An Anglican Renewal Experience Sacramentally Based
We are fortunate at St James’, Lostock Hall, in having clergy who are supportive of Cursillo. As a result, all parishioners have the opportunity to become involved if they feel that God is leading them towards Cursillo as the next step in their Christian pilgrimage.
For those who would like to know more about Cursillo, please read on and look at the text of the official leaflet.
Parishioners who would like to have a copy of the current year’s parish/diocesan programme for Cursillo should contact David or Lisa Riding on 01772-627018. Please remember that you can participate in the Cursillo programme whether or not you have attended a Cursillo weekend.
In Blackburn Diocese, Cursillo weekends are normally held at Whalley Abbey.
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What is Cursillo?
Cursillo (pronounced Kur-see-yo) is a Spanish word meaning 'short course'. It is a short course for adults in some important aspects of being a Christian. It is sacramentally based, widely used by all shades of opinion within the Church of England, and is often found to be a key to personal renewal and Christian leadership. Cursillo began in Mallorca in the 1940s and was the result of much planning and prayer to renew the Christian faith in the Roman Catholic church there. The first English language Cursillo was held in Texas in 1961. Today thousand of Anglicans all over the world are involved in Cursillo under the direction of their bishops. Cursillo came to the United Kingdom in 1981, starting in the Dioceses of Bangor and Gloucester. It is now available in many Dioceses, including Blackburn.
A Cursillo weekend is not a conventional retreat. You will find there Christian learning, worship, music, fellowship and a lot of fun. It is for clergy and lay people like you who want to strengthen their faith. You will experience real Christian love, and that may well make you feel able to renew your Christian commitment.
What does Cursillo Offer?
· An experience of the love and grace of God and the joy of Christian fellowship
· An opportunity to grow in faith
· A means of renewal in the Church
· Beyond the weekend, an experience of continuing Christian community with focus on personal growth, responsibility, mission and Christian action in the world.
A Message from Bishop Nicholas
I am very pleased that we have a strong Cursillo community in Blackburn Diocese. It is clear that God the Holy Spirit is building up in His Church groups of committed, prayerful, mission-minded men and women full of the joy of the Lord, and it seems to me that this is just what Cursillo is all about.
We are called to be a praying Church. We are not called just to talk about the importance of prayer, but actually to get on and pray with a loving heart. Faithfulness to praying with the Scriptures, to the Eucharist, to praying for others and our quiet time with the Lord must be at the heart of all that we do. We are called also to be the Servant Church and so to help meet the needs of our sisters and brothers around us and further afield, particularly the poor and the unloved. We must also take seriously our Lord’s Great Commission to Go, make disciples of all nations. The Resurrection of Our Lord is the most exciting news ever, and for us it is impossible not to be part of God’s Mission to the world proclaiming the Good News of what God has done for us in Jesus.
Cursillo has shown itself to be totally committed to this vision for the Church of Prayer, Service and Mission and I thank God for its witness, and I rejoice that through its programme of weekend conferences and fellowship groups an increasing number within the Diocese have already found their faith deepened and a new sense of joy in the Lord and in each other.
I am happy to commend Cursillo to the Diocese as a real way to help make our faith come alive.
+Nicholas
The Cursillo Weekend is three days long, but lasts a lifetime...
The Cursillo weekend teaches what is fundamental to living a Christian life. It begins on a Thursday evening and ends the following Sunday afternoon. During the three days, participants listen to several talks, given by laity and clergy. The laity and clergy who comprise the team of helpers spend weeks working together preparing for each weekend. It takes careful planning because the time is short and the subject extensive.
You may be wondering what the talks are about. To give you an idea, they will cover such subjects as piety, study, action, Christian leadership and community, faith, grace and sacraments, There are opportunities for discussion of the talks. A Cursillo weekend is a means to convey in real and concrete ways the Doctrine of Grace - the gift of God's love freely and unconditionally given. This doctrine becomes experienced reality through shared prayer, worship, study, fellowship, laughter, fun and love.
The Fourth Day (the rest of our life) is seen as an integral part of the process. Participants are encouraged to realise their potential as Christian leaders, anxious to take an active part in the life of their parish in consultation with their parish priest; become people who will give and receive Christian support in appropriate groups and apply what they have experienced in the weekend to their daily lives.
Approaching Cursillo
· Be open to what happens and live in the present
· Be honest with yourself as to where you are in our pilgrimage
· now that a specific response is not expected of you
· Allow others to respond in their way and yourself respond in your way
The experience of the three days is described differently by each person:-
'a glimpse of heaven'
'a kaleidoscope of happiness'
'when I sit and think of the peace, the grace and the fun we shared, my heart overflows with love for the whole world'
It is the experience of many people that, after a Cursillo weekend, Christian living takes on a new dimension with a fresh awareness of God's love and purpose for each one of us.
Who will be at a Cursillo?
Church people just like you: laity and clergy who are curious, searching, discovering, growing in their faith. People struggling to be Christians in their work situation, their family and social lives, in their leisure activities and within the institutional church.
Applications
Applications are usually sponsored by someone who has completed a Cursillo weekend, and supported by your parish priest.
Applicants should have been baptised and confirmed before the weekend, and be aged 21 years and over.