Christ in Limbo by Benvenuto di Giovanni, c. 1491 (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)

Dear Friends,

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Alleluia!

It is a pleasure to greet you in these days of our Easter joy, when we celebrate the freedom and new life that Our Lord won for us by His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Of course, this grace was not only for His contemporaries, or only for us in modern times, but extends to every person in every time and every place, including the countless generations whose life on Earth preceded the Lord's own Incarnation. This beautiful mystery is captured in the words of the Apostles' Creed: He descended into Hell, and on the third day he rose again from the Dead. After His death on the Cross, Our Lord, who does not skip any moment of our human life, went to the abode of the dead to announce the definitive defeat of Death itself, and to share first with the holy souls the joy of His Resurrection.

Sister Mary Ada, OSJ, provides an extraordinary insight into this mystery in her poem "Limbo" (reprinted in The Mary Book, Sheed & Ward, 1950). In its opening lines, she describes the atmosphere of the abode of the dead on the evening of Good Friday:

As the poem goes on, the holy souls prepare to greet Christ with songs of praise, but when He appears they fall silent, captivated by the five wounds He bears from His Passion:

How uplifting, and how important for us in this Year of Saint Joseph, for us to contemplate this tender moment of reunion between Our Lord and His foster-father! So much is revealed by that touching scene: The toil and sacrifice with which we pursue a life of virtue in this life is not forgotten, but receives its definitive reward in eternal life. True healing and reunion in our families, which can seem so elusive and even impossible in this world, is the great desire of the Heart of Christ, even if His timing does not fit within our earthly life-span. Most of all, as the Church reminds us in her funeral liturgy, "the ties that bind us together in this life do not unravel with death," and the Risen Lord will answer our prayers to strengthen those ties in our families and our chaste friendships.

It is my fervent prayer during the Easter octave, and throughout the Easter season, that the Light of Christ will illumine whatever in your heart may be darkened by sin, sadness or suffering, and kindle a fire in your heart to sustain you and bring you joy. Happy Easter!

Full text of poem, "Limbo" | Listen to reading of poem

We have made the decision to move this summer's conference to Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, which will allow us to accommodate more people in the manner to which we are accustomed, while still adhering to whatever COVID-19 guidelines may be in place at that time. We will still have a virtual component for those who are hesitant or unable to attend. There will also be a clergy track the day before. The theme for this conference, which will close our fortieth-anniversary celebration, will be "St. Joseph: Model of Courageous Love." Registration will open on May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

In addition to our usual plenary sessions, workshops, and Courage and EnCourage meetings, there will also be a separate track on sexual identity discordance (a.k.a. "transgenderism") with four sessions. Of course, as always, there will be plenty of opportunities for Holy Mass and the Sacraments, prayer, and fellowship.

On March 15, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a clear statement explaining that "the Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex." The statement concludes, "God never ceases to bless each of His pilgrim children ... But he does not and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him. He in fact 'takes us as we are, but never leaves us as we are' (Pope Francis)."

Longtime beloved Courage chaplain, Father James B. Lloyd, CSP, celebrated his 100th birthday with a Mass of Thanksgiving on April 5 at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City. A contingent of Courage representatives was there to celebrate with him. He was delighted to have them present since, as he explained in his invitation to members, "One of the great privileges of my priesthood has been serving the Courage apostolate."

Father Lloyd was also featured in the latest post on the Courage blog. He begins: "My almost 73 years as a Catholic priest have been exciting and challenging and joyous (with occasional heartbreak) but mostly filled with fun and wonder. 26+ of those years, at the invitation of Cardinal O’Connor, have been among the best — to be privileged to walk with the marvelous men and women of Courage."

The brand new Courage blog was launched on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. It was introduced by our executive director, Father Philip Bochanski, as he shared his own story of how his involvement with Courage has transformed his priesthood in a post called "The Turning Point." Next was a post by Father James B. Lloyd, CSP, who wrote on his 26 years as a Courage chaplain in "I Wanted to Make My Retirement Years Count."

Father Bochanski wrote, "I am very happy to launch this new blog, The Upper Room. Every two weeks, we will share personal testimonies from Courage and EnCourage members and chaplains, asking them to focus on moments in their lives where they encountered God’s love and mercy. Like the disciples gathered in the Upper Room on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, we’re inviting them to share the story of 'what happened on the road, and how He was made known to them …' (Lk 24:35)."

If you would like to subscribe to the blog, just click the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of this email and follow the instructions. When you get to the "Update your profile" page, check the box for the "Courage Blog."

On Holy Thursday, as the Church celebrated the Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, Bishop Thomas Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix and a strong supporter of Courage, released a powerful apostolic exhortation for his flock on the Blessed Sacrament. Given the centrality of the Eucharist in the goals of Courage and EnCourage we commend it to you for your inspiration.

Come join us for a positive weekend of friendship, prayer, and sports in an encouraging environment. Sports Camp is designed for members of Courage and other men who experience same-sex attraction while desiring to develop and live the virtue of chastity, regardless of past sports experience or ability. Sign up by April 16 for the early bird discount. The registration deadline is May 15.

Event page on Courage site.

Info and registration: cmacsportscamp@gmail.com

Courage associate director, Father Colin Blatchford, was recently interviewed for Catholic Late Night, a podcast that helps young men and women understand their sexuality and the purpose of their life through the lens of the Catholic Faith. The discussion focused on the experience of same-sex attractions and was entitled "Am I Gay? Identity and Our Desire for Love."

Theologian, Dr. Jennifer Morel, reflects on her experience of many years as a single woman trying to find her place in the Church and in the world: "Being a single woman is … a gift to myself and to all those I meet." She elaborates on how those who are single have countless opportunities to live a radical and fruitful flexibility in love hidden everywhere in their lives — in loving God, in loving family as well as strangers, and in loving at work. She holds up St. Catherine of Siena, who was neither married nor religious, as an exemplary Catholic single woman, who lived this radical flexibility in love.

Father Philip Bochanski was a guest on an "Ask A Priest " episode of Catholic Answers Live. He answered two questions frequently asked by EnCourage members:

Listen to Fr. Bochanski on Catholic Answers Live

Courage has started an online EnCourage spouses group at the request of a number of our EnCourage members and Courage members’ spouses. These video conference meetings are led by EnCourage chaplains. Information can be found in the Courage Forums in the EnCourage Spouses listing.

Courage Internacional website in Spanish

More posts have been added to the recently revived Truth & Love blog, which is directed to "anyone in a helping relationship with those who experience questions about sexuality, gender, chastity, orientation, or other similar areas, who wishes to share the fullness of Truth & Love found in the teachings of the Catholic Church in a loving and compassionate manner."

Last month there was an article on the nature of man as soul and body followed by a reflection from a Courage member on how "understanding [his] composite nature" has helped him to "pursue a virtuous life."

To receive an email whenever there is a new post, just click the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of this email and follow the instructions. When you get to the "Update your profile" page, check the box for the "Truth & Love Blog."

This day of presentations for priests, deacons, and seminarians includes talks on the following foundational topics as they relate to same-sex attractions:

(Clergy track is free. Fee charged for full conference participation.)

The chapter entitled "Good Example" Handbook for Courage and EnCourage Chaplains: Fortieth Anniversary Edition focuses on the fifth of the Goals of Courage, "To live lives that may serve as good examples to others." 

This chapter goes into detail about publicizing the local chapter, giving personal testimonies, and choosing a vocation.

The Person & Identity Project is a very helpful new resource that "provides formation, resources, and pastoral guidance on issues of faith, 'gender,' and sexual identity." It has separate pages for parents, parishes, and schools, each filled with resources tailored to these audience's unique needs. A good starting point for everyone is The Basics page.

Mary Rice Hasson, the co-founder of Person & Identity and a Courage board member, will be speaking at our annual summer conference as part of the sexual identity track. This track will also include Father Malachy Joseph Napier, CFR, Deacon Patrick Lappert, MD, and Dr. Christopher Gross. For an introduction to Mary's clear-thinking and compassionate approach, view some of her responses to frequently asked questions on the Person and Identity video page.

* For an explanation of the expression, "sexual identity discordance," and coverage of the subject, see the new Handbook for Courage and EnCourage Chaplains starting on page 81.

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.