Cursillo

[hsilgne]

Have you ever gone to a Cursillo weekend?

I'm going to one soon(this month) and I'm really looking forward to it.

I was just curious if any OBOB members have participated in Cursillo and if so, how was it for you?

 

[anawim]

It's not all that big in my area. When I made inquiries at the diocesan level, I was told you have to know someone in order to attend.

 

[gtsecc]

I get the impression it is high on emotion, and low on theology.
I know Anglicans go. I had no idea any RC's went.

 

[hsilgne]

I get the impression it is high on emotion, and low on theology.
I know Anglicans go. I had no idea any RC's went.

I received some literature on Cursillo and from what I am understanding it was started by a Catholic. Cursillo is a spainish word which means "short course".

So far, I have heard great things about the weekend from other parishoners who have attended.

Here is an excerpt from the history of Cursillo provided by the local Cursillo I will be attending...
FIRST CURSILLO AS WE KNOW IT

• Eduardo Bonnin is an articulated thinker, an apostle restless about a world without God, about unhappy people and Christians without joy. He is a Christian leader willing to conquer the world for Christ starting with himself.
  
  In the Young Men's Catholic Action of Mallorca he was in contact and in friendship with many other Christians like himself Eduardo loved to meet other young people to reflect, to pray and to plan a way to make a more Christian world. He was convinced that the ignorance about faith was the source of a godless world. He invited six others to join him. Together they started a systematic study of the Gospels with assignments, under the supervision of Fr. Gabriel Segui, M.S.C. He corrected their homework every week. They felt that it was important to know Christ and His message better before speaking about Christ to others. The situation in the world and in the Church was worrying them. They decided to pray together by going to mass early in the morning. Moreover, knowing their environment was a key topic for their study, every' Sunday, the seven founders cycled to a quiet place and under the leadership of Eduardo, each one would go and sit under a tree and read a chapter from a book, either from a theologian or a sociologist. Their authors were the most leading Christian thinkers of their time. After a period of study, they would all come to share together their discoveries. An apostolic action has to be well grounded to be efficient. Here are their favourite authors: Romano Guardini, Jacques Leclerc, Eves Cougar, Pierre Charles, Michele Federico Sciacca, Card, Suhbard, etc... To these they added philosophers, psychologists and sociologists. When one wants to do a good job, one must study well. Concurrently, the seven were involved in their faith in the name of Christ and in their own environments.
  
  In searching for a solution to remedy the ignorance of faith, the superficiality of ritualism and the apathy of non faith commitment in daily life, they decided to make their own form of Cursillo". At the beginning they did not look for a name but for a real format for this weekend. The first rollo was already done: the study of environment. To permeate environments and make them Christian, they started to reflect on other topics to be developed so that a good in-depth survey of the truths of faith would be well covered, in order to bring true growth in faith and effective commitment to Christ. All rollos as we know them, in the same order, were presented on the first Cursillo. The weekend was lived in a little chalet near the Mediterranean Sea at a place called Cala Figuera de Santanyi, from August 19 - 22, 1944. There were 14 candidates. All the priests' rollos were the same ones Eduardo heard on his "cursillo" in Catholic Action. The success was tremendous. Eduardo and his friends co-ordinated and directed the weekend. The priest came for the spiritual rollos, mass and confessions and did not stay on the premises. The "retreat" part of Thursday night to Friday morning was added a few years later under the influence of Fr. Juan Capo. In the beginning all new Cursillistas were integrated right away into permanent group reunions to accelerate their permanent conversion and their spiritual growth.
  
  Before the first numbered official Cursillo of January 7-10, 1949, there had been five other Cursillos. Cursillo, in its beginnings, was targeting those far away from God and the Church.
  
  The seven founders, in looking around, noticed that all the practicing Catholics were well taken care of spiritually. In their apostolic zeal, They saw that nobody cared about the faraway. So they decided that they would reach out to bring them to God. In their reflections on the person and the best means to reach them, they discovered that friendship i.e. unconditional love for the other, was the way to the heart and to conversion. "Make a friend, be a friend, and bring our friend to Christ" is the strategy they followed.
  
  In January 1949, Bishop Juan Hervas, bishop of Palma de Mallowa decided to open Cursillo to more people outside Catholic Action. This first year, thirty Cursillos were held. This avalanche created a problem. The new Cursillistas were too numerous to be integrated into permanent groups, so Eduardo invented the Ultreya. Ultreya is the place to accelerate the conversion started during the three days, where one receives the love that maintains the growth effort and also stimulates apostolic commitment. The Ultreya is a happy place, filled with joy, enthusiasm and where each is at the service of the other and at the service of the world in evangelization. Ultreya is also the place where one makes friends and finds a permanent group reunion
  

 

[gtsecc]

In searching for a solution to remedy the ignorance of faith, the superficiality of ritualism

Warning lights go off in my head when I read things like that.

 

[Metanoia02]

Have you ever gone to a Cursillo weekend?

I'm going to one soon(this month) and I'm really looking forward to it.

I was just curious if any OBOB members have participated in Cursillo and if so, how was it for you?

I went to a Cursillo retreat about 4 years ago. It was an important wakeup call to me. I am thankful that there was a retreat like that for me at the time.

But after a year or two it started to wear thin. I needed something more andthey just couldn't provide it. Cursillo can only take you so far. As has been stated it is high on emotion and low on theology. Over time I just could not hang with the community. I needed a group of people to challenge me help me to truly become more holy.

I don't want to discourage your going to the retreat, because it may just be my local community. There are many good things that can come from Cursillo. I know because I have benefited and don't regret the experience one bit.

 

[hsilgne]

Warning lights go off in my head when I read things like that.

When I read the "suprficiality of ritualism" statement, in the context that it is written - I agreed with the author.

That's because in my own experience as a "cradle catholic" the rituals I witnessed at church were superficial in my mind. What I mean is, my lack of understanding the sacredness to our rituals and Traditions or perhaps my lack of understanding my faith in general gave me a superficial perspective on what was taking place.

Not too sure I explained myself very well there...sorry about that.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

I was very involved in the Methodist version of it, called Walk to Emmaus, for several years, and it really did help my commitment to Christ.

It's meant to be a "shot in the arm" for Christians. It's meant to send you back to your own church, ready and willing to be more involved and more in love with Christ than you were before you went. It is not meant to be the be-all, end-all of your Christian life.

If you have a chance to go, I would definitely do it.

Mary

 

[talitha]

I agree with Mary of Bethany. I went through a Cursillo weekend when I was involved in the Episcopalean church. There is a lot of teaching - sort of a back-to-the-basics thing - and the emotion is mainly Christian love for one another. You really do feel loved, and it's not a hocus-pocus-fuzzy-wuzzy thing either. You'll see, if you do it.

The one problem I've seen with Cursillo is that some people come out of it thinking that it's some kind of panacea for all the church's ills, and some people get so enthusiastic about it that they lift it (seemingly) above Christ. Just like everything else that's good, it still needs to be kept in perspective.

Reunion meetings with small groups after your Cursillo experience can become fruitful accountability groups....

de colores
tal

 

[Seek Ye First]

Have you ever gone to a Cursillo weekend?

I'm going to one soon(this month) and I'm really looking forward to it.

I was just curious if any OBOB members have participated in Cursillo and if so, how was it for you?

I attended Cursillo in November. It was a nice experience.
I recommend it. It will do you know harm.
Lots of love and praising God can only be good for your soul.

 

[hsilgne]

Just an update...

I must say that I really enjoyed my cursillo weekend.

I witnessed some great break throughs(including one in myself - thanks be to God!).

Alot of praise and worship. I recommend it for anyone interested!

Peace.

 

[Metanoia02]

Just an update...

I must say that I really enjoyed my cursillo weekend.

I witnessed some great break throughs(including one in myself - thanks be to God!).

Alot of praise and worship. I recommend it for anyone interested!

Peace.

It is a wonderful starting point for spiritual growth. May you continue on in your fourth day!

 

[Maggie893]

I missed this thread originally. I went to a Tres Dias weekend which is "non-denominational" but the same stuff minus the sacraments. I really had a "Jesus Moment" there and it put me on the path to God that I had slipped off many years before. I'm still active with TD and Vida Nueva which is the youth version. The Cursillo exists in my area but I've yet to get connected with anyone in it.

The three day weekend is intended to be an opportunity to experience the love of God not just talk about and to become a leader for Christ. It is never intended to replace anything and because it revolves around the weekends, it really won't ever become a tool for more than it's intent.

I highly recommend it as well. Regardless of where you are in your walk with Christ, He will meet you there and take you to the next step. I know priests and pastors, atheists, agnostics, lapsed christians and devote laity that have all found Christ through the simplicity of the program. It's a testament to the Holy Spirit's work in it's creation. Interestingly enough the talks and the format haven't changed in 50+ years and it still works everytime.

 

[hsilgne]

It is a wonderful starting point for spiritual growth. May you continue on in your fourth day!

Decolores!

 

[Gwendolyn]

Have you ever gone to a Cursillo weekend?

I'm going to one soon(this month) and I'm really looking forward to it.

I was just curious if any OBOB members have participated in Cursillo and if so, how was it for you?

Which province are you from?

Some of my friends might be going on a Cursillo retreat this month.

This upcoming Friday, I'll be helping to lead a COR (Christ in Others Retreat) - it is based on Cursillo, but it is a retreat for teenagers. I have seen some very amazing things happen through COR - indeed, God granted me a miracle through a COR retreat. Hopefully Cursillo offers adults the same sort of opportunities to experience God's grace!

 

[Maggie893]

Which province are you from?

Some of my friends might be going on a Cursillo retreat this month.

This upcoming Friday, I'll be helping to lead a COR (Christ in Others Retreat) - it is based on Cursillo, but it is a retreat for teenagers. I have seen some very amazing things happen through COR - indeed, God granted me a miracle through a COR retreat. Hopefully Cursillo offers adults the same sort of opportunities to experience God's grace!

I would love to know more about COR! I've been looking for something Catholic for youth. Can you post a website or PM me with info?

 

[geocajun]

Funny to see this thread, I was considering starting one on this very subject. I'm being invited to attend one next month (cursillo) and wasn't sure what to think of it.

 

[Gwendolyn]

I would love to know more about COR! I've been looking for something Catholic for youth. Can you post a website or PM me with info?

I don't know of a comprehensive website with info, but I can certainly PM you later on when I have more time and tell you about it. Suffice it to say that COR is an amazing experience.