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Santa Monica e Sant'Agostino by Giuseppe Riva, c 1890-1910
"Had my mother's heart been smitten with this wound, it never could have been cured. For I cannot sufficiently express the love she had for me, nor how she now travailed for me in the spirit with a far keener anguish than when she bore me in the flesh."
- Saint Augustine, son of Saint Monica
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Message From Our Executive Director | |
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Dear friends,
The annual Courage conference In Chicago concluded a month ago, but its residual effects of God’s grace continue to supernaturally galvanize us. As we approach the great feast days of St. Monica and St. Augustine, Divine Providence provides the perfect context: the power of persevering prayer with St. Monica, and the power of St. Augustine’s conversion as the only true treasure to be found. The road to holiness is the road to happiness, as amply demonstrated by this incredible gift of both a mother and son who became great saints. The annual conference itself was a tremendous week of profound Christian anthropological instruction, detailing the incredible privilege and gift of man and woman as God’s image, and the ramifications of that indispensable context for the fulling and productive life. Also, the very inspiring witness talks by so many members illustrate the great workings of grace in their lives and the lives of others. God is always at our door knocking, waiting for the opening.
The very hard work by our staff and executive board was only outdone by their love of the Lord and our powerful apostolate. As my first time attending, I found it extraordinarily powerful to be with so many Courage members who not only love the Good Lord, trust Him instead of the deceptions of this world, but also strive to be His missionaries who passionately seek for all to know God’s great love, mercy and hope. The rampant devotion to Holy Mass, even daily Mass, the rosary, and Eucharistic adoration all reflects not only a deeper desire to worship, but a deeper understanding that our peace of soul only comes from that intimate union with Our Lord. True victory comes only from sincere surrender. The authentic human anthropology is a Christian anthropology: one that understands our conception as in the image of God. Thus, the restless human heart that ardently pursues love can only find true satiation in the surrender to Christ. The rage and restlessness we see in today’s society all reflects the dead-end result of a secular anthropology that seeks happiness outside of God. Those who anchor themselves in the Beatitudes are those who truly conquer life with God’s grace; the Saints of God. When one embraces Christ the way in which so many Courage members ardently strive, one finds the experience of St. Augustine: our hearts are restless O Lord, until they rest in thee.
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Father Brian Gannon
Executive Director
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Blessings Abound at Annual Conference | |
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Over 250 people joined us for the Annual Courage & EnCourage Conference at the University of St. Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary) in July. In this beautiful setting, we welcomed over 90 attendees who attended the conference for the first time, as well as many long-time attendees and well-loved speakers. The theme for this year focused on Divine Filiation, opening the door to embrace and learn more about our primary identity as children of God, as well as living spiritual parenthood. The conference atmosphere was buzzing with new and old friendships, and included meetings that fostered hope and joy among members. To view highlights of the conference visit our pages on Instagram and Facebook (linked below!). Some talks were also recorded and will be available in the coming weeks on our website. We’ll be sure to let you know when they are ready to view!
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Celebrating Courage and EnCourage Through Anniversaries and Feast Days | |
Take a moment to celebrate in gratitude over the coming month as both Courage and EnCourage recognize several important days to the apostolate. August 27 marks the observed anniversary of the first EnCourage meeting in 1987, along with the feast day of Saint Monica, known for her perseverance in prayer for the deliverance of her son, who turned back to Christ only to become the man we know as Saint Augustine, Doctor of the Church. Then, on September 26, we celebrate the anniversary of the first Courage meeting in 1980. What a gift to reflect on all the ways that the Lord has worked in the hearts of his children over the last 44 years! Join us in prayers of thanksgiving, and for the future of Courage and EnCourage. Saint Monica, pray for us! | |
Monthly Prayer Intentions for Courage and EnCourage | |
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We have introduced a new opportunity for our members to be united in prayer this year. We invite you to pray each month for a specific intention related to our apostolate. We encourage you to consider praying for these intentions at your local Courage and EnCourage chapter meetings.
The upcoming monthly intentions are as follows:
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August: For our EnCourage members
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September: For our Courage members
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October: That we may be faithful witnesses of the Gospel
See complete list of monthly intentions
| New Chapters and Ways to Stay Connected | |
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NEW CHAPTERS:
WAYS TO FIND SUPPORT:
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Courage & EnCourage
around the world
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Give a listen to this beautiful poem, written by a friend of the Courage apostolate. As the author states, it is "written in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, out of love for her and in the hope of bringing others to love and honour her." Several Courage and EnCourage members have spoken to the way this piece has moved their hearts.
Listen here
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Another great prayer resource we would like to share this month is the Surrender Novena, which we prayed together at the Courage and EnCourage Annual Conference. This novena was revealed to an Italian priest, Servant of God Dolindo Ruotolo, to teach us to turn over our troubles, surrendering them to Jesus Christ. The prayers can be found on the Catholic Novena App, linked below; this website is great to explore to find prayers for any devotion you might feel called to.
Find the novena here
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"Same Sex Attraction Can't Stop You from Following God" | | |
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In this aptly titled episode of Living a Culture of Life Podcast by Human Life International, Hudson Byblow speaks to the truth that one's identity is not in their attractions. He shares his testimony, the importance of strong friendships in his life, and focusing on growth of personal virtue.
Watch or listen to the full episode
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Visit our YouTube channel for lots of helpful content like this video
Subscribe, like, and share to spread the word.
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"Fallen Away--How to Bring Back Those We Love" | |
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Theologian and popular speaker, Dr. Edward Sri, devoted a podcast back in 2019 to unpacking the example of St. Monica in her relationships with her straying son (now St. Augustine) and her pagan husband. Dr. Sri offers "six practical things we can do to bring our loved ones back to Christ and the Church." He highlights how sometimes "the first step in evangelizing our loved ones might involve changing our own heart and approach to evangelization itself." Given Dr. Sri's wealth of experience with college students, his presentation is equally helpful for young adult siblings and friends as it is for parents.
Listen to the podcast here
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For Spanish Speaking Members and Friends | |
August Newsletter in Spanish | |
Resources from 2024 Clergy Day Coming Soon! | |
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Our Annual Clergy Study Day took place on July 24! Videos of the talks will be made available in the coming weeks; rest assured that you will know when you are able to access them! Start looking ahead to next year; this is a great opportunity to meet with fellow chaplains and learn how best to minister to Courage and EnCourage members.
Don't forget that you can host a Clergy Study Day in your Diocese! Contact the Courage office for more information by emailing bonnies@couragerc.org
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Truth & Love, an initiative of Courage International, is a multifaceted Catholic resource for anyone seeking the tools to support men and women who experience same-sex attractions. | |
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Gender Identity Discordance* | |
Gender Ideology, from a Catholic Perspective | |
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In April of this year, Mary Hasson, J.D. gave a six-week seminar for the Archdiocese of San Francisco with the goal of providing clarity on issues of identity and sexuality. This series has now been made public, and is available to all. Mary tackles everything from influences on the youth to body modification to mental health challenges - and much more - culminating in the final installment, titled, "The Catholic Response: Truth and Charity."
Among many other accolades, Mary is the co-founder of The Person and Identity Project and serves as Director of the Catholic Women's Forum.
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Courage and EnCourage and Gender Identity Discordance
While the primary mission of Courage and EnCourage remains supporting people living with the experience of same-sex attractions and those who love them, we thought it could be helpful to our readers to occasionally set aside some space in our newsletter to address this topic. For more resources, on the Truth & Love site, go to Resources > Health & Well-Being > Gender Identity Discordance.
* For an explanation of the expression, "gender identity discordance," and coverage of the subject, see the Handbook for Courage and EnCourage Chaplains starting on page 81.
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Day of Recollection - Southern California
October 26, 2024
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Watch our Events Calendar regularly for updates.
NOTE TO CHAPLAINS: You are encouraged and more than welcome to participate in all Courage & EnCourage events. Please feel free to reach out to the event organizer to see how you can be involved.
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Disclaimer: 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. | | | | |
