Courage apostolate's 2018 conference to recall founder's mission

Bridgeport, Conn., Jun 20, 2018 / 10:08 am

Courage International, an apostolate of the Catholic Church which serves people with same-sex attraction who seek to live a chaste life, will host its 30th annual conference this July, focusing on the faith of its founder, Fr. John Harvey, OSFS.

This year would have been Harvey's 100th birthday. The conference will be held July 12-15 at Villanova University in Philadelphia.

Featuring speakers such as Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia and EWTN's Johnette Benkovic, the theme of this year's conference is "Faithful to a mission." Several bishops have also confirmed their attendance.

"The program will focus on themes that were important to Father Harvey's spirituality and pastoral approach, and we plan to include a number of speakers who worked closely with Father Harvey during the 28 years that he led the Courage apostolate," said Father Philip Bochanski, Courage International's executive director, in a June 19 statement.

Harvey was the director of Courage International from its inception in 1980 until his retirement in 2008. He died in 2010, at the age of 92.

The five goals of Courage International are chastity, prayer and dedication, fellowship, support, and "to live lives that may serve as good examples to others."

Courage discourages the use of the terms "gay" and "lesbian" to refer to members, saying the organization "sees persons with same-sex attractions first and foremost as men and women created in the image of God."

Since its founding, the organization has grown to have over 100 chapters in 14 countries. There is also a companion support group, EnCourage, for families and friends of those with same-sex attraction. Members of both Courage and EnCourage will share their personal testimonies at the conference.

 In 2016, Courage and EnCourage received canonical status as a diocesan clerical public association of the faithful.

Immediately preceding the 2018 conference, there will be a "clergy day" for priests, deacons, and seminarians, featuring seminars aiming to teach clergy how to minister properly to people with same-sex attraction.