Cursillo

[DebChris]

Keep in mind that many of us who tried to answer questions regarding Cursillo made our Cursillo months and/or years ago. We have to rely on memory and are not necessarily going to remember specifics. I don’t remember what I had to eat last week, let alone years ago.
The OP asked what Cursillo is. According to the *United States Catechism of the Catholic Church, * Cursillo is one of the many ways in which people experience the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Cursillo is not a retreat in the sense that many of us have experienced retreats. It is not associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, although some cursilistas are or do become members of the Charismatic Renewal. Cursillo is defined as a short course. Specifically it is a short course in Christianity that begins with a three day weekend. The 4th day, which is discussed during the weekend, lasts the rest of a cursillista’s life. During the 4th day, cursillistas have weekly reunions and ultreyas.
Throughout this thread, there are links that provide answers regarding Cursillo, including the definitions of Spanish words used. If you continue to have questions, please check those links. There is at least one that provides a typical weekend schedule. Yes, even like a person who has never made Cursillo, I needed to do some research in order to help provide information.
It was many years ago that I first heard about Cursillo from a friend who could not say enough about how it changed his life. At the time I learned of Cursillo it was no longer available in the area of the country in which I lived. I was surprised when a friend asked me if I would consider making Cursillo. I am not the type of person who needs minute details when making plans. It was very easy for me to say “yes.” What did I need to bring? Clothes for the weekend, bedding (sleeping bag), a Bible, and a rosary.
When I go to events that are spiritual in nature, I go with the attitude that I learned from a conference I attended many years ago. “Do not come for information, but for transformation.” I attended Cursillo without any expectations. As has been stated by others simply come with an open mind and a willingness to be open to what the Holy Spirit has for you.

 

[maryjk]

Keep in mind that many of us who tried to answer questions regarding Cursillo made our Cursillo months and/or years ago. We have to rely on memory and are not necessarily going to remember specifics. I don’t remember what I had to eat last week, let alone years ago.

At this point you know very well that people aren’t asking because they want to know what is on the menu. They want to know because it has been said that the food is very heavy with carbs, very light with protein and veggies. Some have said that the food is designed to give you highs and lows. THAT is the question. Not if you had fried vs. scrambled eggs.

The OP asked what Cursillo is. According to the *United States Catechism of the Catholic Church, * Cursillo is one of the many ways in which people experience the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

You have said this many times, and I know you don’t have a CCC available. BUT can anyone tell me where in the CCC where Cursillo is mentioned? I have looked and looked. I have searched on line, but I can’t find Cursillo mentioned anywhere.

Cursillo is not a retreat in the sense that many of us have experienced retreats. It is not associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, although some cursilistas are or do become members of the Charismatic Renewal. Cursillo is defined as a short course. Specifically it is a short course in Christianity that begins with a three day weekend. The 4th day, which is discussed during the weekend, lasts the rest of a cursillista’s life. During the 4th day, cursillistas have weekly reunions and ultreyas.
Throughout this thread, there are links that provide answers regarding Cursillo, including the definitions of Spanish words used. If you continue to have questions, please check those links. There is at least one that provides a typical weekend schedule. Yes, even like a person who has never made Cursillo, I needed to do some research in order to help provide information.

Again, at this point you know very well this isn’t the information people are looking for.

Until someone else mentioned it, I didn’t realize that there would be people assigned to your table that act like they are candidates but are actually speakers. You won’t find out that they have deceived you until they stand up to lead a talk.

How do we even know to ask questions about that?

It was many years ago that I first heard about Cursillo from a friend who could not say enough about how it changed his life. At the time I learned of Cursillo it was no longer available in the area of the country in which I lived. I was surprised when a friend asked me if I would consider making Cursillo. I am not the type of person who needs minute details when making plans. It was very easy for me to say “yes.”

I don’t want minute details. But I am glad gh4 told me that there were guards that would walk you to your room and back. Or that if I need to continue some of the medication I am on, I better bring a watch because I can’t rely on the people there to know that my medication is important.

What did I need to bring? Clothes for the weekend, bedding (sleeping bag), a Bible, and a rosary.
When I go to events that are spiritual in nature, I go with the attitude that I learned from a conference I attended many years ago. “Do not come for information, but for transformation.” I attended Cursillo without any expectations. As has been stated by others simply come with an open mind and a willingness to be open to what the Holy Spirit has for you.

I have to think that at this point everyone knows we aren’t asking what Cursillo means or how long it lasts. We are asking if ANYONE had anything but “the most wonderful experience of my life.” Did anyone have a problem with people pretending to be someone they weren’t? Did anyone have a problem with not getting notified about medication? Did anyone not get enough sleep, because of the program, not because they wanted to stay up and talk with friends. Did anyone get upset that they were woken up, in person, by people they really didn’t know? Was anyone uncomfortable with the gathering at the end of the weekend? Did anyone feel like they didn’t have enough privacy?

Yes, we know that most people aren’t going to remember everything that happened over the weekend. BUT if you had an experience like gh4 did, I am sure you would remember it for a long time. THAT is what we are asking.

 

[DebChris]

Until someone else mentioned it, I didn’t realize that there would be people assigned to your table that act like they are candidates but are actually speakers. You won’t find out that they have deceived you until they stand up to lead a talk.

How do we even know to ask questions about that? I don’t want minute details. But I am glad gh4 told me that there were guards that would walk you to your room and back. Or that if I need to continue some of the medication I am on, I better bring a watch because I can’t rely on the people there to know that my medication is important.

I have to think that at this point everyone knows we aren’t asking what Cursillo means or how long it lasts. We are asking if ANYONE had anything but “the most wonderful experience of my life.” Did anyone have a problem with people pretending to be someone they weren’t? Did anyone have a problem with not getting notified about medication? Did anyone not get enough sleep, because of the program, not because they wanted to stay up and talk with friends. Did anyone get upset that they were woken up, in person, by people they really didn’t know? Was anyone uncomfortable with the gathering at the end of the weekend? Did anyone feel like they didn’t have enough privacy?

Yes, we know that most people aren’t going to remember everything that happened over the weekend. BUT if you had an experience like gh4 did, I am sure you would remember it for a long time. THAT is what we are asking.

(1) I do have a copy of the CCC. What I do not have is a copy of the United States Catechism of the Catholic Church for Adults. This is where you will find mention of different movements of the Holy Spirit within the Catholic Church.
(2) I don’t count carbs. Again you are asking for information that most of us will simply not remember. I tried to compare the meals to comfort foods that a person might enjoy when visiting a friend. Cursillistas volunteer their time to provide meals. I do not expect my friend to be a nutritional expert. With all due respect you could not accept that as a reasonable answer. I tried my best to answer your questions as truthfully as possible. It does not help when posts are worded with such negatively charged terms as Stockholm Syndrome. This says that you are only looking for answers that will paint a negative picture of an activity that the Church sanctions. And yes, special meals were provided for those who required them. One of the cursillistas posted his experience as a weekend volunteer. I have not had that privilege which I understand provides a completely different perspective of the weekend.
(3) I never claimed that my experience was “the most wonderful of my life.”
(4) I had no problems with medications. I received plenty of sleep.There was nothing upsetting about the weekend that I attended.
(5) I never felt deceived. I have done things and been in places where I had much less control than I experienced during my Cursillo weekend. There is nothing sinister about Cursillo.
(6) gh4 had an unfortunate negative experience. Her description of what happened is a far cry from the experience that other curstillistas posted.
(7) From your posts throughout this thread, the only conclusion I can draw is that there is no answer that satisfy you. As another curstillista posted, if you are looking for a negative experience, then that is probably what you will experience and Cursillo is not the right program for you at this time.

 

[DebChris]

Cursillistas greet one another with DeColores after the beautiful tail feathers of the rooster.

Green= New life, growth, & God’s beauty that surrounds us. It symbolizes the ordinary times of the Church year.
Blue= loyalty, our commitment to God and His people. Truth, justice, & the waters of our Baptism.
Purple=dying and rising again with the sufferings of Christ.
Yellow & Orange= warmth, life, promise reminding us of the love of God’s Son in our lives, the light of a candle, the rays of the sun, & the changing seasons.
Red=celebration, joy & Confirmation. Symbolizing the feast days of the Church, Christmas Day, & Pentecost.

 

[gh4]

The giving team was identified in the beginning for us. Each table have one giving team member who kind of kept things going, they were very nice and pretty supportive. They never tried to hide themselves from us.
The members who were going to give talks, spent hours in the chapel praying before they spoke.
The topics were decent ones as best I remember, but most of the talks had little to do with the topic, or at least that’s how it felt, most of them were trying to make their lives into the topic, and mostly that didn’t work.
The giving team sat in the last rows during masses and gatherings in the chapel, so they were identified there. Also the first night, they stayed in the rollos room later than the candidates did, so again they were identified in that way.
The food wasn’t “bad” but it was mostly carbs for the first 2 days and every single snack was carbs after the first bowl of pretzels, and they are probably carbs too. Borwnies, peanutbutter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies and once there were banana halves, but the bananas were green. Oh, and they had prunes! Obviously there was no meat on Friday since we are in lent. The first meat they served was ham for Saturday breakfast. And the veggies all were high carb veggies, carrots and corn. And there were enough older folks who were not pleased since ham has mega SALT in it and many of us worry about our sodium intake due to high blood pressure, water retention etc. I don’t have high blood pressure (just situational, meaning if I’m stressed!!) but if I eat ham I swell up like a balloon, and that’s just not fun.
We did not discuss the talks, we plotted the making of the posters. Really, we could have had great discussions, but we were more worried about the art work, so I don’t think that drawing the posters accomplished the goal of discussing the talk that was given.
Then they had the priest and the deacon “rating” the posters like the judges do at the Olympics, by holding up numbers 1-10. If your table didn’t have an artist, then you got consistently low numbers and we often felt that we failed.
I have been craving carbs like crazy since I got home. I have not eaten carbs or grains in almost a year, and that is probably one of the reasons I felt out of sorts and unhappy and depressed during the weekend. I ate more cookies those 2 days than I have in the past 5 years. So now I have to deal with the cravings cause there are no carbs or grains in my house. I actually have eaten little else but meat since I got home. I slept most of the day Sunday and took a long nap on Monday. I’m just now starting to feel like I’m caught up on my sleep.
I think Cursillo can be good. I don’t think my cursillo was good for me, but for the rest of the women there, it worked. We did actually have 2 women who left the first night right before bed, that was kind of surprising, and I have no idea why they left.

 

[ringil]

The giving team was identified in the beginning for us. Each table have one giving team member who kind of kept things going, they were very nice and pretty supportive. They never tried to hide themselves from us.
The members who were going to give talks, spent hours in the chapel praying before they spoke.
The topics were decent ones as best I remember, but most of the talks had little to do with the topic, or at least that’s how it felt, most of them were trying to make their lives into the topic, and mostly that didn’t work.
The giving team sat in the last rows during masses and gatherings in the chapel, so they were identified there. Also the first night, they stayed in the rollos room later than the candidates did, so again they were identified in that way.
The food wasn’t “bad” but it was mostly carbs for the first 2 days and every single snack was carbs after the first bowl of pretzels, and they are probably carbs too. Borwnies, peanutbutter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies and once there were banana halves, but the bananas were green. Oh, and they had prunes! Obviously there was no meat on Friday since we are in lent. The first meat they served was ham for Saturday breakfast. And the veggies all were high carb veggies, carrots and corn. And there were enough older folks who were not pleased since ham has mega SALT in it and many of us worry about our sodium intake due to high blood pressure, water retention etc. I don’t have high blood pressure (just situational, meaning if I’m stressed!!) but if I eat ham I swell up like a balloon, and that’s just not fun.
We did not discuss the talks, we plotted the making of the posters. Really, we could have had great discussions, but we were more worried about the art work, so I don’t think that drawing the posters accomplished the goal of discussing the talk that was given.
Then they had the priest and the deacon “rating” the posters like the judges do at the Olympics, by holding up numbers 1-10. If your table didn’t have an artist, then you got consistently low numbers and we often felt that we failed.
I have been craving carbs like crazy since I got home. I have not eaten carbs or grains in almost a year, and that is probably one of the reasons I felt out of sorts and unhappy and depressed during the weekend. I ate more cookies those 2 days than I have in the past 5 years. So now I have to deal with the cravings cause there are no carbs or grains in my house. I actually have eaten little else but meat since I got home. I slept most of the day Sunday and took a long nap on Monday. I’m just now starting to feel like I’m caught up on my sleep.
I think Cursillo can be good. I don’t think my cursillo was good for me, but for the rest of the women there, it worked. We did actually have 2 women who left the first night right before bed, that was kind of surprising, and I have no idea why they left.

I believe your experience, if genuine, is an isolated event and not reflective of Cursillo generally.

I don’t have an investment in Cursillo as I have never been on one and really don’t paln to, but I KNOW that it is a totally INNOCENT and PRAISEWORTHY effort in the Church and all of the negative attention it is being given here is odd and smacks of agenda setting. THat is my honest opinion. Posters are not being completely honest here.

It’s normal. It’s innocent. It’s not a cult.

Back to the regularly scheduled program and cue the craziness. . . . . . . . . . .

 

[gh4]

I believe your experience, if genuine, is an isolated event and not reflective of Cursillo generally.

I don’t have an investment in Cursillo as I have never been on one and really don’t paln to, but I KNOW that it is a totally INNOCENT and PRAISEWORTHY effort in the Church and all of the negative attention it is being given here is odd and smacks of agenda setting. THat is my honest opinion. Posters are not being completely honest here.

It’s normal. It’s innocent. It’s not a cult.

Back to the regularly scheduled program and cue the craziness. . . . . . . . . . .

Never said it was a cult. And also said that many others, if not most would probably do just fine. I will simply and honestly tell you what happened to me in those 28 hours I was there. In fact, before I went, I was kind of irritated at those on here who seemed to be asking so many questions and approaching it in a negative way… in fact, this strengthened my resolve to go with an open mind and not be a complainer and doubter. But it was not to be for me. However, there were about 22 or 23 other women who did finish the weekend (to the best of my knowledge) who didn’t have the issues with it I had or if they did, they kept quiet and just dealt with it better than I did. I was just telling why I felt uncomfortable there and what it was like for me. No stories, no lies, nothing made up, no agenda setting, nothing but my own experience. Sorry if you don’t believe me. I’m a lot of things I suppose, but I don’t lie, steal or cheat.

 

[cjmclark]

Never said it was a cult. And also said that many others, if not most would probably do just fine. I will simply and honestly tell you what happened to me in those 28 hours I was there. In fact, before I went, I was kind of irritated at those on here who seemed to be asking so many questions and approaching it in a negative way… in fact, this strengthened my resolve to go with an open mind and not be a complainer and doubter. But it was not to be for me. However, there were about 22 or 23 other women who did finish the weekend (to the best of my knowledge) who didn’t have the issues with it I had or if they did, they kept quiet and just dealt with it better than I did. I was just telling why I felt uncomfortable there and what it was like for me. No stories, no lies, nothing made up, no agenda setting, nothing but my own experience. Sorry if you don’t believe me. I’m a lot of things I suppose, but I don’t lie, steal or cheat.

I don’t think the cult thing was directed at you. There were previous posts alleging “cult-like behavior” and such. I’m pretty sure that’s what ringil was addressing.

I think that saying what you did was excellent because it does give people an open, honest idea of things that could (unfortunately) possibly occur within the realm of attending a Cursillo, thereby giving them an opportunity to check with their local sponsor to see if similar issues are in store for them.

 

[maryjk]

I don’t think the cult thing was directed at you. There were previous posts alleging “cult-like behavior” and such. I’m pretty sure that’s what ringil was addressing.

That would have been me. And you are right, I mentioned cult like practices, like disorienting you by taking your watch, carb loading to encourage a sugar high and sleep deprivation.

What is funny, gh4, is that you really did jump on us for asking questions. When in reality we were just seeking answers. I am betting that when some of the things we questioned happen, you were quite surprised. (ex. carb loading and making it difficult to leave)

I think that saying what you did was excellent because it does give people an open, honest idea of things that could (unfortunately) possibly occur within the realm of attending a Cursillo, thereby giving them an opportunity to check with their local sponsor to see if similar issues are in store for them.

I am in no way saying that all Cursillo weekends are like gh4’s. In fact, I am sure they aren’t. (They don’t want everyone to leave.) I agree with cjmclark, people that are considering spending a weekend should know what questions to ask.

Really, who would think to ask about people sitting at your table not telling you that they were giving a talk later but pretending to be someone “making the weekend?” Who would think, during a little course in Christianity, you would spend so much time making posters? These are not questions that would have come to my mind unless I had done research on line. But when I asked my friend, I was told yes to both. Or that I would have to get permission to drive. To me that is just crazy.

 

[Jeremiah1278]

:Really, who would think to ask about people sitting at your table not telling you that they were giving a talk later but pretending to be someone “making the weekend?” Who would think, during a little course in Christianity, you would spend so much time making posters? These are not questions that would have come to my mind unless I had done research on line. But when I asked my friend, I was told yes to both. Or that I would have to get permission to drive. To me that is just crazy.

But… but… *why *would you *need *to even ask those questions? The driving thing I get…I especially get that the driving thing could be too much for you if you *need *to hammer out the marker and paper situation before deciding to go on the weekend. What in the world are you afraid of? (Rhetorical). If you need to know stuff like that… sheesh. I don’t know. It’s *such *a benign thing. I mean, I’ve worked as a Hall Director at my University. I’ve been working for a large corporation for 4 years. When doing any sort of team-building or various brainstorming sessions in any of those professional or educaional settings, we’ve often broken off into small groups, put marker to flip chart, and reported back to the larger group, using the “poster” we made. We have dry erase boards in every conference room for this very purpose. Good grief.

Addressing all this conspiracy theory level paranoia over sinister cafeteria food being too carb-loaded (hello… these people ain’t chefs. You’re going to get whatever these volunteers know how to whip up in quantity… for most folks that’s brownies and caseroles and whatever unhealthy junk it is you’d get at a family reunion) and sinister poster-making forcing me into some child-like state (ignore the more obvious reasons for why you would do something like this in group settings (see my above comments)) . . . there’s just no reasoning with these objections if folks are going to ignore more likely explanations and resort to the most uncharitable and paranoid explanations found on the internet.

To be honest, it’s becoming glaringly obvious why they would create intructions like “leave your phone at home.” Just look at how totally unwilling these objectors are to do that. It seems to be a fantastic weeding-out tool. If you can’t disconnect for 3 days, it’s likely not for you. One has no business sitting at the table of fellow Christians who have totally disconnected from the outside world for the purpose of sharing themselves totally with you, encountering Christ (more important than any worldly thing you may need your phone for), and deepening their faith. It’s just disrespectful to them to think you’re taking it as seriously and being as open to the process as they are. It should be an intensive weekend where your sole focus is Christ and you leave control of the rest of your life to your loved ones. Your soul, your relationship with Christ, your life-long duties as a Christ-follower are more important than anything that could be texted to you. If one is unable to live that reality for 3 days, then he/she is perhaps facing hurdles to recieving the message/instruction of the weekend. You have to relinquish “control.” The truth is that you have no control, so you’re really hanging onto nothing. A great way to increase God’s role in your life is to decrease your percieved lordship over it. This movement can help you do that. But you may not want to do that, because you may be asked to draw something on a piece of paper, be prayed for by strangers or hugged.

Again. If you have a medical condition or other Thing that prevents you from disconnecting and relinquishing control, there are a million different ways to deepen your faith. If you can’t disconnect, it’s not an indictment of the Cursillo movement.

 

[CB_Catholic]

But… but… *why *would you *need *to even ask those questions? The driving thing I get…I especially get that the driving thing could be too much for you if you *need *to hammer out the marker and paper situation before deciding to go on the weekend. What in the world are you afraid of? (Rhetorical). If you need to know stuff like that… sheesh. I don’t know. It’s *such *a benign thing. I mean, I’ve worked as a Hall Director at my University. I’ve been working for a large corporation for 4 years. When doing any sort of team-building or various brainstorming sessions in any of those professional or educaional settings, we’ve often broken off into small groups, put marker to flip chart, and reported back to the larger group, using the “poster” we made. We have dry erase boards in every conference room for this very purpose. Good grief.

Addressing all this conspiracy theory level paranoia over sinister cafeteria food being too carb-loaded (hello… these people ain’t chefs. You’re going to get whatever these volunteers know how to whip up in quantity… for most folks that’s brownies and caseroles and whatever unhealthy junk it is you’d get at a family reunion) and sinister poster-making forcing me into some child-like state (ignore the more obvious reasons for why you would do something like this in group settings (see my above comments)) . . . there’s just no reasoning with these objections if folks are going to ignore more likely explanations and resort to the most uncharitable and paranoid explanations found on the internet.

To be honest, it’s becoming glaringly obvious why they would create intructions like “leave your phone at home.” Just look at how totally unwilling these objectors are to do that. It seems to be a fantastic weeding-out tool. If you can’t disconnect for 3 days, it’s likely not for you. One has no business sitting at the table of fellow Christians who have totally disconnected from the outside world for the purpose of sharing themselves totally with you, encountering Christ (more important than any worldly thing you may need your phone for), and deepening their faith. It’s just disrespectful to them to think you’re taking it as seriously and being as open to the process as they are. It should be an intensive weekend where your sole focus is Christ and you leave control of the rest of your life to your loved ones. Your soul, your relationship with Christ, your life-long duties as a Christ-follower are more important than anything that could be texted to you. If one is unable to live that reality for 3 days, then he/she is perhaps facing hurdles to recieving the message/instruction of the weekend. You have to relinquish “control.” The truth is that you have no control, so you’re really hanging onto nothing. A great way to increase God’s role in your life is to decrease your percieved lordship over it. This movement can help you do that. But you may not want to do that, because you may be asked to draw something on a piece of paper, be prayed for by strangers or hugged.

Again. If you have a medical condition or other Thing that prevents you from disconnecting and relinquishing control, there are a million different ways to deepen your faith. If you can’t disconnect, it’s not an indictment of the Cursillo movement.

The one thing I really liked about the weekend (30 years ago we didn’t have cell phones, though) was the disconnection from the world. I knew that if there was an emergency, the message would have gotten through. I like not having to cook, I liked being able, for once, to spend time caring for my own spirituality, and I really liked other people and interacting with them in conversation, laughter, prayer and song.

We could drive ourselves if we wished, but it was at a Church and the parking lot was not huge, my sponsor took me. The meals, as stated above were not part of some conspiracy to keep you on a sugar high–they were simple meals, easy to fix for a large crowd, and not expensive. The Spanish Cursillo Community prepared one ethnic meal for us. Many people baked–for some that was all they could offer to the weekend. There were bowls of fruit, cookies, and snacks available. What was done was done out of love.

I think you are right, maryjk, in not going. You would be uncomfortable and on the defensive, looking for ulterior motives or ascribing them to innocent situations. You would be miserable and miss the point, which God may not choose to reveal to you until the end. I will tell you, though, that the encounter with the Holy Spirit can be very powerful in a Cursillo. But there are plenty of other ways to serve God in His Church.

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

OP here again

It is officially 1 week until I go to Cursillo. I waffled a lot–based on some of the comments in this series. I decided that the only way I would know is to try. I am able bodied–if I felt kidnapped I could leave. I took a leap of faith, a step out onto the water…whatever you want to call it. If there is any chance I can positively influence my relationship with the Lord and start becoming the person who can positively affect the lives of others, then this is worth it.

As it turns out, my sister-in-law registered as well for the same weekend. Neither of us knew. Her husband just came back from the men’s weekend. He knew I had read some things here that sounded concerning and reassured me–no details were given. BUT he did offer that the reason it seems so secretive is simply to let people experience it themselves–he said it’s like finding out what your birthday gift is before your birthday. He described parts of it as really cool and some of it more learning based. He said they take good care of you. That’s all he would say. He said he was excited I was going, he would pray for me and I won’t be sorry I went.

I am very excited!
Kim

 

[DebChris]

OP here again

It is officially 1 week until I go to Cursillo. I waffled a lot–based on some of the comments in this series. I decided that the only way I would know is to try. I am able bodied–if I felt kidnapped I could leave. I took a leap of faith, a step out onto the water…whatever you want to call it. If there is any chance I can positively influence my relationship with the Lord and start becoming the person who can positively affect the lives of others, then this is worth it.

As it turns out, my sister-in-law registered as well for the same weekend. Neither of us knew. Her husband just came back from the men’s weekend. He knew I had read some things here that sounded concerning and reassured me–no details were given. BUT he did offer that the reason it seems so secretive is simply to let people experience it themselves–he said it’s like finding out what your birthday gift is before your birthday. He described parts of it as really cool and some of it more learning based. He said they take good care of you. That’s all he would say. He said he was excited I was going, he would pray for me and I won’t be sorry I went.

I am very excited!
Kim

Enjoy your weekend. As your husband said, those of us who have made Cursillo do not want to distract from your personal experience.
Others, including your husband, have been able to provide a better analogy than I. Everybody’s experience will be different, depending on where he or she is on his or her spiritual journey. Place your trust in God, and know that others are praying for you and for the success of the Cursillo weekend.

 

[gh4]

OP here again

It is officially 1 week until I go to Cursillo. I waffled a lot–based on some of the comments in this series. I decided that the only way I would know is to try. I am able bodied–if I felt kidnapped I could leave. I took a leap of faith, a step out onto the water…whatever you want to call it. If there is any chance I can positively influence my relationship with the Lord and start becoming the person who can positively affect the lives of others, then this is worth it.

As it turns out, my sister-in-law registered as well for the same weekend. Neither of us knew. Her husband just came back from the men’s weekend. He knew I had read some things here that sounded concerning and reassured me–no details were given. BUT he did offer that the reason it seems so secretive is simply to let people experience it themselves–he said it’s like finding out what your birthday gift is before your birthday. He described parts of it as really cool and some of it more learning based. He said they take good care of you. That’s all he would say. He said he was excited I was going, he would pray for me and I won’t be sorry I went.

I am very excited!
Kim

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Cursillo is wonderful for most folks.

 

[KimberlyAnn0218]

OP here…and BACK FROM CURSILLO

Let’s see…I will do my best to answer some questions without giving stuff away.

Food: YUMMY. Carbs? Yes, and protein, vegetables, and fruit, and dairy. Last minte diet issues were handled without complaints. We had diabetics, etc. It was like “Grandma’s home cooking.” A little salty for my tsate, but oh well!

Covering the windows? Yes, partly. With white paper, not all the way up. Covered certain windows for some more privacy. NOT DARK AT ALL-COULD SEE THE SUN

Cell phones?-Discouraged. Taken away? NO Could you “Offer it up” for the weekeknd and have them hold onto it? Yes. I kept mine all weekend-no questions asked.

CLOCKS nad WATCHES? Yep everyone wore them and looked at them

BELLs? YES-to get your attention

DRIVING? Most people were driven by their sponsors. It’s a bonding and sending off kind of a thing–and parking issues

Did they let us outside? YES, I took a walk yesterday AND went and bought a cold soda at a gas station today

Was I treated with respect? Yes, in spaids. I was waited on. This was a weekend to dive into the Lord.

HUGS? Yes and oh my goodness, I instigated one or one dozen… who knows

Making people do “stuff” they don’t want to? Over and over the rector said ONLY DO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH and DON"T FORCE IT.

Why the secrets? Becuase it is THAT SPECIAL that you do NOT want to spoil it.

Did I cry? Yes, but that’s personal and was appropriate.

Am I glad I went? YES< YES<YES

Is it for everyone? No

Did I grow closer to Christ? Yes

De Colores!
Kim

 

[Mummsie]

OP here…and BACK FROM CURSILLO

Let’s see…I will do my best to answer some questions without giving stuff away.

Food: YUMMY. Carbs? Yes, and protein, vegetables, and fruit, and dairy. Last minte diet issues were handled without complaints. We had diabetics, etc. It was like “Grandma’s home cooking.” A little salty for my tsate, but oh well!

Covering the windows? Yes, partly. With white paper, not all the way up. Covered certain windows for some more privacy. NOT DARK AT ALL-COULD SEE THE SUN

Cell phones?-Discouraged. Taken away? NO Could you “Offer it up” for the weekeknd and have them hold onto it? Yes. I kept mine all weekend-no questions asked.

CLOCKS nad WATCHES? Yep everyone wore them and looked at them

BELLs? YES-to get your attention

DRIVING? Most people were driven by their sponsors. It’s a bonding and sending off kind of a thing–and parking issues

Did they let us outside? YES, I took a walk yesterday AND went and bought a cold soda at a gas station today

Was I treated with respect? Yes, in spaids. I was waited on. This was a weekend to dive into the Lord.

HUGS? Yes and oh my goodness, I instigated one or one dozen… who knows

Making people do “stuff” they don’t want to? Over and over the rector said ONLY DO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH and DON"T FORCE IT.

Why the secrets? Becuase it is THAT SPECIAL that you do NOT want to spoil it.

Did I cry? Yes, but that’s personal and was appropriate.

Am I glad I went? YES< YES<YES

Is it for everyone? No

Did I grow closer to Christ? Yes

De Colores!
Kim

Kim,

De Colores!! So happy you were blessed with such a wonderful God-filled experience.

I made my Cursillo about 5 weeks ago. I was a little apprehensive, but excited also. I am quite a control freak. But, when I finally let go I felt a freedom I’d not felt in a long time.

The best part of the weekend for me was being able to listen, learn, and share my faith with other Catholic Women. What a Blessing!! That alone made the weekend Special.

In answer to some of Mary’s questions: I kept my watch and my cell phone (left cell phone in my room). There were also clocks on the walls. Windows were not darkened. We were free to go outside for fresh air (without a guide). Also, free to return to my room when the schedule allowed without a guide. As for the speakers, yes they were participating at our tables. But, we all felt a sense of pride when each got up to speak. The food was very good: salads, meat, vegies and starches. Snacks included fruits, nuts, and typical chips and pretzels. Yes, my sponsor drove several to the Retreat Center. Her explanation on that was it was probably a carryover from years ago when most families only had one vehicle and they didn’t want to put a burden on the family.
My DH is not a practicing Catholic and I did not feel excluded in anyway from the discussions. Also, I did not need to get his permission or approval to attend. Yes, it was exhausting. Emotionally, Mentally and sometimes physically. But, it was wonderful. I’ve been ill for the past several weeks and unable to take part in the 4th Day. Can’t wait to start attending those meetings.

Cursillo is not for everybody. I’m certain the Holy Spirit calls each of us to different methods of Spiritual Growth.

 

[gh4]

OP here…and BACK FROM CURSILLO

Let’s see…I will do my best to answer some questions without giving stuff away.

Food: YUMMY. Carbs? Yes, and protein, vegetables, and fruit, and dairy. Last minte diet issues were handled without complaints. We had diabetics, etc. It was like “Grandma’s home cooking.” A little salty for my tsate, but oh well!

Covering the windows? Yes, partly. With white paper, not all the way up. Covered certain windows for some more privacy. NOT DARK AT ALL-COULD SEE THE SUN

Cell phones?-Discouraged. Taken away? NO Could you “Offer it up” for the weekeknd and have them hold onto it? Yes. I kept mine all weekend-no questions asked.

CLOCKS nad WATCHES? Yep everyone wore them and looked at them

BELLs? YES-to get your attention

DRIVING? Most people were driven by their sponsors. It’s a bonding and sending off kind of a thing–and parking issues

Did they let us outside? YES, I took a walk yesterday AND went and bought a cold soda at a gas station today

Was I treated with respect? Yes, in spaids. I was waited on. This was a weekend to dive into the Lord.

HUGS? Yes and oh my goodness, I instigated one or one dozen… who knows

Making people do “stuff” they don’t want to? Over and over the rector said ONLY DO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH and DON"T FORCE IT.

Why the secrets? Becuase it is THAT SPECIAL that you do NOT want to spoil it.

Did I cry? Yes, but that’s personal and was appropriate.

Am I glad I went? YES< YES<YES

Is it for everyone? No

Did I grow closer to Christ? Yes

De Colores!
Kim

I’m so glad you had a wonderful experience.

 

[maryjk]

In answer to some of Mary’s questions: I kept my watch and my cell phone (left cell phone in my room). There were also clocks on the walls. Windows were not darkened. We were free to go outside for fresh air (without a guide).

That is great. As others here have mentioned, though, that is not always the case. Some groups do not allow you to even walk back to your room without a “guide.” (As if adults are not smart enough to find their room and make their way way back without someone showing them the way.)

Also, free to return to my room when the schedule allowed without a guide. As for the speakers, yes they were participating at our tables. But, we all felt a sense of pride when each got up to speak.

Pride? When someone you didn’t know, who had been playing the part of a new group member, got up to speak? What were you prideful of?

The food was very good: salads, meat, vegies and starches. Snacks included fruits, nuts, and typical chips and pretzels.

Again, that is great. But also not what others experienced.

Yes, my sponsor drove several to the Retreat Center. Her explanation on that was it was probably a carryover from years ago when most families only had one vehicle and they didn’t want to put a burden on the family.

I was told I wasn’t allowed to drive. What is that a carryover from?

My DH is not a practicing Catholic and I did not feel excluded in anyway from the discussions. Also, I did not need to get his permission or approval to attend.

Some here were told that they needed permission from their husband. I did not, although there were many questions about his beliefs.

Yes, it was exhausting. Emotionally, Mentally and sometimes physically. But, it was wonderful. I’ve been ill for the past several weeks and unable to take part in the 4th Day. Can’t wait to start attending those meetings.

Do you feel as though you are missing something by not attending? A friend of mine went, the weekend I couldn’t attend. She has not been able to join a group and has said that she has lost the “high” from the weekend and hopes to get it back when she joins a group. (No I am not saying she got “high,” just that she is missing the upbeat feeling.)

Cursillo is not for everybody. I’m certain the Holy Spirit calls each of us to different methods of Spiritual Growth.

 

[DebChris]

. Do you feel as though you are missing something by not attending? A friend of mine went, the weekend I couldn’t attend. She has not been able to join a group and has said that she has lost the “high” from the weekend and hopes to get it back when she joins a group. (No I am not saying she got “high,” just that she is missing the upbeat feeling.)

One of the effects of a “mountain top experience,” or high, is that a person has to return to the valley, to real life. Weekly reunions do not necessarily return a person to the mountain top experience. What the weekly reunions do is provide a support system. Our Christian journey is walked in unity with others, as part of a community. Meeting in small groups helps each of us remain accountable for our spiritual growth, the formation as a Christian, that lasts a lifetime. Am I having difficulty with my prayer life (piety)? I can share this difficulty. Perhaps somebody in the group has had a similar experience and is able to provide insight to help me overcome my difficulty. Another person may have discovered a new devotion to add to her weekly prayer routine. During this lifetime formation process, we strive to learn more about our Faith (study). We share what we have learned, perhaps a passage from a spiritual classic that helped explain a particular aspect of our Faith. There is great depth to the Catholic Faith. We learn from one another. How have I been able to live out my Catholic Faith (action)? Have I been able to share my Faith in a meaningful way with family members or with the world at large?
As with the Cursillo weekend itself, there are benefits to the weekly reunion & Ultreyas that simply cannot be put into words that goes beyond the friendships that develop among Cursilistas.

 

[Mummsie]

Pride? When someone you didn’t know, who had been playing the part of a new group member, got up to speak? What were you prideful of? I don’t believe we were misled. We were aware she had already made her Cursillo. We thought she was there for support. We were proud to have shared a table with her. We were proud she had such strength to give testimony. We were proud to support her. Do you feel as though you are missing something by not attending? A friend of mine went, the weekend I couldn’t attend. She has not been able to join a group and has said that she has lost the “high” from the weekend and hopes to get it back when she joins a group. (No I am not saying she got “high,” just that she is missing the upbeat feeling.) Yes, I feel like I’m missing something, actually missing a lot. I want the support of this group. I want to hear how they’re doing with piety, study and action. I want to learn more from them. I want to do more of what God wants me to do and for me I think this group will support me.