CourageInternational

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation, we hear the angel’s gentle words: “Do not be afraid… you have found favor with God.” Mary did not have all the answers—but she trusted. And the same is true for us. Whatever we carry, whatever the cost of our “yes,” God’s grace is already present. For those walking the path of Courage, take heart: your faithful “yes,” even when it is quiet or difficult, is precious to Him. Do not be afraid. He is with you. And you have found favor in His sight. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

The Lord does not wait for us to be whole before He draws near. He comes precisely into the fracture, into the heaviness, into the hidden places we may be tempted to conceal. He is not repelled by our wounds; He is drawn to them. For those walking the path of Courage, this can be a particular consolation. The experience of carrying a cross that is often unseen or misunderstood can at times feel isolating. But here is the truth: Christ is never closer to you than in those moments when your heart feels most fragile. He is at work, gently restoring, quietly strengthening, transforming suffering into a deeper capacity for love. So if today you find yourself weary, or discouraged, or simply carrying something heavy, do not be afraid to bring it honestly before Him. Let Jesus be close. Let Jesus love you there. To learn more about Courage International please visit our website: Couragerc.org

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Saint Joseph—a quiet, faithful man of the house of David. Joseph shows us that a life given entirely to God is never empty. It becomes a shelter for others. It becomes a witness. It becomes holy ground. Today, ask Saint Joseph for his quiet strength and ready obedience—that same grace to trust God’s plan, to rise when He calls, and to believe that your life, too, is bearing fruit in ways seen and unseen. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

Join us this Saturday at the Bridgeport, Connecticut Diocese Ministry Day! Courage International will be there with a table, and we would love to meet you. Whether you’re curious to learn more, seeking support, or simply want to say hello, we welcome you. Come discover a path of discipleship that is honest, hopeful, and deeply rooted in grace—walking with Christ in truth and love. Stop by, ask questions, and know that you are not alone. You are always welcome. Couragerc.org

To the young adults who experience same-sex attractions, who have grown up surrounded by one message, but in their hearts know that fulfillment lies in Christ. You are heard, you are seen, and you need not journey alone. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

Chastity is not just about denying ourselves; it is about learning to love rightly. When the heart is pure, our love becomes clearer, freer, and more faithful. A clean heart learns to love God above all and to see others with dignity and reverence. And in that purity of heart, we begin to see God more clearly. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

youtube.com/watch?v=OOvjfN… “I find the Courage apostolate to be absolutely life changing. The people that I know that are involved in the apostle, I know that it has dramatically change their lives; and has given them life. It’s given them true freedom in God. It’s given them true authentic friendships, and they have been resurrected.” Fr. Michael Panicali Diocese of Brooklyn, NY. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

For many who walk the path of discipleship and strive to live a chaste life through Courage International, these words can be especially consoling. At times the road can feel lonely or demanding. Yet the Lord gently reminds us: you are not walking this road by yourself. He walks beside you. Do not fear. God is with you. And the One who calls you is always faithful. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

Our March newsletter has just arrived! Dear friends of Courage International, take a few moments to read and be encouraged. Members of Courage International met with Pope Leo XIV. We will have a special, more in depth newsletter on March 19 dedicated to this historic visit. Head to our YouTube channel to see videos from some of our chaplains. Let this month’s newsletter strengthen your hope, deepen your commitment, and remind you of the beautiful work God is doing in our Courage family. Click the link for our newsletter: myemail.constantcontact.com/Courage---EnCo…

In the ancient world, scarlet dye went deep into the fabric. It was not easily removed. And that is precisely the point. The Lord is not speaking about light mistakes or minor blemishes. He is speaking about the deep stains — the ones we fear cannot be undone. And yet He says: they may become white as snow. In the sacrament of Confession, we do not clean ourselves up before coming to God. We come precisely because we cannot. Christ takes what we cannot transform and does what only He can do. The Cross is the great exchange: our scarlet for His purity, our weakness for His mercy. And there is something else here. Snow is not just white — it is quiet. When snow falls, it softens the world. It covers what is harsh and jagged. God’s mercy does this within us. It does not erase our story, but it redeems it. The very places of sin can become places of humility, compassion, and deeper love. If you feel stained — by past actions, by repeated falls, by long struggles — hear this clearly: your identity is not “scarlet.” Your identity is beloved child of God. To learn more about Courage International, go to: couragerc.org #courageinternational #lent2026 #samesexattraction

Chaste relationships teach us to love without grasping, to care without controlling, and to appreciate another person without trying to claim them. It allows friendship to be real and life-giving rather than anxious or possessive. For our Courage family, this freedom is concrete. It means learning to bring our desires to prayer instead of acting impulsively on them. It means forming friendships that are open, accountable, authentic, and rooted in Christ. It means accepting moments of loneliness without rushing to fill them in unhealthy ways. It means trusting that our deepest identity is not in any relationship, but in being beloved sons and daughters of God. And that kind of freedom is beautiful. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

Just as Jesus humbly accepted help in carrying His Cross, may we also have the grace to receive the help God offers us through one another. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

Hear the testimonies of our devoted priests and deacons who faithfully provide pastoral care to Courage and EnCourage members.  This post on our Youtube channel features Fr. John O’Neill, a priest of the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each year, he faithfully attends the annual Courage & EnCourage conference, generously sharing his joy and musical gifts by playing guitar and singing throughout the weekend. These men are not only present at local meetings across the country, but also at meetings around the world—walking alongside members with prayer, compassion, and fidelity. youtube.com/watch?v=lMJFAO…

Through the apostolate of Courage International, we grow in holiness by living the Five Goals: chastity, prayer and dedication, frequent reception of the sacraments, fellowship, and Christian witness. The Eucharist strengthens us. Confession heals us. Prayer anchors us. Fellowship reminds us we are not alone. Our founder, Father John Harvey, understood that this transformation takes patience and perseverance. Over time, what may begin as discipline becomes an interior freedom — a heart conformed more fully to Christ. As we seek deeper union with our Lord Jesus, we discover our true identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

For forty days, we unite ourselves to Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Not as a mere discipline, but as a participation in His own self-offering. When we fast, we remember that God alone satisfies. When we pray, we learn to rely on the Father as Jesus did. When we give alms, our hearts expand in mercy. As members and friends of Courage International, we understand that real freedom is born from self-mastery and grace. The desert is not a place of abandonment — it is a place of strengthening. It is where love is purified. Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights — and He emerged ready to give Himself completely. May this Lent prepare us to follow Him more closely, so that when Easter dawns, our hearts are lighter, freer, and more deeply rooted in His love. To learn more about Courage International, please go to: Couragerc.org

In these days following February 14th, as we continue to honor Saints Cyril and Methodius, let us remember in prayer all priests —especially the chaplains of our apostolate - who have devoted their lives in celibacy so that we might grow in intimacy with Christ in the Sacraments. For our Courage members, the celibacy of our chaplains serves as a witness that chastity is not only possible, but it is fulfilling and life giving. Under their care, our members find the guidance and support they seek in their pursuit of holiness. Pray for the chaplains of Courage and Encourage, that they will continue to be true shepherds after the Heart of Jesus. Image: Priests entering the church for Mass during the 2025 Annual Courage & EnCourage conference. *** If you or someone you know is a priest who is interested in serving the members of our apostolate, or would like to learn more about pastoral care for our brothers and sisters who experience same-sex attractions, click the link in our bio. . «¿Ya conoces nuestra página de Instagram en español?»

In Courage, we are called to let every love be purified and ordered by charity. Our friendships become holy when Christ is at the center. Our sacrifices become fruitful when united to His Cross. Our longings become pathways to grace when entrusted to Him. C.S. Lewis reminds us that natural loves are beautiful gifts—but they reach their fullness only when lifted up by divine love. Let us ask the Lord to deepen in us that greatest love of all: to love as He loves—faithfully, freely, and with courage. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org

Many of you know what it feels like to wrestle with questions about identity, purpose, and belonging. The Holy Father’s words speak directly into that space: “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.” You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. You are not defined by your temptations or your past. Before anything else, you are a beloved son or daughter, personally willed by the Father from all eternity. When we encounter Jesus in prayer, in the sacraments, in fellowship, and even in the midst of our struggles, we discover what life truly is, friendship with Him. Are you looking for a community that truly understands your journey and supports you in deepening your relationship with Christ? Join us at Courage International! Here, we walk together in faith and love, fostering an environment of authentic friendship. You are not alone—let’s journey together! Go to: Couragerc.org #courageinternational

St. Francis de Sales speaks here with the heart of a gentle shepherd who knows both the tenderness and the cost of love. When he reminds us that God allows great trials and temptations only for those He wishes to raise to a pure and excellent love, he is not saying that suffering is easy or that temptation is somehow good. He is telling us something far more consoling: your struggle is not meaningless, and it is not a sign of God’s absence. For many of you walking the path of Courage, trials can feel deeply personal—sometimes hidden, often misunderstood. Yet the Lord sees every act of fidelity, every quiet “yes,” every moment you choose truth and love over comfort. In His mysterious mercy, God uses these very struggles to purify our hearts, to detach us from lesser loves, and to draw us into a deeper intimacy with Him. Take courage. You are not being tested because you are weak, but because God desires to raise you up—to a love that is beautiful, steadfast, and radiant with grace. Know that you are held in prayer, and that the Lord who calls you is always faithful. Are you seeking a community that understands your journey and walks with you as you grow closer to Christ? At Courage International, we journey together in faith, truth, and love—nurturing authentic friendships rooted in Christ. You are not alone. We walk this path together. Learn more at CourageRC.org