Cursillo

[maryjk]

That which is not shared are “the surprises that bring joy and spontaneity to the experience.” Don’t want to give away any spoilers. Of course that does not mean not knowing what the facilities might be like. If somebody told me they had dietary restrictions, I would definitely let the weekend leaders know about them.

I recommend that anybody who still has questions about Cursillo, or has never made Cursillo read all the FAQs.

I recommend anyone who still has questions to talk to people that have gone, and DEMAND real answers. Don’t allow them to tell you that it is better for you no to know.

Good secrets are only good if EVERYONE enjoys them in the end. Obviously not everyone enjoys them in the end.

 

[Jeremiah1278]

That was a HUGE problem. We were in bunk beds to boot. And there were all these people and do you know how noisy people are when they sleep? It was bad.
AND to boot, several of the ladies insisted on keeping the lights on in the bathrooms so that they could see to go to the bathroom during the night. (I brought a flashlight for that very reason) I have slept in absolute dark for 30 years, I cannot sleep with a light on. So I not only got very little sleep because they didn’t allow time for sleep, I got very little sleep because people talk in their sleep, they burp in their sleep, they turn and toss and fart in their sleep, and then they keep the freaking lights on. It was horrid. I slept for a very long time when I got home and finally could fall asleep. I can see that this would be a huge problem for many people who are single. Another good reason to have either a married person retreat, or a single person retreat.

This part of my weekend almost makes me laugh now! I know sleeping in groups is part of this, but it truly could have sent some people over the edge!

Okay, that made me laugh too… I wouldn’t have tolerated that too well! I lucked out and had my own room. It was tiny. But we were in an old seminary with lots of tiny rooms. So our venue was good for having your own space and your own time.

 

[DebChris]

With the focus on externals, little emphasis has been placed on what exactly is meant by the transforming power of Cursillo. It is not the movement that transforms. It is Christ who transforms the Curstillista through the power of the Holy Spirit. Cursillo is just one avenue through which this is possible, one of the very real movements of the Holy Spirit. This involves a call to personal conversion that lasts a lifetime. Others come to Christ because they first see Christ in us.

*1) People are hurting and lost 2) people need God 3) God’s method and design is that those who are lost and are seeking Him can find Him through Jesus 4) As Christians we are called to make the Christ in us real, present, and alive to others so that through Christ they come to know God. 5) In order to make Christ present to others He must first be present in us. *
Piety and study gives us the ability to then carry out the true Christian action of bringing others to Christ through a genuine Christ centered friendship.
Statements in parenthesis are exact quotes from 4thdayletters.com dated 14 August 2012.

 

[gh4]

I recommend anyone who still has questions to talk to people that have gone, and DEMAND real answers. Don’t allow them to tell you that it is better for you no to know.

Good secrets are only good if EVERYONE enjoys them in the end. Obviously not everyone enjoys them in the end.

Not only DEMAND answers, but don’t go if you get the standard “You have to go and experience it, I can’t explain it to you.” If they can’t/won’t tell you what is going on, give you a schedule and a general idea of how much sleep etc. you’ll get, then they are hiding something.

Good secrets are only good if the path to getting them is also good. Maybe there was something fantastic that would happen on Sunday, but the path to Sunday was not a good one. Most FAQ’s are useless and don’t tell you a thing you really need to know.

Bottom line:

They drive you there because they want it to be hard for you to leave. (I had to wait over 2 hours for my ride to arrive)
They take your cell phone for the same reason. (they don’t want you to contact your family)

They block out light (in most instances) and take your watch so that you are disoriented as to time. The same reason they don’t want you outside to see where the sun is in the sky.

They want you to feel like a child, they escort you from place to place. You have to ask to go to the bathroom in some instances. You are told when to go to bed, and when to wake up, just like a child.
They won’t let you eat until you **SCREAM **out Decolorus so loud that it hurts your ears. They expect you to sing songs without music, you are supposed to magically know the songs because they give you the words, they don’t attempt to teach you a song, I guess it’s suppose to be learned by osmosis.

Your time is like that of a child, all planned out for you. You will get NO time that is free where you can get away from people and noise.
They cram so much talking (what is it, 14 lay talks and then the 6 or 7 or so from the priest and deacon?)
You will be expected to play with markers and crayons and make stupid posters. You may be graded on them, so if you aren’t an artist, you will be deeply humiliated and horribly embarrassed in front of everyone.

If you don’t talk much and you participate with less than over the top enthusiasm, you will be subjected to more talking and asked frequently “do you need to talk to the priest?”

The food will be mostly carbs. What protein they serve is very limited.
You will get NO exercise at all. You will sit for very long stretches of time. And you will receive hugs from people you really don’t know.

If this is your idea of fun, you’ll have a blast. If not, you might be miserable.
Kind of like being in prison.

 

[BlueRoses12]

Work is going well, I’m back in the flow.

There are a reason for the secrets. It is because if they didn’t keep everything a secret, people wouldn’t go.

Welcome back, maryjk! Good to see you posting here again. And thank you for putting on the pressure earlier, keeping this thread alive. Lots of light being cast here.

Yes, this is the reason for the secrets. *If people knew what they would be walking into, they wouldn’t go. * Think about that. This is a group whose very existence depends on keeping people ignorant and over-riding their free will. Think about it.

How about having people you don’t know, walk into your room and gently wake you up?

I don’t know about this, since I didn’t experience it (and have been told that they no longer do it … and that they never officially did it) but the book “The Abbey Up The Hill” has a passage describing this very situation. I won’t include the whole chapter, of course, but here is a short excerpt.

(BTW, Jeremiah, I’m not the only one who uses the “r-word” when referring to Cursillo. The author Carol Bonomo did it first, I followed suit because it sounded deeply appropriate. You can correct us both in your next book.)

“I told him about the last morning, when we were awakened at the crack of dawn by nearly two hundred people who began pouring into our bedrooms to say good morning, kiss, hug, give flowers. I supposed this could be a powerful love fix for some. I was trapped – literally – in my bed by two hundred people who presumed, because it was their thing, that it was a wonderful gift to grab me whether I wanted it or not. The act committed on me by two hundred strangers was a violation of me. “I felt like I’d been raped,” I whispered to Felix [her husband], whispering as though they could hear me. When I began to cry, they told me how wonderful it was to cry for being so loved, when in fact, I was crying because I hated the experience so much.”

She clearly sees that she is not love she is receiving; she is not being loved here. (As I knew it wasn’t love I was receiving on my weekend, just an enormous amount of inept spiritual back-seat driving.) Genuine love doesn’t ignore the wishes of the beloved, much less over-ride their free will. That type of love can only be an illusion, a spasm of play-acting aimed at someone they are making up in their own heads, and the flesh-and-blood human being in front of them is only being used as a stand-in, a tailor’s dummy for their costumes.

In the rest of the book, Carol Bonomo describes finding the blessed antidote to her experience – the “abbey up the hill,” where she becomes a Benedictine Oblate. In that quiet, low-key, ancient, reverent place, she finds God. "Abbot Anthony knows what others may not – that being the porter at a monastery (official or not) allows him to meet the risen Christ in fragments through others every day. That is a ‘theology of surprise.’ "

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

Work is going well, I’m back in the flow.

Welcome back, maryjk! Good to see you posting here again. And thank you for putting on the pressure earlier, keeping this thread alive. Lots of light being cast here.

Yes, this is the reason for the secrets. *If people knew what they would be walking into, they wouldn’t go. * Think about that. This is a group whose very existence depends on keeping people ignorant and over-riding their free will. Think about it.

I don’t know about this, since I didn’t experience it (and have been told that they no longer do it … and that they never officially did it) but the book “The Abbey Up The Hill” has a passage describing this very situation. I won’t include the whole chapter, of course, but here is a short excerpt.

(BTW, Jeremiah, I’m not the only one who uses the “r-word” when referring to Cursillo. The author Carol Bonomo did it first, I followed suit because it sounded deeply appropriate. You can correct us both in your next book.)

“I told him about the last morning, when we were awakened at the crack of dawn by nearly two hundred people who began pouring into our bedrooms to say good morning, kiss, hug, give flowers. I supposed this could be a powerful love fix for some. I was trapped – literally – in my bed by two hundred people who presumed, because it was their thing, that it was a wonderful gift to grab me whether I wanted it or not. The act committed on me by two hundred strangers was a violation of me. “I felt like I’d been raped,” I whispered to Felix [her husband], whispering as though they could hear me. When I began to cry, they told me how wonderful it was to cry for being so loved, when in fact, I was crying because I hated the experience so much.”

She clearly sees that she is not love she is receiving; she is not being loved here. (As I knew it wasn’t love I was receiving on my weekend, just an enormous amount of inept spiritual back-seat driving.) Genuine love doesn’t ignore the wishes of the beloved, much less over-ride their free will. That type of love can only be an illusion, a spasm of play-acting aimed at someone they are making up in their own heads, and the flesh-and-blood human being in front of them is only being used as a stand-in, a tailor’s dummy for their costumes.

In the rest of the book, Carol Bonomo describes finding the blessed antidote to her experience – the “abbey up the hill,” where she becomes a Benedictine Oblate. In that quiet, low-key, ancient, reverent place, she finds God. "Abbot Anthony knows what others may not – that being the porter at a monastery (official or not) allows him to meet the risen Christ in fragments through others every day. That is a ‘theology of surprise.’ "

Not only DEMAND answers, but don’t go if you get the standard “You have to go and experience it, I can’t explain it to you.” If they can’t/won’t tell you what is going on, give you a schedule and a general idea of how much sleep etc. you’ll get, then they are hiding something.

Good secrets are only good if the path to getting them is also good. Maybe there was something fantastic that would happen on Sunday, but the path to Sunday was not a good one.FOR YOU IT WAS NOTMost FAQ’s are useless and don’t tell you a thing you really need to knowDID YOU ASK SOMEONE YOU TRUST?.

Bottom lineIN YOUR OPINION:

They drive you there because they want it to be hard for you to leave. (I had to wait over 2 hours for my ride to arrive)WRONG IN MY CASE-WE had parking issues and it was a courtesy
They take your cell phone for the same reason. (they don’t want you to contact your family)THEY DON"T TAKE YOUR CELL PHONE_YOU CAN GIVE IT UP IF YOU DON’T WANT IT-I KEPT MINE AND NEVER HEARD A PEEP

They block out light (in most instances) and take your watch so that you are disoriented as to time. The same reason they don’t want you outside to see where the sun is in the sky.FALSE AGAIN-WE HAD SOME AREAS COVERED FOR MODESTY/PRIVACY. NOT ONLY DID I SEE THE SUN I WALKED IN IT-UNGUARDED

They want you to feel like a child, they escort you from place to place. IT WAS AS CHOOL THAT I DID NOT KNOW MY WAY AROUNDYou have to ask to go to the bathroom in some instances. POLITE, PERHAPS?You are told when to go to bed, and when to wake up, just like a child. UMM, AREN’T OTHER RETREATS AND CMAPS THE SAME WAY?
They won’t let you eat until you **SCREAM **out Decolorus so loud that it hurts your ears. NOT TRUE IN MY CASEThey expect you to sing songs without music, you are supposed to magically know the songs because they give you the words, they don’t attempt to teach you a song, I guess it’s suppose to be learned by osmosis. AGAIN FALSE IN MY CASE

Your time is like that of a child, all planned out for you. You will get NO time that is free where you can get away from people and noise.GEE-YOU MEAN TIME TO GO FOR UNESCORTED WALKS IN THE SUN, READ A BOOK, PRAY, TAKE A NAP, THAT KIND OF FREE TIME???
They cram so much talking (what is it, 14 lay talks and then the 6 or 7 or so from the priest and deacon?) SOME PEOPLE ENJOY THAT
You will be expected to play with markers and crayons and make stupid posters IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. You may be graded on them, I WASN’T IN MY CASEso if you aren’t an artist, you will be deeply humiliated and horribly embarrassed in front of everyone. PARDON MY LANGUAGE–THAT’S JUST ****
If you don’t talk much and you participate with less than over the top enthusiasm, you will be subjected to more talking and asked frequently “do you need to talk to the priest?” AGAIN, NOT IN MY CASE

The food will be mostly carbs. YEAH, IF CHICKEN AND BEEF ARE CARBSWhat protein they serve is very limited. NOT IN MY CASE
You will get NO exercise at all WHAT DO YOU CALL A WALK AROUND THEBLOCK/NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SUN UNESCORTED?. You will sit for very long stretches of timeHENSE THE TALKS. And you will receive hugs from people you really don’t know. NOT IF YOU DON’T RECEIVE THEM WELL, PEOPLE WILL NOTICE

If this is your idea of fun, you’ll have a blast. If not, you might be miserable.
Kind of like being in prisonWHAT AN EXAGGERATION.

This is ridiculous. I had a great experieince, obviously some of you did not. I am sorry. I will pray or you. BUT DON’T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER. NOT ALL CURSILLOS ARE BAD. MINE WAS GREAT AND I AM A HIGHLY SKEPTICAL PERSON. Please own your own experience. Warn people against the one in your region, encourage them to really check it out, but don’t trash it all.

 

[maryjk]

This is ridiculous. I had a great experieince, obviously some of you did not. I am sorry. I will pray or you. BUT DON’T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER. NOT ALL CURSILLOS ARE BAD. MINE WAS GREAT AND I AM A HIGHLY SKEPTICAL PERSON. Please own your own experience. Warn people against the one in your region, encourage them to really check it out, but don’t trash it all.

You didn’t need to yell.

It is great that you enjoyed your experience. But others have not.

It is great that you see good motives behind things done. But others have not. (The big hint for me was that I would need permission to drive, otherwise it was * not allowed*)

And because others have not, they feel that others should know that it is not all sunshine and roses. You can’t really believe that people should only hear about the good stuff. Shouldn’t everyone be able to share their experience?

 

[gh4]

Every single word I speak, I speak the truth as I experienced it and as I see why I experienced it.
I think that I’m not the only one who experienced cursillo like this.

And I think that anyone who wants to know has every right to hear what I have to say about it.

I had my experience, others had their experience.
There are good and there are bad.

If I had the money, I would FLY somewhere to attend a “good” cursillo. I would LOVE to have a good experience. But I cannot afford to fly anywhere more or less pay for the pet sitter and buy all I’d need to bring.

I truly do wish I could experience a good one, if for no other reason than to put this humiliating and horrific experience behind me.

Perhaps I should start a website about cursillo and post experiences on it, good and bad, for others to read. So they can at least make an informed decision to attend or not.

 

[gh4]

This is ridiculous. I had a great experieince, obviously some of you did not. I am sorry. I will pray or you. BUT DON’T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER. NOT ALL CURSILLOS ARE BAD. MINE WAS GREAT AND I AM A HIGHLY SKEPTICAL PERSON. Please own your own experience. Warn people against the one in your region, encourage them to really check it out, but don’t trash it all.

Why is my experience ridiculous? I never said that your good experience was ridiculous. I have said many times, that some experienced good cursillos and that some of us most decidedly did NOT experience anything good at all.

And there’s no “sh*t” in what I say, I experienced it. I don’t lie and you basically just told me that I lied. I promise, I am not telling even a little fib.

And by the by, the only protein they had while I was there was BBQ chicken. Chicken is good, BBQ sauce is CARBOHYDRATES. So they took good and covered it with carbs. And when you cook it, the bbq sauce goes all the way through the chicken.

 

[BlueRoses12]

You can’t really believe that people should only hear about the good stuff.

I think she really does.

 

[BlueRoses12]

And by the by, the only protein they had while I was there was BBQ chicken. Chicken is good, BBQ sauce is CARBOHYDRATES. So they took good and covered it with carbs. And when you cook it, the bbq sauce goes all the way through the chicken.

What must be remembered was that one of the reasons gh4 said she left was because of violently soaring and crashing blood sugar levels. It became impossible to manage her diabetes during that time. That is far from trivial. This isn’t about accommodating a picky eater’s taste in food.

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

Every single word I speak, I speak the truth as I experienced it and as I see why I experienced it.
I think that I’m not the only one who experienced cursillo like this.

And I think that anyone who wants to know has every right to hear what I have to say about it.

I had my experience, others had their experience.
There are good and there are bad.

If I had the money, I would FLY somewhere to attend a “good” cursillo. I would LOVE to have a good experience. But I cannot afford to fly anywhere more or less pay for the pet sitter and buy all I’d need to bring.

I truly do wish I could experience a good one, if for no other reason than to put this humiliating and horrific experience behind me.

Perhaps I should start a website about cursillo and post experiences on it, good and bad, for others to read. So they can at least make an informed decision to attend or not.

YES-now that, done well would be a great help to many. PERHAPS even point out to people who can make a difference the poorly done cursillos. This idea I could hitch my bandwagon to

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

What must be remembered was that one of the reasons gh4 said she left was because of violently soaring and crashing blood sugar levels. It became impossible to manage her diabetes during that time. That is far from trivial. This isn’t about accommodating a picky eater’s taste in food.

Absolutely. No question about that.

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

Why is my experience ridiculous? I never said that your good experience was ridiculous. I have said many times, that some experienced good cursillos and that some of us most decidedly did NOT experience anything good at all.

And there’s no “sh*t” in what I say, I experienced it. I don’t lie and you basically just told me that I lied. I promise, I am not telling even a little fib.

And by the by, the only protein they had while I was there was BBQ chicken. Chicken is good, BBQ sauce is CARBOHYDRATES. So they took good and covered it with carbs. And when you cook it, the bbq sauce goes all the way through the chicken.

My apologies–No, I am not calling you a liar. The “this is ridiculous” is aimed at how far this thread has gone. MY POINT was that you had a bad experieince. I had a good experieince. Don’t trash the ENTIRE thing by your bad expereince. I have said over and over on this thread that I started that we each need to express our own experiences, and acknowldege that others had a different experieince. Good, bad, in between. It’s all different. The bad must be fixed becuase the good can be very good, though it is certainly not for everyone. Its the sweeping generalizations and conspiracy theory tones I take issue with. No genuine health related issues. LEts face it carbs are cheap. I had a nice mixture…you didn’t. Again, sorry for how you took it. I want people to see both sides.

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

I think she really does.

Again, no, I have said over and over it’s the generalization that ALL cursillos are run in this controlling, scarey way. They are not. I just wish someone would say…You know my experience was horroble BUT ther was this one women, from a different area of the country, who had a great expereince. Shop around

My response when asked about it is…I had a great experience. It’s not for everyone.
My former Parish priest even talked about people pressuring him to go. I told him if I was in his position I wouldn’t. I would have to know someone very well before sponsoring someone. Cursillo teaches to talk to God about your friend before you talk to your friend about God. I think that’s good advice.

I am very worried, genuinely…about those people who were traumatized by their experience. That is not how it should be. I saw someone reported something to the national center–that is good. I hope good comes of it. It would be tragic if this all went away because of renegade run cursillos. Pardon my passion for my experieince…no direspect meant. Honestly.

Can you see my point?

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

You didn’t need to yell.

It is great that you enjoyed your experience. But others have not.

It is great that you see good motives behind things done. But others have not. (The big hint for me was that I would need permission to drive, otherwise it was * not allowed*)

And because others have not, they feel that others should know that it is not all sunshine and roses. You can’t really believe that people should only hear about the good stuff. Shouldn’t everyone be able to share their experience?

The capitals were more to help distinguish my thoughts than yelling. Even so, we agree that we have very different experiences demonstrated on this thread. And no of course I don’t believe only the sun shiney experiences should be shared, but honestly, it feels like no one can comment that they aren’t all bad. They aren’t. They aren’t all good, either. It’s too bad. I feel like the statements are too generalized toward the negative.

 

[DebChris]

The capitals were more to help distinguish my thoughts than yelling. Even so, we agree that we have very different experiences demonstrated on this thread. And no of course I don’t believe only the sun shiney experiences should be shared, but honestly, it feels like no one can comment that they aren’t all bad. They aren’t. They aren’t all good, either. It’s too bad. I feel like the statements are too generalized toward the negative.

In my last few posts, I have tried to return this thread to the purpose of Cursillo and other movements that the Catholic Church sanctions. Even if your experience is poor, or if you have never made Cursillo, there are elements that you can take from it to enhance your spiritual life.
Unless you tell people in advance that you have specific dietary or medical needs, how are they to know? I used the example of airlines. I realize that domestic flights now charge for on-flight meals, but international flights still include meals as part of the ticket price. They will make accommodations for individuals with special needs, but only if you take the initiative to request those accommodations.
Repeating what has been stated again and again throughout this thread, nobody is required to make Cursillo. There is no conspiracy to keep people in the dark. Carpooling is a great way to save gas money, and to enjoy your friends’ companionship.
It is not unusual for a person experiencing the love of God in a tangible way to also experience a “mountain top” experience that cannot be described in words. I have experienced this many times in my life. It is one reason that, unlike my friends, who made Cursillo with me, I did not experience this high while on my weekend. This high should not be the reason for making a retreat, or making Cursillo. It should be to learn more about God, our faith, and how to live as God would have us live.

Do we like to be comfortable? Of course. I will admit that when I first made weekend retreats (not Cursillo), one of the draws was the food that was served–fresh garden vegetables lovingly prepared by the ground keepers. There was also a palpable sense of peace that could be felt as I entered those retreat grounds. Again, I never expected nor received an advance menu. When I visit friends, I don’t expect them to provide me with their weekly menu. Years later, I cannot tell you specifically what was served. What I might be able to tell you about is learning how to use a paring knife to core an apple Franciscan style, or discovering that I do like eggplant Parmesan. Sharing in community prayer led me to the Liturgy of the Hours. Some retreats, even silent retreats, led to an emotional high while others were much more somber in tone and result.

There seems to be a push to describe my Cursillo experience as identical to those whose experience was less than optimal. That is something I cannot do. Contributing to another person’s pity party is not helpful to that person and keeps people from learning about Cursillo and what they can take from it. There is more to Scotland than haggis and rain.

The three pillars of Cursillo are piety, study, and action. Different websites will give you different terms, but they remain the same. Weekly reunions and ultreyas help Cursillistas give one another support along their spiritual journey.

The person who invited me to Cursillo was somebody I trusted. I only extend invitations to individuals I know. The application form I completed required notifying my pastor for his consent. It was he who notified the people leading my weekend that I was on crutches due to a car accident. The main thing that a person needs to bring to Cursillo is an openness to an experience that is unique to that person.

DeColores

 

[gh4]

You know, I think I’m not nearly as angry as I was before using this to kind of sort my thoughts out.
When I was younger and would become angry at someone, let’s just say my Mom for one example, I used to write a scathing letter to her and tell her why I was angry and why I was hurt etc. and so forth, and I never minced words, I yelled and probably cursed as well. Then I’d fold it up and put it in an envelope and I’d address that thing. And then I’d lay it on the kitchen table and say to myself, ‘I’ll put a stamp on it in the morning and mail it.’ By the time morning came around, I wasn’t mad, or as mad anymore and I ripped up the letter and tossed it into the garbage. I did that MANY times with many people. I guess it was a catharsis thing. And this has kind of been like that. I’m just all ‘angried’ out at this point.

So we must agree that we all had different experiences. That the good was great the so so wasn’t so great and the bad was horrible.

For me, every day that I don’t cry about it is a good day. And for me to realize that my situation was different from others and that I too must take some of the responsibility for not leaving earlier and for not investigating the situation better. And perhaps for not being as aware and not making others aware of some of my needs.

And I have to forgive those who I am angry at and who hurt me. I don’t think most of them did anything like that on purpose. But one or two of them really did do and say what they said on purpose at the end whilst I was waiting for my ride. I had no choice but to hear it because I was in the middle of nowhere 100 miles from home and no way to leave until my ride arrived.

Ok, I’m about to cry about it again, so I’m going to pray my rosary and my night prayers and hit the sack.

Oh, and I’m sorry if I hurt anyone here in this thread, that was never my intention.

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

gh4 I really do hope you will be able to stop crying at some point. I was taught ( not at Cursillo ) that you can forgive, but you don’t have to forget. That is hard to do. I wish you could have been at mine, not that it was perfect but it was great for many, many people. A really great group of women and two funny, dear priests who embraced and respected the role of the laity in the movement.

My goal when I left was to be the face of Christ to others. I didn’t do that very well on this thread and I apologize, my main point in my outburst thread was to demonstrate the other side that some people have, not to diminish bad experiences or legitimate medical issues.

I can confidently say that Cursillo, while there are a set of NAtional guidelines is not the same no matter where you go and if asked I will speak confidently about my experience, and advise others to do therir homework because I have heard some downright horror stories from people in other areas… I won’t tell them the activities, but w ill advise that they give it a chance, some activities and talks are on the dull side or may seem pointless, but to suspend judgement until the end.

 

[maryjk]

Repeating what has been stated again and again throughout this thread, nobody is required to make Cursillo. There is no conspiracy to keep people in the dark. Carpooling is a great way to save gas money, and to enjoy your friends’ companionship.

Sorry, but that doesn’t explain why I am not allowed to drive unless I get permission. Or why people are told not to talk about what happens over the weekend.

The person that wanted to sponsor me is in her 70’s. The retreat center is an hour and a a half away. So she was going to have to take 3 hours out of her Thursday and Sunday. They have one car. On the other hand I am in my 40’s. With 2 drivers, we have 3 cars. It would only make sense for me to drive myself. But she had to get permission for that to happen.

I see these things and I see people trying to keep others in the dark so they can maintain control over you and the weekend… When someone takes your cell phone instead of asking you to silence it, I see someone trying to take control. When someone covers windows that are 7 feet high, instead of letting the light shine in, I see someone trying to take control. When a weekend is planned, but you aren’t giving a schedule, I see someone trying to take control. When everyone that has gone knows that Thursday night is silent, but you aren’t allowed to tell anyone, I see someone trying to take control. When you are seated with people you will never see again, instead of those that are from your same parish, I see someone trying to take control. When people pretend to be making their weekend, but are really part of the “giving team,” I see someone trying to take control.

Others may see those things and see wonderful people simply doing things that make sense. And if I saw just one or two of those I might too. But when I see so many that are without explanation, I can’t simply move on and not question it. I just can’t.