The CURSILLO MOVEMENT

of the Catholic Church at Buffalo

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  Brief Explanation:

   To explain the experience of Cursillo to someone who has never experienced Cursillo is at best, difficult.

   Often, for those who already have experienced Cursillo, it is still somewhat mystifying. This is not because the Cursillo Movement is some sort of a "secret" organization. The reason behind this is the mystery of God. No one can fully explain how God touches each person in His special/unique way through the various elements of the Cursillo Movement.

This site cannot explain the mystery of God. However we will attempt to explain the human aspect behind the Cursillo Movement in the following pages.

 During your Cursillo, we look forward to your experience as;

•  An encounter with you, yourself ;  

To discover ourselves and our own worth on a more fundamental level.

•  An encounter with God ; 

To experience the presence and love of Jesus, the Christ.             

 

• An encounter with other people ;

To become aware of our loving and caring  Christian Community.    

 

Our Cursillo Community provides for us, a method of living a Christian life, where all of our spirituality may be deeply developed, lived and shared by the methods of Cursillo.

The three-day weekend is a joyous, fun  -  introduction into a supportive and growing community of friends of Christ,  where today, now, in our daily experiences :  men and women can work together to bring Christ into our everyday lives.

The Cursillo method, in our community is designed to:   Make it possible to live in union with Christ, and to desire to bring others to Him. 

 

        WHAT IS CURSILLO ?  

Cursillo (pronounced cur-see-yo) means "little course" in the fundamental teachings of Jesus; as it is lived by Christians.  It is Spanish since it was founded in Spain by Eduardo Bonnin. The goal of the Cursillo Movement is to make Christ the prime influence in today’s society. The Cursillo is often described as a retreat; however, it differs from the typical silent retreat. While there is some quiet time and considerable time for prayer, there is more time for discussion with your peers than in most retreats.  The three day course begins on Thursday evening and ends on Sunday afternoon.  It is conducted by a team of laypersons, priests, deacons and religious.

Cursillo is best described as an experience of living in a Christian community.  The experience of Cursillo enables one to sense more vividly the enthusiasm of the first Century Church as described in the Acts of the Apostles 2:44-47:

They devoted themselves to the Apostles" instruction and the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and prayers…praising God and winning approval of all the people.  Day by day the Lord added to their number.

 

      IS THE CURSILLO A PART OF THE  CATHOLIC CHURCH?

Yes. Cursillo, similar to Mission, Marriage Encounter, Charismatic Renewal, The Christian Family Movement and other renewal programs, all are part of the Roman Catholic Church and the Diocese of Buffalo. Our Bishop has made a Cursillo. Mission was developed by Cursillo as a mini retreat for parishes. Making a Mission can often lead to making a Cursillo Weekend.

      

                              WHO MAY ATTEND CURSILLO?   

Cursillo is for practicing catholic, who wish to strengthen their spiritual lives.  The Cursillo weekend is held separately for men and women, any catholic over 18 years (including priest, deacons, and religious) can make the three day Cursillo weekend.

 

                    IS THE CURSILLO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION?        

 There is no formal organization of Cursillo.  Activities for each Diocese are planned by a Lay Director, by an ordained Spiritual Director, and a group of Lay Leaders.  Those who attend Cursillo weekends are encouraged to return to their families, places of work, parishes, and other groups to which they belong; and through their example; make Christ more present in their environments.

 

                                WHAT IS CURSILLO LIKE?

The weekend consists of spiritual talks, discussion, daily Mass, prayer time, and the availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The "talk" parts are built around 15 short presentations given by laypersons, clergy and religious.  After each instruction small groups discuss the material presented.

 

                         WHAT HAPPENS AFTER CURSILLO?         

Your weekend only lasts three days, but you are invited to build on it for the rest of your life. This is a very important and key element of our Cursillo Movement. Cursillo expands your spiritual lives through prayer, study, and action, so it enables you to become a more active disciple of Christ. Throughout our Diocese, we have monthly Ultreyas, which are friendly prayer groups, where we meet, pray, share our faith, and often have a witness talk of How Christ is in our life. This spiritual “follow up” keeps our member’s spiritually stronger, and this follow up is a need of ALL of us. This is one of the Cursillo’s greatest assets.
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For more information, click -- <"buffalocursillo@att.net">