Have you heard about Cursillo or has someone asked you to consider attending a Cursillo Weekend? Then this info is for you!

What is Cursillo?

INTRODUCTION
Cursillo (pronounced kur-SEE-yo) is a Spanish word meaning "short course". The full title is Cursillo de Christiandad, meaning a short course in Christian living. 

Cursillo open us up to a deeper relationship with Christ and presents a method of Christian living so we can make a difference for Christ in the world around us.

The Cursillo method helps individuals understand the calling of all Christians to be Christian leaders. This leadership may be exercised at work, in family life, in social life, in leisure activities, and within the church. Cursillo is not a substitute for your parish church. Rather, is designed to help you renew and enhance your Christian life, and to enable you to function more fully within your parish.

Bringing Christ to the world is not an easy task. It is a lifelong commitment. The Cursillo method, as a tool in fulfilling this promise, is likewise a continuing commitment – unlike one-time events such as seminars or encounter weekends. 

The Cursillo method has 3 major components: THE WEEKEND, GROUP REUNIONS, AND ULTREYAS.

THE WEEKEND

The Cursillo method includes a three-day weekend, which begins on Thursday evening and concludes on Sunday. During this time, lay persons and clergy give talks. This team of presenters has spent a significant amount of time praying and working together, planning and preparing for the weekend.

The weekend is an opportunity to meet other individuals who are seeking to strengthen their faith. It provides an opportunity through shared prayer, worship, singing, study, fellowship, discussion, and love to experience the reality of the gift of God’s grace.

The Cursillo weekend is not a retreat, nor are there any fasting or extended periods of silence. The Eucharist is celebrated daily.
 
 Cursillistas return from the weekend with a renewed commitment to work for Christ. To maintain this commitment, Cursillistas are encouraged to join in the activities of the community of persons who have also experienced the weekend. 

The purpose of this Cursillo community is to give strength and support to each other so that each person might grow in faith and develop their particular gifts of ministry. There are 2 support methods outlined:

GROUP REUNION: The group reunion is a small group of Cursillistas that meet on a regular basis for mutual encouragement and support.

ULTREYA (Spanish – ‘onward’): These are meetings of larger groups of people who have either participated in a weekend or who might be interested in doing so. Here they share and witness to others in order to reinforce the Church and their own faith.

Cursillo History

The first stirrings of what later was to become the Cursillo Movement began on the island of Majorca, Spain during the 1940s. The Spanish Civil War had ended in 1939, and the years after the Civil War were a time of ferment in the Spanish Church. 

Cursillo as we recognize it today grew out of the series of courses given to prepare those who led the young men of Spain on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Compostela in 1948. The talks given on the Cursillo weekend are patterned on these courses.

Today Cursillo is a world-wide movement in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia, Mexico, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, nearly all South and Central American countries, and in several African countries. 
 

Who May Take Part?
Cursillo is open to adult Christian Catholic laity or clergy, men or women, married or single. There are separate weekends for women and men.
In the Diocese of Fort Worth, weekends are held in the Spring and Fall. 

What is Expected of Participants? 
? To feel secure in the knowledge that you are accepted as you are, and to understand that a specific response is not expected of you. 
? To be curious enough and thirsty enough for spiritual exploration and nourishment. 
? To acknowledge a need to commit a weekend of your life to Christ. 
 

Is There a Cost for the Weekend?
The cost for the weekend is $80.00, which covers lodging, meals, and materials. Financial aid is available to cover part or all of the cost. 

How do I Apply? 

Obtain an application from this Website or from someone in your parish that has completed a Cursillo (refered to as a Cursillista). Each candidate needs a sponsor. Your sponsor will assist you in preparation for the weekend and, more importantly, assist you after the weekend.

If you are interested in Cursillo but do not have sponsor, speak to someone in your parish whom you know has attended a Cursillo weekend. Ask them to tell you more about Cursillo. Pray about it, and if you conclude that you should go, ask them to sponsor you.   If you don't know anyone in your parish who has attended a Cursillo weekend, contact the Pre Cursillo Coordinator to arrange a sponsor. 

More Frequently Asked Questions: These have not been updated since 1998, but are informative.