Parents as Pilgrims of Hope
January 29, 2025
DR embassy honours Our Lady of Altagracia
January 29, 2025

EnCourage examines Jubilee Year theme

The monthly online EnCourage meeting began 7 p.m. Monday, January 20, with a prayer invitation to explore the Jubilee 2025 logo and the theme: Pilgrims of Hope.

Romans 5:3–5 was used to lead the reflections on both the logo and theme: “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”.

A video was shown where Kim reflected on her life as a person with a same-sex attraction (SSA). She used the analogy of walking through a clothing department store with different sizes and types of denim jeans–straight, girly, shaping, relaxed fit.

This evoked much discussion among participants, with one participant expressing gratitude for being part of this much needed support space. The video was taken from the Courage website: couragerc.org

The Goals of EnCourage:

  1. To grow spiritually through spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist;
  2. To gain a deeper understanding of the needs, difficulties, and challenges experienced by men and women with SSA;
  3. To establish and maintain a healthy and wholesome relationship with their loved ones with SSA;
  4. To assist other family members and friends to reach out with compassion and truth, and not to reject, their loved ones with SSA;
  5. To witness to their loved ones by their own lives that fulfilment is to be found in Jesus Christ through His Body, the Church.

EnCourage monthly online meetings take place every third Monday at 7 p.m. The next meeting is February 17 at 7 p.m. Interested parents can email: encourage.trinidad@gmail.com for more information.

Please visit couragerc.org

for more resources.