has traditionally been celebrated on January 23.
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Message from Our Director |
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Dear Friends,
During the Christmas season that just concluded, you probably heard more than a few homilies about Saint Joseph, the husband of Our Lady and foster father of Our Lord. Perhaps the priest or deacon pointed out that Saint Joseph never speaks in the Gospels, that no words from him are recorded — and that this is a sign of his gentleness and humility. Saint Joseph certainly possessed both of these virtues, and many more, but the problem with this story is that it's not exactly true. Rather, Saint Luke writes that, "After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Lk 2:21). Who else would have spoken the Holy Name of Jesus but the man who presented him for the sacred rite, namely, Saint Joseph?
"In conferring the name, Joseph declares his own legal fatherhood over Jesus," Pope Saint John Paul II wrote in the apostolic letter Redemptoris Custos, "and in speaking the name he proclaims the child's mission as Savior" (no. 12). For the name Jesus — Yeshua in Hebrew and Aramaic — means, "The LORD saves" his people. As meaningful as it is to consider the silence of Saint Joseph, this reality is even more profound. The only word he speaks — the only word he needs to speak — i s the Holy Name of Jesus. When he has said that, he's said everything. He proclaims that our salvation is at hand, and that our Savior has come to dwell among us, to share our human experience: our joy, our sorrow, and even our suffering. As Saint Joseph pronounced his Name, our Savior shed his blood for the first time, but not the last. The unfolding of the Paschal Mystery had begun, heralded by the strong but gentle voice of the Carpenter from Nazareth.
What a gift Pope Francis has given to the universal Church in proclaiming 2021 as the Year of Saint Joseph! Throughout the year we will have many opportunities to consider the place of Saint Joseph in the Holy Family and in the Church, to seek his intercession and protection, and to follow his example. The chaste guardian of the Virgin Mary is a model for every Courage member, and the foster father of the Lord Jesus is a support and guide for every EnCourage member. He shows all of us — members, chaplains and friends of the apostolate — how important it is to stay close to Our Lady as we center our lives on Our Lord.
I look forward to meditating on the role of Saint Joseph with you this year, and to developing our relationship with him through our retreats, conferences, discussions online and in our chapter meetings, and in many other ways. Let us pray sincerely for one another through his intercession, and ask him to lead us closer to his Spouse and to her Son.
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Father Philip G. Bochanski
Executive Director
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News
- Courage Embraces the Year of St. Joseph
- Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, Rest in Peace
- The History of Courage
- Fr. Bochanski Hears Confessions in the Snow!
General Resources
- Grow in Understanding and Devotion to St. Joseph
- Your Daily Dose of Inspiration on Courage's Social Media
Courage
- Faces of Courage: Fr. Raphael Mary Salzillo, O.P., Chaplain, on Spiritual Combat and Purity
- Faces of Courage: Hudson
EnCourage
- What Do EnCourage Members Most Need to Know?
- EnCourage Support Comes to the Diocese of Richmond
Courage Internacional — For our Spanish-Speaking Members and Friends
- January Newsletter in Spanish
Pastoral Resources
- Fellowship Provides Hope and Strength
Events
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Courage Embraces the Year of St. Joseph
Pope Francis reflects on how Joseph loved Jesus "With a Father's Heart"
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On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter, Patris Corde ("With a Father's Heart"), on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX. He also announced the opening of a Year of St. Joseph which will conclude on December 8, 2021. As reported in the National Catholic Register, the Holy Father has established this special year so that “every member of the faithful, following [Joseph's] example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.” Courage is making plans to observe this special year in a number of ways in the hopes that through St. Joseph, we may, as Pope Francis writes, obtain the "grace of graces: our conversion." |
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We invite you to join us throughout the year in praying this following traditional prayer to St. Joseph:
Prayer to St. Joseph
O Glorious St. Joseph,
Spouse of the Immaculate Virgin
obtain for me a pure, humble, and charitable mind
and perfect resignation to the Divine Will.
Be my guide, father, and model through life,
that I may merit to die as you did
in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Help us St. Joseph in our earthly strife,
ever to lead a pure and blameless life.
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Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, Rest in Peace |
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View a video tribute to Archbishop Tartaglia from Sancta Familia Media
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The Courage and EnCourage community was saddened to hear of the passing of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, who died on January 13, the feast of St. Mungo, his predecessor as the Bishop of Glasgow. Archbishop Tartaglia was a strong advocate of Courage, establishing a Courage chapter in his diocese about two years ago, as well as supporting the founding of chapters in the suffragan dioceses of Motherwell and Paisley. Please pray for the repose of his soul. |
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The inspiration for the ministry that would eventually be established as Courage first came to Terence Cardinal Cooke, Archbishop of New York, in the spring of 1978. Cardinal Cooke wished to start a ministry that would specifically address the pastoral needs and concerns of laypersons with same-sex attractions who wished to live chaste lives in accordance with Catholic teaching. The cardinal consulted with the Director of Spiritual Development for the Archdiocese of New York, Father Benedict Groeschel (then OFM Cap., later CFR) who advised that Father John Harvey, OSFS, a priest from Philadelphia, would be the ideal person to lead such a ministry. [read more]
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Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton
Site of first Courage meeting
September 26, 1980
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Fr. Bochanski Hears Confessions in the Snow! |
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Neither COVID-19 nor falling snow could stop Courage executive director, Father Philip Bochanski, from fulfilling his priestly duties as he heard drive-through confessions, warmed by a fire, just inside the rectory garage. His dedicated ministry was appreciated by many as the photo was shared as far away as in South Africa's Catholic magazine, Southern Cross. Father quipped on Twitter, "I don't remember this coming up in my seminary class."
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Grow in Understanding and Devotion to St. Joseph |
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Father Donald Calloway, MIC, is encouraging Catholics to embrace a deeper devotion to St. Joseph in his 33-day preparational book, Consecration to St. Joseph, which is structured around the Litany to St. Joseph. The publisher's blurb reads: |
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In the midst of crisis, confusion, and a world at war with the Church, it's time to come home again to our spiritual father, St. Joseph. In this richly researched and lovingly presented program of consecration to St. Joseph, Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, brings to life the wonders, the power, and the ceaseless love of St. Joseph, Universal Patron of the Church and the Terror of Demons. |
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Fr. Calloway discusses St. Joseph
with Fr. Mitch Pacwa on EWTN Live
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Those who are interested in making the consecration to St. Joseph on his solemnity, March 19, could start praying with the book on February 15. |
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Your Daily Dose of Inspiration on Courage's Social Media |
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Have you checked out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages lately? There you will find words and images that will bless and inspire you from a wide array of sources, along with news and events. Here's what we posted on Martin Luther King Day: |
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In the Gospel, Jesus calls us to forgive, just as He has forgiven us. This is because a refusal to forgive not only prevents us from loving those who have wronged us, but it also closes us from receiving Divine Love and intimacy with God.
Forgiveness does not imply an obligation to reconcile (although the two often go hand in hand), since there are times when reconciliation is imprudent or impossible. Rather, forgiveness means learning to see the person who has harmed us through God's eyes. Like you, they desire to be happy and to be loved, and although they are weak, Our Lord has an important plan for them.
Today, ask God for the grace to forgive someone in your life. It isn't easy, but it's worth it because the fruit of forgiveness is interior freedom and peace.
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Faces of Courage: Fr. Raphael Mary Salzillo, O.P., Chaplain
Speaks at conference about spiritual combat and purity
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Throughout our anniversary year, we will be featuring many Faces of Courage on our 40 Years of Courage page, including those of some of our chaplains. |
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Courage is the kind of ministry that is just so profoundly needed in our world today. It is a refuge for those who are trying to be disciples in spite of the lies and half-truths that our world is constantly throwing at them. I am so grateful that the Lord called me to be a part of this apostolate and to be of service in some small way to those who have the courage and integrity to walk this path!
Fr. Raphael Mary Salzillo, O.P.
Courage Chaplain
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- Who is the devil?
- How does he act?
- What are some practical tools with which we can respond to his actions in our lives, particularly in the area of chastity?
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The joy and freedom I experience today in pursuing a heart of chastity are profound – and I hope everyone in the whole world might desire to take a leap of faith to pursue it for themselves.
Hudson
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What Do EnCourage Members Most Need to Know? |
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Courage members were recently invited to respond to some questions from EnCourage members. Here is Manny Gonzalez's response to, "What do you think EnCourage members most need to know?" |
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Know that your loved one is still His and always will be. Whether they have only recently exposed themselves to the harms of the world's approach to living with same-sex attractions or they have been actively involved in it for decades, they're still His no matter what other false identity they may choose to adopt for themselves. |
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Speaking from my own personal testimony, I lived a life in darkness for years before I finally fell back to our Father. Throughout all of those years adrift, however, our Lord never lost sight of me and He gently brought me back home. Yes, it took time and patience to visibly see Jesus turn my life around. However, my parents faithfully waited for the return of their prodigal son (as He did too), and, oh, how the wait was worth the return! |
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Like St. Monica with her dear son St. Augustine, it could be years until you see the fruits of your prayers come to be. You might not even get to see them in this lifetime! But God has a plan for your child and His plans are far greater than ours will ever be. TRUST. |
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EnCourage Support Comes to the Diocese of Richmond |
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Chapters of EnCourage or Courage often come into being in response to the initiative of those who are looking for the support they would provide. The EnCourage chapter in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, began with several parents of children who experience same-sex attractions discovering in one another "people who understand and desired to remain faithful to Church teaching and to find out how to support their loved one in a way that is faithful to this teaching.” They reached out to Bishop Barry Knestout, who then approved the establishment of the diocese's first EnCourage chapter. Their story was recently featured in their diocesan publication, The Catholic Virginian. |
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For our Spanish Speaking Members and Friends |
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January Newsletter in Spanish |
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Fellowship Provides Hope and Strength
New Courage handbook outlines a roadmap for supportive chapters
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While the fortieth-anniversary edition of the Handbook for Courage and EnCourage Chaplains was written especially with our chaplains in mind, the content is helpful to others involved in ministry as well as to our members. The chapter entitled "Fellowship" focuses on the fourth of the Goals of Courage. |
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There is a power in groups that cannot be found in individual striving. The Courage group process, which emphasizes individual self-searching in the presence of others who are engaged in the same struggle, opens the person to healing. … When persons experiencing same-sex attractions become involved in a Courage support group, they learn that their struggles are not unique to themselves, but common to all who are participating. The sense of isolation one might feel … is dissipated, and the paralyzing effects of shame are diminished, when the member is able to disclose struggles and failings and receive not condemnation but support and encouragement to keep striving. |
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Fellowship is covered on pages 34–40
(pages 46–52 on the flipbook counter)
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This chapter goes on to explain the flow and dynamics of a typical Courage meeting as well as how a person may join a chapter.
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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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2021 EVENTS
We hope to move forward with the in-person events listed on our 2021 calendar, while always being mindful of the health and wellbeing of our members. Please be aware that, as the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we may be required to postpone, cancel, or move these events online. If you have any questions or concerns, you may review our statement, or contact us here. Watch our events calendar for updates. |
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Courage & EnCourage Online Lenten Day of Reflection
March 6, 2021, 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. on Zoom
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Courage & EnCourage Southern Retreat
March 26–28, 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama
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Courage Women's Spring Retreat
March 18–21, 2021 in Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh area)
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Courage & EnCourage Annual Conference
July 15–18, 2021 in Mundelein, Illinois (Archdiocese of Chicago)
Closing of our 40th Anniversary celebration
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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.
Photo credits
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