Portraits of "Courage"

There are different reasons why I decide to put up a post on my blog. Sometimes I see something I feel should be up there, an article, an event. Sometimes I am at something & feel it should be shared. Then there are post like this. Over the last few days several things have been leading up to me writing this post. Or should I say leading me to write it?

Last Week on EWTN there was a 2 part series called Portraits of Courage about Courage International & the work they do. Then a few days later in an on line group I belong to, they came up as a resource in answer to a question by a member from Brazil. So I began praying & discerning & decided I probably should write this, esp in light of a few news items & several recent posts related to their area of ministry. (This will make sense later for those of you who don't know what Courage is.)

Then Monday morning I am on my 4 am lunch break. I turn on EWTN's Bookmark & Doug Keck is talking to the founder of Courage, Fr. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S. I said OK Lord! This is the confirmational icing on the cake.

So what is Courage? I'll let them explain: "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!" We also have an outreach called Encourage which ministers to relatives and friends of persons with same-sex attractions." (from their website)

So, how & why did Courage get started? Again, I'll let them tell their story: "Persons with homosexual desires have always been with us; however, until recent times, there has been little, if any, formal outreach from the Church in the way of support groups or information for such persons. Most were left to work out their path on their own. As a result, they found themselves listening to and accepting the secular society's perspective and opting to act on their same-sex desires.

His Eminence, the late Terence Cardinal Cooke of New York, was aware of, and troubled by this situation. He knew that the individual dealing with same-sex attractions truly needed to experience the freedom of interior chastity and in that freedom find the steps necessary to living a fully Christian life in communion with God and others. He was concerned that many would not find this path and would be constantly trying to get their needs met in ways that ultimately do not satisfy the desires of the heart.

In response to this concern, he decided to form a spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love.
Knowing of Fr. John Harvey's extensive ministry experience in this field, he invited him to come to his Archdiocese.

With the help of the Rev. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., and others, Fr. Harvey began the Courage Apostolate with its first meeting meeting in September, 1980 at the Shrine of Mother Seton in South Ferry.

With the endorsement of the Holy See, Courage now has more than 110 Chapters and contact people world-wide, over 1500 persons participating in its ListServs, and hundreds of persons per week receiving assistance from the main office and website. It has become a mainstream Catholic Apostolate helping thousands of men and women find peace through fellowship, prayer, and the Sacraments."

The Courage Central Office operates through the prayerful and financial support of the Archdiocese of New York as well as contributions and volunteer work from Courage members and other individuals and organizations committed to advancing its efforts. Individual chapters throughout the world are self-supporting and exist with the permission of their diocesan Bishop. Last Fall it was announced that Father Paul Check 48, of the Diocese of Bridgeport, CN would take over from Fr. Harvey as director of the Apostolate.

Courage was modeled on AA's 12 Step program. They also have the 5 Goals of Courage. These goals were created by the members themselves, when Courage was founded. The goals are read at the start of each meeting and each member is called to practice them in daily life.

They are:
1. Live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality. (Chastity)
2. Dedicate ones 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. (Prayer and Dedication)
3. 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. (Fellowship)
4. 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. (Support)
5. Live lives that may serve as good examples to others. (Good Example)

Courage also has a website where a person "will learn about homosexuality and chastity. 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." It is an excellent resource for information about Courage. The site includes an International Courage Chapter Listing as well as Encourage Chapters

1 thing that Courage doesn't do is us the terms "gay" & "lesbian". In fact it discourages the use of those terms. On their FAQ page they give 3 reasons for this. 1st, the use of these terms by the secular world; 2nd, labeling someone discourages those who may wish to try and move beyond homosexual attractions; 3rd, There is more to a person than one's sexual attractions. Even if one experienced same-sex attractions for most of one's life, he or she is first and foremost a child of God created in His image. To refer to that person as "gay" or "lesbian" is a reductionist way of speaking about someone.

Unlike some other groups that claim to be Catholic, Courage is truly Catholic & offers the 1 truly compassionate ministry that helps persons with same-sex attractions develop a life of interior chastity in union with Christ.

As Courage reminds all of us, above all we must keep in mind that homosexual inclinations do not make up a person's true identity as rational or Christian persons. "We are first and foremost men and women created in the image of God - we are exceedingly precious in God's sight and we have been given the gifts of intelligence and free-will. We can live a life of union with Christ, through prayer, and we can know the peace of interior chastity. This is God's desire for us, and He continually gives us the grace to live it."

I leave you with 2 other quotes from their website that summarize what I shared above: "In helping individuals gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the Church's teachings, especially in the area of chastity, Courage extends the Church's invitation to a life of peace and grace. In chaste living, one finds the peace and grace to grow in Christian maturity."

"In Courage you will get to know men and women who share in your concerns, meeting them online through our Listservs, or in person at Chapter Meetings, Conferences, Days of Recollection, and Retreats.

Come see what we are about. Browse our pages. Get to know our community. You'll be glad you did!"