The Courage Apostolate is a Catholic ministry founded in 1980 by Fr. John Harvey to support men and women with same-sex attraction who choose to live chastely according to Church teaching. Officially recognized by the Holy See in 1994 and granted canonical status in 2016, it operates over 100 chapters across eight countries. Critics argue the model resembles conversion therapy, a charge Courage firmly rejects. There is considerably more to this story.
What Is the Courage Apostolate and Who Is It For?
Founded in 1980 by Fr. John Harvey, OSFS, at the request of Cardinal Terence Cooke, the Courage Apostolate is a Catholic ministry for men and women who experience same-sex attraction and seek to live chastely. The apostolate emphasizes that leaders and members are called to accountability to God in how they live out Church teaching.
Officially recognized by the Holy See in 1994, it received canonical status in 2016, becoming the only canonically approved apostolate of its kind.
Courage is not a general support group; it is a faith-based ministry rooted in Catholic teaching on sexuality.
Its members are those who have chosen to live according to what the Church describes as the Gospel call to chastity. The organization runs a twelve-step program modeled on the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous, led by a priest to encourage abstinence and adherence to Catholic teachings.
The apostolate operates around five core goals, which include living chaste lives, dedicating oneself to prayer and service, fostering fellowship, building supportive friendships, and serving as a good example to others.
What Actually Happens at a Courage Meeting: and What Is EnCourage?
Understanding what Courage looks like in practice helps clarify what the apostolate actually offers its members. Weekly meetings emphasize confidentiality, peer support, and Catholic spiritual practices rather than therapy. Members discuss chastity, share personal experiences, and may engage the Twelve Steps adapted for the group. Sleep is also presented in Scripture as a gift from God, which members might reflect on during spiritual readings.
Courage meetings prioritize confidentiality, peer support, and Catholic spiritual practices — not therapy — helping members live chastely together.
Meetings typically include:
- Reading the Five Goals — chastity, prayer, fellowship, support, and good example
- Spiritual practices — Mass, the sacraments, meditation, and spiritual reading
- Mutual encouragement — honest conversation within a confidential setting
- Fellowship — building chaste, supportive friendships
EnCourage serves family members and friends, offering pastoral accompaniment, with over 100 chapters across eight countries. The apostolate was founded in 1980 by Father John Harvey, who directed the organization for its first 28 years. Members are reminded at meetings that we are imperfect Christians, but we keep getting up, reflecting the group’s emphasis on encouragement rather than the expectation of perfection.
Why Courage Is the Only Canonically Approved Apostolate of Its Kind
When Courage International received canonical status on November 28, 2016, it became a diocesan clerical public association of the faithful within the Roman Catholic Church — a designation that its affiliated diocesan sources consistently describe as making it the only canonically approved apostolate of its kind.
That distinction matters institutionally.
Canonical recognition means the Church has formally evaluated and endorsed Courage’s structure, mission, and pastoral approach.
No comparable organization serving Catholics with same-sex attraction holds equivalent standing.
Courage’s affiliated diocesan pages repeat this claim consistently, suggesting deliberate institutional messaging rather than isolated promotion, reinforcing its unique position within Catholic pastoral life. This institutional framing intersects with broader debates about pastoral care and ecclesiology, including how authority of Scripture and church structures shape ministries.
The apostolate was originally founded in 1980 by Fr. John Harvey, an Oblate of Saint Francis de Sales, at the request of the late Cardinal Terence Cooke.
That position was further underscored when Courage International representatives met with Pope Leo XIV in a private audience at the Vatican on 6 February 2026, marking a notable moment of papal recognition for the apostolate.
Why Critics Call It a Form of Conversion Therapy
Although Courage describes its mission as pastoral care rather than therapy, critics argue that its model functions as a form of conversion therapy in practice.
Several concerns drive that assessment:
- The UN defines conversion therapy as any intervention aimed at suppressing sexual orientation — critics say celibacy requirements fit that standard.
- New Ways Ministry cites professional consensus that such approaches harm young people’s mental health.
- OpenDemocracy reported allegations of Courage-connected sessions in Guatemala promoting chastity through pressured language.
- Critics distinguish official policy from local practice, arguing adjacent counseling can still function as suppression-based intervention.
A Vatican synodal working-group document included testimony from a man in a civil same-sex union who described Courage meetings as “secretive and hidden”, with participants often appearing lonely, hopeless, and depressed — a portrayal Courage strongly rejected as a false representation of its broader ministry.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has stated that interventions aimed at changing or suppressing sexual orientation lack scientific credibility and clinical utility, and are potentially harmful to young people’s mental health.
Many debates also reference Biblical interpretations that shape differing Christian responses to LGBTQ+ inclusion.
How Courage Responds to the Conversion Therapy Accusation
Courage has firmly rejected the conversion therapy label, insisting that its ministry has no connection to psychological programs designed to alter sexual orientation. Leaders clarify that Courage neither provides nor refers members for reparative therapy. The apostolate emphasizes its teaching on sexual purity as rooted in Scripture and Catholic moral tradition.
Courage firmly rejects the conversion therapy label, clarifying it neither provides nor refers members for reparative therapy.
Instead, the apostolate describes its work as spiritual accompaniment rooted in Catholic teaching, centered on chastity, prayer, and community fellowship.
Courage also pushed back against a Vatican synodal document it said misrepresented the ministry, calling the portrayal “false and unjust” and noting it was never consulted before the accusations appeared.
Courage maintains that supporting chastity is fundamentally different from attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation. Notably, founder Fr. John Harvey himself was adamant that attendees should not be directed to conversion therapy, invoking the moral theology principle that what cannot be achieved cannot be required.
Elena, a member originally from Canada, publicly defended Courage against conversion therapy accusations in a 2018 interview, stating that supporting faithful Catholics is categorically not the same as conversion therapy.
