What is Cursillo?
Cursillo is a lay movement that promotes Catholic ideals, fellowship, and spiritual growth. It offers an opportunity to deepen faith and experience God's love within a supportive community. Cursillo aims to help individuals influence others to encounter Christ and spread the Gospel through three-day retreats. It encourages Christians to live their faith daily and supports spiritual growth. Candidates are invited to strengthen their relationship with God in a welcoming community. The program features passionate talks and discussions on grace, sacraments, prayer, and living in harmony with God during a lively 3-day weekend from Thursday to Sunday. This experience helps participants explore their faith and enjoy a joyful, enthusiastic spiritual life.
Why Cursillo?
This best explains—The Charism of Cursillo.
A Charism is a unique gift from God, granted for the good of all, to be at the service of others to bring them back to Christian values and to live them more deeply.
The Charism of Cursillo was given to Eduardo Bonnin by the Holy Spirit and he developed this gift into the Cursillo. This Charism is personal metanoia and transformation to grow closer to God, know of His immense love, through friendship, to radically share that love in our day to day lives.
Cursillo is not an event, but a means, a way … to proclaim that God in Christ loves us, and to share the vision of the astonishing love of God for each and every person. Absence of God in the hearts and minds of people is what creates all the challenges in life.
Cursillo provides an ongoing encounter with ourselves to facilitate personal continuous conversion or metanoia in order to live out holiness every second, every moment, everywhere with everybody. It is designed to awaken in each person their uniqueness, originality and creativity—Jesus loved his followers and called them to be more—we must become more Christian—live our identity in Christ—and to share Jesus in our environments.
The best method of communicating God’s love is friendship amongst Christians who strive to live their faith in spirit and in truth and to share it with others. Cursillo awakens the apostolic hunger to communicate love of God in order to be influential in transforming day to day environments, circumstances and individuals. We cannot give what we don’t have, hence the need for personal metanoia and transformation, and continual strengthening and renewal. Christ is counting on each of us!
The weekend is a unique encounter which makes accessible the essential encounters with self, Christ and others thus making the love of God attractive and attainable. The weekend presents a whole yet simple exposition of the central learned realities for being Chrisitan characterized by radical optimism, joy, boldness, and firmness, conviction, and values. This friendship and these dynamic encounters continue beyond the 3-day weekend and into Post Cursillo.
The Cursillo way and structure came about after much prayer, study and deep reflection, and the tree of Cursillo will grow and expand only if it remains faithful to its identity, if it deepens its roots and does not grow apart from its trunk—it’s Charism.
History
STARTED IN Majorca, Spain, in the 1940s
APPROVED AND BLESSED BY the Catholic Church, Cursillo gained international recognition.
The CURSILLO METHOD trains lay people to become effective leaders and enables participants to expand their prayer life, engage in ongoing study, and share their faith.
Young layperson, Eduardo Bonnín, was involved in early Cursillo courses. Bonnin launched Cursillo into an active renewal movement
Cursillo spread to North America in 1957.
The first U.S. Cursillo was held in Waco, Texas.
In Memphis
1964
First Men's Cursillo Established in Memphis
1965
First Women's Cursillo in Memphis
1998
First Spanish Cursillo in Memphis
Maybe You've Seen or Heard
Have you ever seen the word Cursillo somewhere and wondered what is was? Maybe you spotted a bumper sticker with a vibrant rooster and the words "De Colores"—and thought, "Hmm? Must be their favorite Mexican restaurant!" Well, that's a common assumption for those unfamiliar with Spanish or the Cursillo movement.
Let me share a bit more about those familiar items you might have seen or heard. Just like with the Catholic faith, everything has a meaning or a purpose—Cursillo is no different.
Interested
in Cursillo?
First—prayerfully consider living a Cursillo weekend.
Who should go on the weekend?
A Cursillo weekend is primarily intended for those who are:
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Baptized, Committed Catholics
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Catholics who can receive the Sacraments of the Church
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Catholics who are active in their parishes or who want to be more active
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Catholics who are interested in exploring what it means to be a Christian in today's world
A Cursillo weekend is also valuable for baptized Catholics who:
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Live as Catholics but are not currently involved in the Church, or
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Have slipped away from the Church but are beginning to move back.
We recommend waiting a year before considering attending your Cursillo 3-Day Weekend if you have recently been through one of these major life events...
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a change in marital status
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a serious illness
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bereavement
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people with acute emotional problems or in psychiatric treatment
Next Steps for Cursillo
BEFORE
(Pre-Cursillo)
Pray About It.
Fill Out the Application.
Apply to Participate
You can find the application here.
Find A Sponsor.
Your sponsor is an old, new, or future friend who has already attended a Cursillo. And not to worry, if you don't have someone in mind, we have many other active Cursillistas who would love to sponsor you or help you find one.
The sponsor must be an active Cursillistas and will be responsible for preparing the candidate for the weekend, establishing the new cursillista in a group reunion, and introducing the new cursillista to Ultreya.
Pay the 3-Day Weekend Fee
Yes, there is a fee involved. We would love to have this as a free event one day, but we are not there yet. We have facilities, food, and expenses related. But again, not to worry if finances are a reason that is keeping you form attending a Cursillo, we have you covered. We do have financial assistance for those who need it.
Get Ready for Your Weekend.
Take time to pray for your coming weekend. Pray for those involved in your weekend. Make sure you have a free schedule from work and family, so you can really focuse on the experience and what will be placed in front of you.
DURING
(3-Day Cursillo Weekend)
3–Day Team
The 3-Day team forms Christian community, prepares the Rollo’s, and organizes the weekend. The formation process starts before the weekend, with members participating in Ultreya and the School of Leaders and living their lives fully after their Cursillo weekend.
Food Team
The food team gathers and purchases items for Thursday dinner and weekend snacks using donations. The retreat facility provides all meals Friday to Sunday. The team arrives Thursday to set up dinner, cleans up afterward, and returns on Sunday to clean the kitchen and remove remaining food and drinks.
Palanca Team
The Palanca team works to change hearts through Grace each weekend, increasing prayer for candidates and during the 3Day. Plans include 24-hour adoration on all 3Day weekends, with sign-up at Ultreya’s beforehand.
Facilities Team
At Our Lady Queen of Peace Event & Retreat Center. The facilities team sets up the Rollo room, moves tables for Thursday’s food, and returns Sunday to help set up and clean up for Clausura, which requires chairs and other items in the Chapel.
AFTER
(Post-Cursillo)
Post-Cursillo is A Support System.
This system comprises of spiritual direction, reunions, and events for ongoing learning and growth.
The weekend transitions participants from Precursillo to Postcursillo, fostering Christian values and community spirit. Postcursillo strengthens relationships and promotes holiness and evangelization, helping Cursillistas find their place in the Church and world with tools to live their faith. Main methods include Group Reunions and Ultreya, which unite members and support both individuals and the community.
Events that Enrich Growth.
We have two such gatherings scheduled monthly. One is Ultreya and the other is School of Leaders.
Postcursillo offers an opportunity to deepen relationships started during the weekend. The Church calls all to holiness and evangelization. "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love.”
The Postcursillo is based on the idea that ongoing conversion develops environments and individuals alike. A good program helps Cursillistas find their place in the Church and world, with tools to live out their faith.
Main methods for nurturing Christian life in Postcursillo are Group Reunions for individuals and Ultreya for the community.
Once groups are formed, the Ultreya unites members into a larger community, supporting both individuals and the whole
you can community.
Cursillo is hosted by
3-Day Cursillo Weekends
Take Place at the beautiful Our Lady Queen of Peace Event & Retreat Center in Stanton, Tennessee, operated by the Memphis Diocese. The event begins Thursday evening and concludes on Sunday evening. Attendance for the full weekend is required. It is the sponsor’s duty to transport you to and from the weekend.
