive Director, Fr. Philip Bochanski, in which he reflects on each of their hearts as a way of understanding who we are and what it means for us to live and love as men and women in Christ.
June 3 is the Memorial of
St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, the patron saints of Courage. Father will be offering a special Mass for your intentions at noon (EDT) in our office chapel in Trumbull, Connecticut. This Mass will be live-streamed on
Instagram. Please join us if you can. To have your personal intentions included, you may fill out this
form.
Donations will be gratefully accepted but are not necessary to have your intentions remembered at Mass.
God bless you!
The Courage Central Office
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ANNUAL COURAGE /ENCOURAGE CONFERENCE
- “Courageous Friendship: Inspiring Hope and Renewal”
- Focus on Conference Speaker: Mary Hasson
- Conference Speakers: David Niles & Adam Minihan
- Past Conferences Captured for Posterity
COURAGE NEWS
- New Courage Chapters
- New Orlando Chapter Featured in Diocesan News
- Divine Mercy University Tuition Discount
COURAGE RESOURCES
- Fr. Bochanski's New Book: The Virtue of Hope
- Benefits of Courage from the Perspective of a Member
- Identity: Who We Really Are
ENCOURAGE RESOURCES
- "What's a Spouse, Parent, Family Member, Friend, Pastor to Do?"
COURAGE-LATINO
- Annual Courage & EnCourage Conference (Conferencia internacional anual de Courage y EnCourage)
- Courage-Latino Spanish May E-Newsletter in Spanish (Courage-Latino boletín electrónico de mayo)
PASTORAL RESOURCES
- Come for Pre-Conference Clergy Study Day on July 17
- Stay for the Courage Conference
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Lots of opportunities for Courage, EnCourage, and those in ministry
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Annual Courage & EnCourage Conference
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“Courageous Friendship: Inspiring Hope and Renewal”
July 18–21,
in Mundelein, Illinois
Clergy Study Day on July 17
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Focus on Conference Speaker: Mary Hasson
Women's talk: "Sisters & friends—sharing life’s joys and struggles"
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Ladies in attendance will enjoy meeting the clear-thinking
Mary Rice Hasson who will speak about women's friendships. Mary directs the
Catholic Women’s Forum, which "amplify[ies] the voice of Catholic women—within the culture and the Church—in support of Catholic teachings." Part of this work includes the
Gender Project, which provides programming and
resources to help the Church combat the devastating impact of gender ideology.
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Conference Speakers: David Niles and Adam Minihan
Men's talk: "Forming and sustaining authentic friendship"
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While running a Catholic radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Adam Minihan and David Niles recognized a need for Catholic programming for men and launched
The Catholic Man Show to focus on "bringing men into a deeper vocation and love for Christ." We got to know Adam and David when
Fr. Bochanski was a guest on their show, and now the men in attendance will be inspired (and entertained!) by these lifelong friends as they share their insights on the importance of male friendship.
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Past Conferences Captured for Posterity
James Beers takes us back in time with personal stories
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Many priceless firsthand accounts of early Courage conferences are scattered throughout James Beers's tirelessly researched
Courage: A Ministry of Hop
e.
“The second annual conference began on Thursday evening, August 9, 1990, at Rosemont College. … Father Benedict J. Groeschel [C.F.R.] addressed a Courage conference for the first time. His message was one of encouragement, love, and understanding mixed with his wonderful sense of humor. ... He recalled the feeling that he had when he walked into the chapel. These men and women were wounded, but they were thanking and praising God for the opportunity to change their lives" (p. 147).
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200 chapters of Courage & EnCourage
around the world
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New Orlando Chapter Featured in Diocesan News
"New ministry offers hope"
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In an
article on the Diocese of Orlando website, Bishop John Noonan is quoted as having written to his priests, "After the tragedy that shook our city and nation in the Pulse nightclub, just blocks from the Cathedral, there was growing awareness of the need to care for those with same-sex attractions."
Chaplain Fr. John Patrick Riley, CSC, added that his hope for this new chapter is the same as that of the Courage Apostolate, "to ensure that no one will have to face the challenges of homosexuality alone.”
Courage member, Tina N., shared how Courage has transformed her life, with fellow Courage members now being a "spiritual family" to her, as they "help each other through prayer, encouragement, and … shared spiritual goals."
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Divine Mercy University Tuition Discount
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Divine Mercy University offers a
20% tuition reduction to those associated with Courage and EnCourage in hopes that "the Holy Spirit is drawing more people to serve the mental health needs of people with same-sex attraction." Divine Mercy University "is committed to mental health rooted in the Catholic understanding of the human person, the family, and society."
Programs offered at Divine Mercy University:
Contact Divine Mercy University admissions today at 703-416-1441 or
enroll.divinemercy.edu. Be sure to tell them Courage sent you!
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Fr. Bochanski's New Book:
The Virtue of Hope
"How confidence in God can lead you to heaven"
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In his new book,
The Virtue of Hope, to be released by Tan Publishers in on June 3, Father Philip Bochanski "not only lays out what hope is, but shows how we can exercise this theological virtue." He presents "fascinating stories of 'Heroes of Hope'—inspiring saints," some of whom "learned to hope through moments of intense personal difficulty and crisis" and others who were "seemingly ordinary Catholic laypeople [who] applied their hope in God to the challenges of their state in life and the modern world."
The Virtue of Hope is "an instruction manual for how to grow in hope and in bravery in the face of life’s challenges. It is a clarion call that hope must not be merely theoretical, but must 'lead us to a deeper relationship with God, an encounter with the One who loves us and calls us to friendship with Himself.'"
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Benefits of Courage from the Perspective of a Member
There is a better way that is neither shame nor pride
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Courage member and Nashville chapter lay leader, Lyle, does a terrific job of representing the apostolate in a discussion with Jason Gale and Dr. Richard Bulzacchelli on the
Catholic Studies Academy podcast. Some of the topics discussed were identity, what to do with shame, the real meaning of "acceptance", and the freedom to be found in chastity.
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Identity: Who We
Really
Are
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Ryan Day, a popular speaker on issues of identity and faith, articulates the beautiful truth about who we really are in a video produced by Youth 2000 UK. "I don't think anyone would doubt that we're living in a time of real confusion about identity, and, with that confusion on identity, I think we are living in a time of confusion about where our dignity is and about where our self worth is to be found. What it is that makes me worthy? There are three key questions that help us understand who we really are."
- Where am I from?
- What (and who) am I?
- Who am I becoming?
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"What's a Spouse, Parent, Family Member, Friend, Pastor to Do?"
Suggestions for responding wisely to another's worrisome behavior
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Psychologist and longtime Courage friend, Dr. Phil Sutton, has recently revised his densely packed collection of tips that "reviews what we
can do,
cannot do,
may do, and
ought not do to help someone we are concerned about."
Don't miss the prayers on the last two pages about "serene humility," hope, and surrender to the will of God.
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by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1660's
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Annual Courage & EnCourage Conference, July 18–21
Conferencia internacional anual de Courage y EnCourage, 18–20 de julio
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We will be offering simultaneous Spanish translation at the conference.
If you are interested, please email us at
oficina@couragerc.org
.
Ofreceremos traducción e interpretación simultánea al español.
Si estás interesado, escríbenos a:
oficina@couragerc.org.
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Courage-Latino May E-Newsletter in Spanish
Courage-Latino boletín electrónico de mayo
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To subscribe to the Spanish Courage newsletter, please send an e-mail to
lorena@couragerc.org, including your full name, city, and country.
Para suscribirse al boletín electrónico en español de Courage-Latino, por favor escríbenos a
lorena@couragerc.org
, incluyendo su nombre completo y la ciudad y país donde vive.
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Come to the pre-conference Clergy Study Day ...
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois
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This day of presentations for priests, deacons, and seminarians includes talks on the following foundational topics as they relate to same-sex attractions:
- Catholic anthropology and sexual ethics
- Insights from psychology
- Sexual identity confusion (gender dysphoria)
- Testimony from Courage member
- Pastoral care
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No charge for study day! We want to make it easy for you to come.
... and then stay for the Courage Conference
July 18-21, also at University of St. Mary of the Lake
“Courageous Friendship: Inspiring Hope and Renewal”
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For Clergy Study Day and/or Conference
(
Clergy study day is free. Fee charged for conference participation
.)
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Let us know about your events!
Is your local Courage or EnCourage chapter hosting an event?
Send us an email so we can consider it for inclusion in the newsletter or on our
events calendar.
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Courage Women's Spring Retreat
Sold out!
May 30 - June 2, 2019, near Allentown, Pennsylvania
Retreat chaplain will be Fr. Philip Bochanski
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Courage Day of Recollection
June 8, 2019, in New York City, New York
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“The Importance of Being Friends:
Lessons from the Courage Apostolate”
June 28, 2019, in Vancouver, British Columbia
Presenter: Dcn. Hilmar Pabel, Courage coordinator for Diocese of Vancouver
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Ruah Woods Teacher Training: Gender and Sexual Identity
June 27–28, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio
Fr. Philip Bochanski presenting via Skype
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Midwest Living Waters Leadership Training Seminar
July 6-12, 2019, in Kansas City, Kansas
Equips attendees for effective ministry to the sexually and relationally broken
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Clergy Study Day
July 17, 2019, in Mundelein, Illinois
In conjunction with Courage/EnCourage Conference.
More information in Pastoral Resources section of newsletter
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Courage/EnCourage Conference
July 18-21, 2019, in Mundelein, Illinois
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Ruah Woods Teacher Training: Gender and Sexual Identity
August 8–9, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio
Fr. Philip Bochanski presenting via Skype
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Judith Healing Retreat for Women
October 24–27, 2019, in Piffard, New York
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Samson Healing Retreat
November 7–10, 2019, in Hammonton, New Jersey
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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.
Phot
o credits
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