The following is the third in a series of articles about “Courage,” the Catholic Church’s apostolate ministering to those with same-sex attraction. For an overview of the Courage program in the Archdiocese of Detroit, as well as its sister apostolate for family and friends, “EnCourage,” see The Michigan Catholic’s Nov. 1 issue.

Detroit — Tina’s path to understanding her same-sex attraction in light of her Catholic faith had come full circle by the time she joined a local Courage group.

As a child, she noticed that the strong heroes in comic books and other stories were always male, and the female characters were the ones who needed rescuing.

“I wanted to be the hero, the strong one, who didn’t need to trust, but who could be trusted,” she said.

Since 1994, Tina, who requested her last name not be used, has been a member of Courage, an organization founded by Fr. John Harvey, OSB, to minister to Catholics with same-sex attraction.

In her early teens, she realized she was romantically attracted to members of her own gender, which was partly connected to her childhood fear of her father, and the resulting inability to trust men with her heart.

Finding that this created a conflict between her religious beliefs and her still-developing sexuality, Tina entered a state of depression and began looking into other religions and philosophies as a teenager.

“I really was quite strong in my Catholic faith, but I was also aware of the struggle I was having with my own desires,” she said. “I think that’s what led to reading a lot of materials and going through the different claims of different religions and philosophies.”

Through reading about the various world religions, however, she saw “something unique about the person of Jesus Christ. He was saying ‘I am the Son of God, I am the savior of the world.’”

For a claim this bold — and unusual — Tina decided, this had to be true.

“I really believe that the fullness of faith is in what the Catholic Church teaches,” she said, explaining that she could have found a “liberal church” to attend if she had chosen to actively live the homosexual lifestyle. “If I went any other place it would be to accommodate my own desires. But that’s not following the truth; it’s following my own desires.”

Still, she was concerned about her continued same-sex attraction in light of her desire to live a chaste life according to Church teaching.

“I was able to embrace my faith more and yet at the same time, I felt my same-sex attraction stronger than ever,” she said. “There was that question of ‘I know what I’m not supposed to do, but what can I do in terms of feeling this way?’”

In her late 20s, she discovered a Courage chapter in her diocese. Joining it proved to be a great gift, as she was able to find the “help and pastoral support” she needed within the program’s support system.

Tina also worked for Fr. Harvey for a period of time, who was “like a father figure” to her and encouraged her in healing her relationship with her own father.

“This is one of the many issues that people have as part of the human condition,” Tina said. “Whether a person is dealing with same-sex attraction or addiction or the temptation to steal, it’s part of what we go through as human beings. The bigger picture is that we’re all just human souls hoping to find peace in God.”

To learn more about Courage in the Archdiocese of Detroit, or its sister program, EnCourage, for friends and family of those with same-sex attraction, visit www.aod.org/courage, contact [email protected] or [email protected]. More information about the international Courage apostolate can be found at www.couragerc.net.