CURSILLO – to renew and deepen your Christian faith and commitment
Cursillo is the Spanish word meaning “short course.” The Cursillo movement began in Spain in the Roman Catholic Church and was initially offered 1947 to men as a short course on Christianity, or Cursillo de Christianidad. Those early Cursillos were quite effective in brining the church to life in the hearts of men. The first Cursillo in the U.S.A. was held in Waco, Texas in 1957. By 1970 the Cursillo movement included women and had spread to the Episcopal Church. The first Cursillo in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida was held in 1976 and included members of St. Mark’s. Today Cursillo is a well established faith renewal and revival ministry in both Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches. Over 300 St. Mark’s parishioners have participated in Cursillo.
The goal of Cursillo is to bring the world to Christ by empowering adult Christian leaders. Every Cursillo course in this diocese happens at Camp Weed over a 3-day weekend. Over the course of the Cursillo weekend, participants are given the faith tools needed to more fully live the Christian life. The Cursillo weekend enables and encourages participants to go forth back into the world to live out their Baptismal promises in the community. Many Cursillo participants feel like newly made Christians with new purpose in their Christian faith and new support in the living of that faith.
The Cursillo weekend brings together a diverse group of Episcopalians to share the richness of many styles of worship and to broaden each one’s appreciation for our Church. Lay people conduct the weekend with two or three members of the clergy functioning as spiritual advisors. Cursillo is not intended to be a conversion experience but the enriching and deepening of a faith that is already present. It often provides new insights into our faith and fosters ministry among lay people.
The weekend begins on a Thursday evening spent in meditation, discussion, and with a Compline prayer service. Then holy silence is kept until after the worship on Friday morning. After breakfast participants are assigned to a table group for the weekend. The three days are filled with talks and group discussions with emphasis on the doctrine of Grace, the Sacraments, and the Cursillo tripod: Piety, Study, and Action. Plus there is fellowship, singing, good food, and time for privacy, meditation, prayer, and walks. Holy Eucharist is celebrated each day.
The Cursillo weekend is not an end to itself. It is a starting point that lasts the rest of your life. It is a springboard to the life-long fulfillment of one’s Baptismal promises in the life of the Church. Cursillo Reunion groups are an active part of St. Mark’s parish life.
For more information, call Cameron or Craig Walker at 384-7990 or Diane Massanelli at 388-2681.