Are you or a loved one experiencing same-sex attraction and looking for answers?
Courage and EnCourage Flyer
Courage
Courage is a ministry dedicated to the spiritual needs of persons with same-sex attraction. A Courage Chapter meets bi-weekly. Confidentiality is deeply respected.
EnCourage
EnCourage is a ministry dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who deal with same-sex attractions. An EnCourage Chapter meets monthly. Confidentiality is deeply respected.
If you are interested in a Courage Chapter or an EnCourage Chapter, please contact
Ann Lankford at 608-791-2658 or email our office.
For excellent resources on the Church’s teaching on human sexuality, go to:
diolc.org/samesexattraction
Courage, an apostolate of the Catholic Church, ministers to persons 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, spouses, and friends of persons with same-sex attractions.
The Five Goals of Courage:
- 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)
- To live lives that may serve as good examples to others. (Good Example/Role Model)
The Goals of EnCourage:
- Help members themselves to grow spiritually through developing a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as authentically taught in our Roman Catholic Tradition.
- Enable members to gain a deeper understanding of the needs, problems, and issues experienced by men and women with same-sex attractions.
- Help members establish and maintain a healthy and wholesome relationship with the loved one who experiences same-sex attractions.
- Assist other parents and families not to reject but to reach out with compassion and truth to their loved one with same-sex feelings and behaviors.
- Witness to our loved one by our own lives that a happy, wholesome life is to be found in union with Jesus Christ and with His body, the Church.
Please visit the Courage web site at www.couragerc.org if you’d like to learn more about the Courage/EnCourage
Apostolate.
© 2014 Courage International, Inc
RESOURCES
This web page contains a collection of on-line articles, videos, websites, books and frequently asked questions that provide a clearer understanding of Catholic Church teaching in reference to same sex attraction. The resources focus on such foundational topics as human dignity, friendship, chastity, pastoral care, marriage, same sex attraction and the effects of living a homosexual lifestyle and are meant to be explored collectively. The suggested audience is found under each resource. To read any of the CCC resources, copy and paste the reference number provided into the search box located in the upper left portion of the page.