Courage gay catholic

Georgia Bulletin

Photo by Andrew Nelson

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For information on Courage in Atlanta, please email cummings7859@yahoo.com or courageatlanta@gmail.com.

Visit Courage International online at https://couragerc.org.

ATLANTA—With wooden rosary beads in hand, Sam Kerlin and Pete Cummings wandered in small groups on the paths of Mundelein Seminary, reciting the ancient prayer. The two Georgians unified hundreds of others there recently for a national conference focused on ministry to gay Catholics.

“There’s something about the rosary that just puts you at peace,” said Cummings as he sat outside of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta.

At the national conference, the two saw themselves in the hundreds of others striving to live as chaste gay men and women, reconciling their struggles with faith.

“We’re not the only ones suffering. We’re not the only ones struggling with chastity, and that it has value. That’s how I felt,” said Kerlin. “I left there being reminded the struggle is real, but it has value. It can be a cause of joy and that was something I gentle of forgot.”

Kerlin, a 49-year-old CPA, grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, raised by a si

‘Courage’ a Catholic Ministry For Those With Gay Attraction, Offers Healing and Support

A recent conference in Illinois gathered hundreds of Catholics together from across the U.S. who are striving to grow in holiness while struggling with the same challenge — same-sex attraction.

The organization Courage International, which offers pastoral support for men and women who experience gay attraction and have chosen to live chastely, held the July 25–28 conference.

Courage has 175 chapters throughout 37 states and nine countries. The apostolate bids sessions on guidance for pastoral accompaniment each year. It also offers a Catholic spiritual support team for relatives and friends of people experiencing gay attraction known as “EnCourage,” which includes more than 75 chapters worldwide.

More than 200 attendees — among them those who strife with same-sex attraction and their friends and family — gathered at the lakeside facilities of the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary. In addition to fellowship, the attendees attended relevant talks, rosary prayer, Masses, and all-night Eucharistic adoration.

What is Courage?

“From the beginning

Courage Apostolate

Courage is an apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church to assist those with same-sex attraction. Endorsed by the Pontifical Council for the Family, Courage seeks to assist people develop an interior life of chastity and travel beyond the confines of the lesbian identity to a more complete self in Christ.

Courage meetings provide members a place to split their concerns and struggles, to help one another and find support for themselves. Strict confidentiality is maintained.

Five Goals for Courage

Members struggle to live according to the Five Goals for Courage, which are scan at the launch of each meeting:

  1. Live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality. (Chastity)
  2. Dedicate one’s experience 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 deal with the challenges of homosexuality alone. (Fellowship)
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    courage gay catholic

    ‘Courage’ a Catholic ministry for those with same-sex attraction, bids healing and support

    CNA Staff, Aug 17, 2024 / 08:30 am

    A recent conference in Illinois gathered hundreds of Catholics together from across the U.S. who are striving to grow in holiness while struggling with the same disagree — same-sex attraction.

    The organization Courage International, which offers pastoral support for men and women who experience same-sex attraction and have chosen to live chastely, held the July 25–28 conference.

    Courage has 175 chapters throughout 37 states and nine countries. The apostolate offers sessions on guidance for pastoral accompaniment each year. It also offers a Catholic spiritual support organization for relatives and friends of people experiencing same-sex attraction known as “EnCourage,” which includes more than 75 chapters worldwide.

    More than 200 attendees — among them those who struggle with homosexual attraction and their friends and family — gathered at the lakeside facilities of the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary. In addition to fellowship, the attendees attended relevant talks, rosary prayer, Masses, and all-night Eucharistic adoration.

    What

    Courage

    Pastoral Care for Homosexual Persons

    Courage

    COURAGE: PASTORAL CARE FOR Lesbian PERSONS

    HISTORY

    In November, 1978, the late Cardinal Terrence Bake of New York invited the Rev. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S. to arrive to his archdiocese to establish a spiritual back system for men and women with homosexual orientation who desired to inhabit chaste lives. With the help of the Rev. Benedict Groeschel,
    C.F.R., and others, Fr. Harvey began the first meeting in September, 1980 at the Shrine of Mother Seton in South Ferry. COURAGE continues to be sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York

    At present there are thirty-four chapters of COURAGE located in the United States and Canada. Plans to go to other dioceses are on the drawing board.

    MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

    COURAGE and ENCOURAGE are respectively two spiritual endorse groups helping Catholic men and women - and their families - to live in accordance with the Catholic Church's pastoral teaching on homosexuality The objectives of COURAGE are as follows:

    1. To inhabit chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality.

    2. To dedicate our entire lives to Christ through service to others, spiritua