Courage is an apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church that ministers to men and women who experience same-sex attractions, as well as to their loved ones. Endorsed by the Pontifical Council for the Family, Courage provides a spiritual support system that assists its members in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth, and love.
Catholic Teaching
The Church teaches that the human person, made in the image and likeness of God, cannot be adequately defined by a mere reference to sexual orientation. Every person faces difficulties and struggles, but each is also endowed with strengths, talents, and gifts. The Church insists that our deepest identity is not found in labels such as “heterosexual” or “homosexual,” but in the truth that every person is a creature of God and, by grace, His child and heir to eternal life.
“Today, the Church provides a badly needed context for the care of the human person when she refuses to consider the person a heterosexual or a homosexual and insists that every person has a fundamental identity: a creature of God and by grace, His child and heir to eternal life.”
(Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, October 1986)
What is Courage?
Courage is a Catholic support group that helps men and women live faithfully according to the Church’s pastoral teaching on homosexuality. The goals of Courage were developed by its first members and remain at the heart of its mission:
- To live chaste lives in accordance with the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
- To dedicate our lives to Christ through service, prayer, meditation, spiritual reading, spiritual direction, frequent Mass, and regular reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.
- To foster a spirit of fellowship, so that no one has to face the struggles of same-sex attraction alone.
- To encourage one another in the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in Christian life.
- To live lives that serve as good examples to others.
Endorsement of the Holy See
Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, speaking on behalf of the Holy See, affirmed the importance of Courage:
“This Pontifical Council for the Family supports the organization called Courage, founded by Father John Harvey, OSFS, for helping homosexual persons to live in accordance with the laws of God and the teaching of His Church.”
Participation and Confidentiality
If you experience same-sex attractions and desire to grow in chastity—the universal call of all Christians—you are invited to consider Courage. All meetings are conducted in the strictest confidence. This is not a therapy group, but a spiritual support group rooted in prayer, fellowship, and the teaching of the Catholic Church.
For more information, including time and location of meetings, please contact:
You may also visit the official Courage website for additional resources.