Cursillo is a movement of renewal within the life of the Church, responsible to the Bishop of each Diocese.
The purpose of Cursillo is to present a way of living as a Christian in the world. The movement offers a method by which our relationship to God may be developed, lived out in association with other Christians, and used by God to reach others.
Cursillo is led predominantly by lay people but is dependent upon the support and encouragement of the clergy.
Reflecting its Spanish origins, the official name is "Cursillo de Christiandad" which means 'short course in living Christianity'.
"Cursillo" is pronounced "Cur-see-yo" A person who has attended a Cursillo Three Days is called a Cursillista ("cur-see-ista").
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It is for any baptised person, active in the Anglican Church, who is at least 20 years of age.
Cursillo is not for non-Christians, or designed to heal those troubled in mind or spirit.
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The three days is built upon a structured programme of talks by lay people and some clergy. Additionally there are discussions, music and other activities centred around a daily Eucharist.
Learning, praying, sharing, singing, laughing, and living together is the basis of discovering what it means to say, "We are the body of Christ".
It is the experience of many people that, after Cursillo, Christian living takes on a new dimension with a fresh awareness of God's love and purpose for each one of us.
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We have tried to vary the times so people are offered a choice. Usually a Cursillo is on a "weekend". If so it will typically begin at 5 pm on a Thursday and finish at 6 pm on the following Sunday.
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As one of the founders of Cursillo has said "It is possible to encounter God in many other ways other than Cursillo - encountering God is easy -- it is following Christ afterwards that is the problem". Cursillo provides this follow-up structure and support.
After attending a Cursillo, a Cursillista is encouraged to continue the learning, growing and sharing begun at the Cursillo, by being part of a small group of other Cursillistas. This involves meeting weekly / fortnightly for prayer and to encourage each other in taking the message of the Gospel into personal environments - home, school, work, etc..
In addition there are from time to time, larger Diocesan gatherings when all Cursillistas come together for celebration and further mutual encouragement.
Each person is expected to maintain and strengthen his or her parish involvement. Cursillo is not intended as an 'escape' from parish commitments but rather as an opportunity to extend gifts and talents within the parish environment. The Cursillista should return with a renewed outlook on the mission of the Church.
"When you send out your spirit they are created; and you renew the face of the earth." (Psalm 104:32)
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Each person is required to be sponsored by a Cursillista who is willing to offer support and help during the preparation that is required before the person is ready to attend the Cursillo, and also in the months following.
The Parish Priest must first give consent and endorse an application. For parishes without a priest the Bishop's Warden may sign the form. For priests who wish to attend the Bishop signs the application form.
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Your cursillo will cost around $200, although there is considerable variation due to location, time of year, etc. There is a registration fee of $10. In addition during the Cursillo an invitation is given to support future Cursillos. This cost is set at the beginning of each year by the Secretariat and is known by the Cursillo Registrar and Sponsor. No-one is ever denied the chance to attend because of lack of finance.
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The story of the Cursillo Movement is an exciting one. The first stirrings began before the Second World War on the island of Majorca, Spain, when through dissatisfaction with spiritual lukewarmness in the church a group of men began to pray, talk and work together to find a way to bring people to Christ. The answer was to run short courses to train Christian leaders. The first Cursillo was held on the island of Majorca in 1949. It soon spread to the mainland of Spain. The first English language Cursillo was held in Texas U.S.A., in 1961, and today Cursillos are held all over the world in both Anglican and Roman Catholic Dioceses under the direction of their Bishops.
The first Cursillos were held in New Zealand in the Wellington Diocese in 1988 and in the Christchurch Diocese in 1996. The Diocese of Wellington was invited to bring Cursillo to the Diocese of Waikato in 1997 and Christchurch brought it to Dunedin in August 2000.
Cursillo comes to a Diocese at the invitation of the Bishop. There must first be in that diocese a group of lay people and clergy who pray, talk and work together just as those first men did in Spain all those years ago.
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Edith McLeod, Diocesan Lay Director, e-mail:
colin.edith@xtra.co.nz
Liz Duggan, Central Otago contact, e-mail:
eaduggan@xtra.co.nz
Jim Brook, North Otago contact, e-mail:
brookjc@xtra.co.nz
Richard Johnson, Invercargill contact, e-mail:
johnsonfam@xtra.co.nz
Keith Gover, e-mail: keithgover@xtra.co.nz
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"What did Cursillo do for me? Cursillo was a wonderful gift, passed on to me by the people on the team, in the same loving caring way that they themselves had received it. A gift of the Holy Spirit. Over the years I had put a square around myself and a few fences between me and God, you stay on your side and I'll do my thing over here, where I am safe. Cursillo totally demolished these barriers, and brought me a lot closer to God and also to my family and friends. I wouldn't say that it changed my life dramatically, because it didn't really. I think my life was always there, but hiding behind the fences. What Cursillo did was to remove the barriers and let me join in the race, which before, I was afraid to enter because I thought I couldn't possibly win, now with the knowledge that everyone is a winner. I now pray that I am able to pass on those precious gifts to others, that I was so graciously and freely given." -Paul Havord.
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Queen's Birthday 2007
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Ultreya: 15 July, St. John's Roslyn
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There are a large number of internet sites devoted to Cursillo and related organisations. One good site with a lot of links can be found at http://www.cursillo.org/indy/links.htm
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Over 300 Cursillo people world wide chat about Cursillo related topics on their own list.
You can find information about this list including how to join at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cursillo_list
Anyone with an interest in Cursillo is welcome to join the list but you will need to register to participate.
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