Cursillo

What is Cursillo? Cursillo is a Spanish work pronounced "Kursee-yo" which means a short course. The full title is Cursillo de Christiandad, meaning a short course in Christian living. The purpose of Cursillo is to present a method of living that is fundamental to being a Christian in the world; that is, Cursillo presents a way of structuring our Christian lives so as to make a difference in the world. Cursillo began in Majorca, Spain during the 1940's in the Roman Catholic Church and has since spread to other communities. Cursillo is now active in more than fifty nations on five continents. The Cursillo Movement is one method of renewal in the Church. Its purpose is to help those in the Church understand their individual callings to be Christian leaders. This leadership may be exercised in work situations, the family and social life, in leisure activities, and within the Church.

What is the Cursillo Method?

There are three equally important parts:

1. Identification of potential environments or situations to be influenced by the Gospel and the identification of leaders or potential leaders within those environments.
2. The Cursillo weekend.
3. And the follow-up support system which focuses attention on Christian action.

The Cursillo Weekend

The Cursillo weekend normally starts on Thursday evening and ends late on Sunday afternoon. It is a live-in weekend, and candidates are expected to attend the complete course.

The spirit of the weekend focuses entirely on the teachings of Jesus Christ and is designed to help you come to a fresh awareness of the ways in which you can live out your Baptism. Participants worship together, live together and hear 15 talks on the meaning of the life in Christ and how one can more fully live in Him in today's world.

The talks are given by clergy and lay people and are rooted in Catholic doctrine. The weekend is open to non-Catholics, under special circumstances, but all worship and teachings are Catholic in style and method.

The Cursillo weekend will have essentially the same structure no matter where experienced.

After the Cursillo Weekend

The Cursillo is not a substitute for your parish church. It is a movement of the Catholic Church, designed to help you to renew and enhance your Christian life, to enable you to function more fully in your parish. However, following the Cursillo weekend there are further opportunities for spiritual growth and development through Group Reunion, Ultreya and Leadership development.

Group Reunion...

...is a regular meeting of two to six people who support and encourage one another in Christian action and study.

Ultreya...

...is a larger gathering, which normally takes place in a church, for prayer and support. Ultreyas are held on a regular basis as an affirmation and confirmation of Christian community in action in our individual environments.

Leadership Development...

...are regular sessions during which participants study some aspect of Catholic doctrine and further their understanding of the Cursillo method, as a tool of church renewal. Group Reunion and Ultreya are open to all mature Christians, Leadership development is for those who have attended a Cursillo weekend.

Who May Attend a Cursillo Weekend?

The Cursillo weekend is open to any baptized adult Christian who is ready for a learning and growing experience attained through worship, study, fellowship, and personal reflection.

Men's and women's weekends are usually held separately, with the men's weekend preceding the women's. Applications from married couples are to be submitted at the same time and both are expected to attend if they are selected as candidates.

The Cursillo Experience

Cursillo is an experience during which the participants live and learn what is fundamental to being a Christian. There is no insistence that you must react in a certain way. Each person responds to the experience in their own fashion. The Cursillo weekend often takes place in a church or a retreat site. Candidates and team bring their own sleeping bags and live dormitory style. The facilities are not luxurious, but the warmth, and fellowship, and the spirit of the Cursillo make the weekend both joyful and rewarding.

How Does One Apply?

Applications for the Cursillo weekend are available from a person who has attended a Cursillo weekend. Two persons are required for each candidate -- the parish priest and someone who has attended a weekend. Both sponsors are required to sign the application.

When you have been selected as a candidate, you will be notified. If you are not able to attend the upcoming weekend, arrangements can be made to hold your application until the selection of candidates for the next weekend, in which case you may be given preference. The Cursillo weekend is not a therapy program. It is recommended that people undergoing significant stress -- health problems, family difficulties, personal crises, etc. -- should postpone attending a Cursillo weekend until the problems have been resolved.

Cost

The cost to you of your weekend varies but is approximately $100 - $150. A cheque for this amount, payable to Catholic Cursillo - Winnipeg, should accompany your application. The overall cost of a weekend is more than this fee but is given as a gift from those who have already attended a weekend. The fee may change periodically.

Cursillo in Canada

Cursillo is recognized as a tool for renewal in the majority of Catholic Dioceses in Canada, including the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, and the Cursillo method is used in parishes and church communities from coast to coast. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Cursillos acts as liaison with the Church and Cursillo communities across Canada.

Contacts

Ron & Monica Storozuk
tel. (204) 257-9636

© The Archdiocese of Winnipeg