TRUMBULL, Conn., Sept. 24, 2025 /Christian Newswire/ — On September 26, Courage International, a Catholic apostolate serving men and women who experience same-sex attractions and who freely choose to live a chaste life, will celebrate the 45th anniversary of its first meeting. The meeting took place in New York City in 1980 under the leadership of the founding director Father John Harvey, OSFS, with the support of Terence Cardinal Cooke, then Archbishop of New York.
Marking the occasion, current executive director Father Brian Gannon reflected on Psalm 125: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy!” He continued,
“We thank God for the pastoral courage of Father Harvey, who, reading the signs of the times, began this beautiful apostolate. Over the years it has helped so many men and women to persevere on the path of holiness.”
This milestone year also sees Courage celebrating 30 years of pastoral work in the Philippines and 20 years in Mexico with Courage Latino, a branch of Courage International. Members in both countries recently gathered in thanksgiving for the abundant blessings received through this apostolate.
Expressing gratitude for the dedication of Courage chaplains around the world, Father Gannon added: “I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to guide their service, as we strive to bear witness to truth, authentic love, and mercy for the Church and the world.”
Today, Courage has more than 160 chapters in 15 countries. Courage and EnCourage received canonical status in the Roman Catholic Church as a diocesan clerical public association of the faithful on November 28, 2016. EnCourage is an apostolate under the Courage umbrella which provides support for families and friends of persons who identify as LGBT and aims to teach them how to reach out to their loved ones with compassion and understanding.
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SOURCE Courage International
