Cursillo is a short course in Christianity. The original Cursillo "weekend" was a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the Apostle on the island of Majorca, Spain in the 1940's as a means to bring young men who were leaders in their communities back into the Roman Catholic Church. Before that first pilgrimage, the participants met in small accountability groups we now call groupings or group reunions. Cursillo's modern purpose is to raise lay leaders in the church; to Christianize one's environments; and to make a friend, be a friend and bring that friend to Christ.
The Cursillo weekend provides a time away where those attending look at their own spirituality in a small table group. At the weekend, attendees listen to 15 talks, 10 by lay persons, 5 by clergy, sing, and are cared for by a wonderful team.
At the end of the weekend, they return to the parish empowered to go into the world making a friend, being a friend, and bringing that friend to Christ.
After Cursillo, it is recommended that cursillistas join prayer and accountability groups. There are several prayer groups at Good Samaritan that follow this model.
There are bi-annual Grand Ultreyas which are meetings of the entire Cursillo community after the Spring and Fall weekends and are open to anyone. A full calendar of Cursillo events and other information can be found at http://www.sdcursillo.org
Candidates for Episcopal Cursillo weekends need to be baptized (or received) Episcopalians or Lutherans who are active in church and display lay leadership potential. A priest/pastor and a sponsor who knows the candidate must sign their application verifying their readiness to attend the weekend. There is a Pre - Cursillo committee who reviews all the applications before they are approved.
Dan and Leanne Shawler have brochures and an informational DVD about Cursillo for anyone who is interested.
If you are interested in exploring going to a Cursillo weekend, please contact Dan Shawler.
