Newspaper Proposal 01

October 13, 2007 [Editor] [Diocesan Newspaper] [Street] [City, State ZIP] Dear [Salutation]: The purpose of this letter is to update you on the progress of the Courage chapter that formed in the diocese last year and to propose a followup article in the Evangelist. Since your fine article “Diocese Begins Courage Chapter” in the November 30, 2006, issue of the Evangelist, Courage has received 30 calls from individuals and requests for brochures from parishes. Most of those calls are from individuals with feelings of attraction to the same-sex, feelings they neither chose nor want. Ten of those individuals, all men, have been meeting twice a month since February 2007. At these meetings, the men have grown to know and trust each other. They provide warm and loving support to live chaste lives. They also listen and ponder the difficulties each of them faces. We don’t give each other pat answers or stern rebukes, but speak from our own experience. We also strive to grow closer to Christ by bearing these very real difficulties together. That warmth and trust in the group is made possible by confidentiality. The meeting time and location is provided to prospective members after a discussion of the Courage goals (and often a screening interview) to ensure that the prospective member understands what Courage is and that they won’t feel out of place in the group. It’s not a debating society, and Courage has always been faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic church. At a typical meeting, six men gather and follow a consistent structure that begins with prayer, followed by scripture reading and reflection by Rev. Jeffrey L’Arche, the group’s moderator and spiritual leader. The group then discusses some aspect of the spiritual life relevant to their day-to-day struggles. A generous amount of time is set aside for getting current about progress and specific situations that most challenge them. “Bright Spot.” At a recent meeting, Jeffrey Keefe, OFM Conv., made a presentation on the causes of same-sex attraction. Fr. Keefe is the director of Courage in Syracuse and notes that the growth of the new chapter in Albany is “remarkable” and “very good.”

One member of the Albany chapter traveled to the annual Courage conference in Chicago this summer. At the conference, the start of the Albany chapter was noted as a “bright spot” by Fr. John Harvey, the founder and director of Courage International. Courage Misunderstood. Courage meets with resistance among people who think it recommends that people change orientation. That’s not the case. Courage doesn’t ask its members to try to develop heterosexual attractions. Courage’s aim is to help persons with same-sex attractions develop a life of interior chastity in union with Christ. Few members choose to pursue heterosexual development. If any wish to explore that possibility for themselves, Courage stands by them, by helping them to keep the deepening of their Catholic faith and obedience to Christ as their first priority. *** On behalf of the group, I sincerely thank you for your support. Without your efforts, Courage could not have started as strongly as it has. We need your continued support to continue to serve homosexuals who, having carefully considered their same-sex attraction, have decided to pursue chastity. Please consider a followup article on the group. Feel free to contact me (315-219-6334 cell) or Fr. L’Arche (518-861-8159). Sincerely,

David Buddle, coordinator