“These men and women testify to the power of grace, the nobility and resilience of the human heart.” -Card. Robert Sarah
Courage International is a Roman Catholic apostolate for men and women who experience same-sex attractions and those who love them. Members are men and women who have made a commitment to strive for chastity and are inspired by the Gospel call to holiness and the Catholic Church’s beautiful teachings about the goodness and inherent purpose of human sexuality. Through this apostolate, people who experience same-sex attraction receive pastoral support in the form of spiritual guidance, community prayer support, and fellowship.
5 GOALS OF COURAGE:
- To live lives that may serve as good examples to others (Good Example/Role Model)
- To live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality (Chastity)
- To dedicate our entire lives 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)
- To foster a spirit of fellowship in which we may share with one another our thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone (Fellowship)
- To be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian life; and to encourage one another in forming and sustaining these friendships (Support);
EnCourage
EnCourage is a ministry within Courage dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who have same-sex attraction or identify as LGBTQ. Standing by the true teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, EnCourage members support one another and their loved ones through discussion, prayer and fellowship.
EnCourage members work together to understand the experiences of their loved ones, and to respond to them with compassion. They know that it is possible to express love for someone even if we can’t support all of their choices or actions. They find spiritual guidance to grow in their relationship with Christ, and community support from other members that helps them remember that they are not alone on this journey.
5 GOALS OF ENCOURAGE:
- To witness to their loved ones by their own lives that fulfillment is to be found in Jesus Christ through His Body, the Church.
- To grow spiritually through spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist
- To gain a deeper understanding of the needs, difficulties, and challenges experienced by men and women who experience same-sex attractions
- To establish and maintain a healthy and wholesome relationship with their loved ones who experience same-sex attractions
- To assist other family members and friends to reach out with compassion and truth, and not to reject, their loved ones who experience same-sex attractions
“Love and sacrifice are closely linked, like the sun and the light. We cannot love without suffering and we cannot suffer without love.” -Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
Philadelphia Chapter
Father Anthony J. Albanese
Parochial Vicar of Saint Laurence Parish
610-449-0600 x213
franthony@saintlaurencedelco.org