About Courage:
Persons with homosexual desires often find themselves listening to and accepting the secular society’s perspective and opting to act on their same-sex desires. With the help of the Rev. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., and others, Fr. Harvey began the Courage Apostolate with its first meeting in September, 1980. With the endorsement of the Vatican, Courage now has more than 100 Chapters and contact people world-wide. In chaste living, one finds the peace and grace to grow in Christian maturity. Please send us an e-mail. We will put you in touch with someone who can help you: NYCourage@aol.com
The Five Goals of Courage The Five 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.
1. To live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality. ( Chastity )
2.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)
3.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)
4. 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)
5. To live lives that may serve as good examples to others. (Good Example/Role Model)
12 Steps of Courage Please Note: The 12-Step format is integral to Courage meetings. Each step is concerned with one or more virtues; each calls us to take action and focus on ourselves as persons. However, while this format is useful for those who are dealing with addictions, it must not be assumed that Courage, by utilizing the 12-Step process, believes that all same-sex attracted individuals are struggling with addictions. In fact, Courage recognizes the universal application of the 12-Step process for any person desiring to grow spiritually, especially when this process is supplemented with faithful Catholic spirituality.
1. We admitted that we were powerless over homosexuality and our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of our character.
7. We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make direct amends to them all.
9. We made the direct amends to such people wherever possible except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of God’s Will for us and the power to carry it out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
*Based on the original Twelve Steps of A.A.
Shared from http://couragerc.org/
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