Newspaper Proposal 02

September 16, 2008 [Editor] [Diocesan Newspaper] [Street] [City, State ZIP] Dear [Salutation]: The purpose of this letter is to update you on the local Courage chapter and to propose an article in the Evangelist. Relevance to readers: • Church’s outreach to people with same-sex attraction, who often feel marginalized in the church. • Practical resource in our diocese Courage Workshop in Area On October 1 at St. Joseph’s Church in Broadalbin, at 7 pm, Jeffrey Keefe, OFM Conv, will lead a workshop on same-sex attraction and chastity. The director of Courage in Syracuse and a psychologist, Father Keefe will describe the practical ways the church, through its Courage ministry, serves persons with same-sex attraction who have decided to pursue chastity. Brief testimonies of members will provided, as well as time for discussion. Three Take Part in International Conference. On August 7-10, three members of the Albany chapter attended the international conference, held in Medway, Massachusetts. (Those three were Ron, Martin, and me.) All three had overwhelmingly positive experiences of the presentations and fellowship with Courage members from across the country and several other nations. The highlight of the prayer and liturgies was the Mass offered by Cardinal Sean O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston. Two of the members (Ron and Martin) were attending the annual conference for the first time. They felt a great sense of joy and peace to be with hundreds of others on the same journey. New Priest at Helm. The conference was the last one led by Fr. John Harvey, who founded Courage in New York City in 1980 at the request of Cardinal Terence Cooke. The new director of Courage International, Fr. Paul Check, begins leading Courage in September 2008. He also gave the keynote address at the conference.

Two Attend Courage Sports Camp. Two members (Martin and I) attended a four-day Courage Sports Camp in August. A total of 40 men attended to address feelings of fear or inadequacy when it comes to sports. Sports Camp provided a safe, supportive environment to learn the fundamentals of softball, flag football, volleyball, and basketball. The men were instructed to not put themselves down, such as by saying “sorry” when missing a catch. Having fun was paramount; and participants were encouraged to laugh at their mistakes.. The final score of the games was unimportant compared to learning to play sports without fear. Local Chapter Growing Strong. The chapter of Courage in the Albany diocese continues to attract new members. Since its beginning in February 2007, the group has remained true to the five goals: chastity, prayer and dedication, fellowship, support, and good example. Reflecting on a recent meeting, one member found solace in the fact that others had admitted struggling that week. (Time is set aside for getting current about progress and specific situations that most challenge them.) An indication of the level of commitment is that four members drive nearly an hour to attend. Confidentiality is emphasized. The meeting time and location is provided to prospective members after a discussion of the Courage goals to ensure that the prospective member understands what Courage is. Anyone interested in joining may call (518) 496-4771.

*** On behalf of the group, I sincerely thank you for 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 or Fr. L’Arche (518-861-8159). The two other members I mentioned in this article have also agreed to be interviewed. You can reach Martin at [email protected]. Ron can be reached at (518) 756-2101. Sincerely,

David Buddle, coordinator 315-219-6334 cell