Oct 29 – Nov 1, 2025
Toddhall Retreat and Conference Center, Columbia, IL
(near St Louis, MO)
A homecoming of the Episcopal Cursillo family–
a time to celebrate, connect, share, and look ahead in
God’s wonderful tapestry of Cursillo.
Overview:
This is the bi-annual national conference for Cursillo in the Episcopal Church. The conference runs from Wednesday evening through Saturday lunch. All Cursillistas are invited to come share in the fellowship, talks, workshops, music and worship. The conference includes a short annual General Council of the ministry. This is where the business of the ministry (elections, budget, resolutions, etc) happens. We would be blessed to have representatives from every diocese that has a Cursillo ministry (or wants one!) to join us for both the conference and General Council.
(Updated, July 31, 2025)
Program:
The program is mostly complete but will inevitably have changes!
- The conference starts with supper at 5:30pm on Wednesday, Oct 29 (included in conference registration)
- Wednesday evening will feature a time of contemplation and music to help us get focused on our Lord, and our mission within the gift of Cursillo
- Thursday starts with an opening address from our Bishop Liaison, Bishop Glenda Curry, followed by the Opening Eucharist. The afternoon offers 6 unique workshop selections before moving to an Ultreya before supper.
- Friday continues the second edition of those same 6 workshops. The schedule will allow any single participant to attend 4 of the 6 workshops. Friday afternoon includes district meetings (geographic groupings), and the General Council, the business meeting of our ministry. Following the General Council, we will have a forum (“open mic”) where conference attendees can contribute.
- After dinner on both Thursday and Friday, we will offer some optional sharing programs, and, on Friday, a Cursillo Songfest. On each night, a coffee shop will be available to socialize with other brothers and sisters in Christ.
- On Saturday morning, Bishop Kee Sloan will “send us out” with a message of renewed mission, and celebrate the Closing Eucharist. The last event of the conference is lunch (12:00pm). Transportation to St Louis International Airport will be available on Saturday.
Conference TOPICS:
- After a good deal of discussion (including from outside ECMC), we settled on these conference workshops:
- Great Ideas to keep the 4th Day energized
- 2 Day Weekends – one ministry’s experience
- Sacred Cows and Colorful Programs (a framework to evaluate the ”extras” in your weekend)
- Endowment Support to local Cursillo
- Thinking outside the box – how to creatively fill needs
- Spiritual Direction (consider including in your Rule of Life)
If you have “great ideas” or experience that could contribute to the development of these workshops, please contact events@episcopalcursilloministry.org, and we’ll put you in touch with the workshop facilitator. Let’s make these workshops as valuable as possible!
If you have a topic, not addressed in workshops, but would like to include in the Friday Forum, please send a summary to events@episcopalcursilloministry.org.
Lodging and conference facilities:
Toddhall Retreat Center is the home for Cursillo weekends in the Diocese of Springfield, IL. Located in a rural suburb of St Louis, it is a peaceful, quiet setting for retreat. In general, guest rooms are equipped with two twin beds and a bathroom. Single occupancy rooms are very limited (16) and will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis (via conference registration).
For those desiring hotel accommodations, those need to be made individually at the Hampton Inn at 165 Admiral Trost Dr, Columbia, IL 62236, (618) 281-9000. The rate is $139 (plus tax) per night with your choice of rooms. Make hotel reservations over the phone and ask for the “ECM conference” or use this link. Note: you may be able to make a reservation, at this hotel, at a better rate individually, using your own personal discounts (AAA, AARP, etc), and using the Hilton (or other travel services) website.
Transportation to and from the conference center will be available for those staying at the hotel (at the beginning and end of each day’s activities).
All conference meals are provided via meal plan at Toddhall; vegetarian options are available.
Meals are served cafeteria style with a few options. If you have dietary restrictions, please indicate so during registration.
Registration:
Early registration – a $50 discount is available for registrations made before August 15, 2025. We plan for most people to lodge at the retreat center, with double occupancy. You will have the opportunity to designate a roommate at registration. If no roommate is designated, or the designated roommate does not attend, then, just like most Cursillo weekends, a roommate of the same gender will be assigned for the conference. Reminder: single occupancy rooms are limited at the retreat center (16). If you desire or need a single room, we recommend you register early or plan to lodge at the Hampton Inn. Full payment is required at registration.
Before you register, prepare this information:
- Desire for single/double occupancy
- Name of desired roommate (please coordinate with them before designating them).
Cancelation Policy:
Understanding that situations and plans can change, we want to be as fair as possible, but at certain milestones in the calendar, we incur real expenses that need to be recovered. To cancel, send an email to: events@episcopalcursilloministry.org
| Situation | Calendar Date | Action |
|---|---|---|
|
Cancel before Sep 14, 2025 |
Sep 14, 2025 |
Full refund |
|
Cancel on Sep 15, 2025, and after |
Sep 15, 2025 |
50% of refund lodging and meal plan, and no refund on registration fee |
Transportation:
The nearest airport with airline service is St Louis – Lambert International Airport. Conferees should plan arrive at the airport not later than 2:30pm on Wednesday, Oct 29th. Free transportation is provided with prior arrangement from and to the airport. Departures should be planned for not earlier than 3:30pm. Please click on the transportation reservation button after your airline reservations are made. (Airline flight information required to make a transportation request.)
FAQ
Why is there a specified airline arrival time?
Arriving by 2:30 pm will help us provide free airport transport for conference attendees to enable them to settle in before the first event supper at 5:30 pm, followed soon thereafter with the program if you cannot practically arrive by 2:30 pm. You may miss some of the program, but we will still work to pick you up at the airport.
How do I register to make sure I room with my spouse?
Registration is made on an individual basis. If electing to stay at the retreat center, specify your spouse’s name as a roommate in your registration. When your spouse registers, have them specify you as a roommate.
Are there scholarships available to assist participation?
Yes, there are limited scholarships available. Apply for assistance using the “Assistance Request Form” found on the Helpful Hints and Best Practices tab of our website. On the application, be sure to indicate the specific amount of financial assistance you are requesting. Forms without this detail will be returned. Grant notification will be made not later than July 1, 2025 to enable folks to make decisions, and still be eligible for early registration. Note: request forms must to be endorsed by local Secretariat leadership to ECMC.
Oops, I messed up my registration, how do I fix it?
Send an explanation to events@episcopalcursilloministry.org. Please include complete contact information, including phone number.
How do I cancel a registration?
Send a request for cancelation to events@episcopalcursilloministry.org. Please include complete contact information, including phone
number. Please be advised of the cancelation policy, which can be found here.
Is there transportation to and from the Conference hotel?
While we encourage people to stay at the retreat center, if you elect to stay at the Hampton Inn in Columbia, IL, there will be transportation in the morning (for 8 am breakfast) and then return at the end of the day. Hotel room expenses are entirely separate from conference registration fees (which include meals).