The 2014 Courage Conference will take place at Villanova University this July 17-20.
Under the patronage of St. Charles Lwanga, members of the Courage/Encourage Apostalate will gather this year from July 17-20 at Villanova University located in a suburb of Philadelphia.
The Courage Apostalate has existed since 1980 and was inspired by the late Terence Cardinal Cooke of New York. Fr. John Harvey, O.S.F.S. was asked by Cardinal Cooke to be the Executive Director and the Apostalate now exists in more than 13 countries.
It also includes an international online community which consitutes a support system for many people all over the world. Fr. Paul Check is the current director of Courage under the guidance of Cardinal Timothy Dolan. This past February he met with Church leaders in Rome to discuss the future of the Courage Apostolate which is currently seeking formal canonical recognition from the Holy See.
Courage is already in full communion with the Magesterial teachings of the Catholic Church regarding same-sex attractions and helps members to lead chaste and fruitful lives within the Catholic Church. The members gather weekly to share based on a 12-step format. In addition, members are encouraged to take part in the sacraments as well as service activities in the Church.
This year’s conference will begin with an opening Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia and Fr. Paul Check will deliver the keynote address..
A variety of different seminars and workshops are on the program featuring speakers such as Helen Alvare, a consultor for the Pontifical Council of Laity and delegate to the United Nations for women and family, as well as Fr. Joseph Koterski, S.J., Professor of Philosophy of Fordham University.
Some of the themes that will be presented are «Chastity as Spiritual Beauty», and the «Christian Meaning of Sexuality».
At the same time, Encourage, which is a support group for families, will be meeting and there is also a workshop on the Courage Sports Camp. There will also be numerous opportunities for prayer, adoration, and confession.
Further inforamation and registration for the conference can be found on the Courage website www.couragerc.org.
