About Cursillo

History and Growth of Cursillo

Cursillo started in the Roman Catholic Church in Spain in the late 1940s. Under the leadership of their bishop, several laymen began to develop a way to draw active laymen into the work of “Christianizing” everyday life settings.

Cursillo spread throughout the Spanish-speaking countries of the world. It came to the United States in 1957 when Spanish Air Cadets training in Texas held a Cursillo weekend for a group of Spanish-speaking men in Waco, Texas.

The first official Weekend in the Episcopal Church was conducted with help from Roman Catholic sponsors in the Diocese of Iowa in 1970. Soon, Weekends were being held in various parts of the country.

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One aspect of Cursillo’s history is the focus on Weekends. The Cursillo Method involves much more than just “putting on weekends.” Cursillo offers a sharper, clearer understanding of how to apply the Cursillo Method — philosophically and practically.

An expanded view is that Cursillo is a lifelong ministry. The Cursillo Ministry continues to emerge as a mature instrument in the hands of committed lay Christians and clergy to empower the “ministry of the laity” as part of the Jesus Movement.

The Episcopal Cursillo Weekend:

Key elements of the Episcopal Cursillo Ministry are relationship, evangelism, and reconciliation in the home, the parish, the community, and the world.

We bring together a diverse group of people to share the richness of many modes of worship and broaden our appreciation for our Church. Lay people conduct the Weekend with two or three clergy members as spiritual advisors. Cursillo presumes that those who attend a Weekend are already well grounded in the faith. It isn’t intended to be a conversion experience but an enriching and deepening of what is already there. Often, Cursillo provides new insights into our faith and fosters ministry among lay people.

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Dioceses can choose between two Weekend formats: the original three-day schedule and a newer two-day schedule. In both, the first evening is spent in meditations and discussions. Then, blessed silence is kept until after worship the next morning, when participants are assigned to table/family groups for the Weekend. The 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. All weekends include group meditations, fellowship, singing, good food, time for privacy, meditation, and prayer. The Eucharist is celebrated each day.

After the Weekend:

Each person returning from a Weekend is encouraged to actively participate in the Jesus Movement. Click here to learn more about the Jesus Movement in the Episcopal Church. This time after the Weekend is known as the “Fourth Day” and extends for the rest of our lives. Through the Cursillo community, there are ongoing means to support Christian Ministry and Living. Small groups called Reunions are formed and meet regularly to encourage spiritual growth, accountability for sharing the love of Christ in various environments, and a lifetime process of spiritual growth and renewal.