HASTINGS (SNR) – After a five-year hiatus, the Diocese of Lincoln plans two Cursillo weekend retreats in October at St. Michael Parish in Hastings.
Cursillo (pronounced kur-see-yo) is a Spanish word meaning “little” or “short course.” The official name of the Cursillo Movement is “Cursillo de Christiandad,” or “short course in Christianity.”
“In its essence,” explained Kathy Springer, “Cursillo is a short course in Christian living.”
The Cursillo weekend begins on a Thursday evening and ends Sunday evening. During the “Three Days,” participants spend time together listening to and discussing talks given by priests and laypersons, sharing the Eucharist, and praying together.
Springer said Cursillo teaches that the Gospel should be lived in very natural ways; “we should be Christ-like as we go about our daily activities, right where God put us.”
“Unfortunately,” she said, “while most people would like to live their lives in a Christ-like manner, the pressures of the world often make this difficult. Cursillo provides a means to meet the challenges and respond to the opportunities presented each day.”
Proclaiming Christ by being His living witnesses in everyday activities is a concrete way of renewing the promises made at Baptism. It makes disciples and missionaries of the Word, as expressed in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: “Through their baptism and confirmation all are commissioned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself” (Lumen Gentium #33).
In May 2022, Pope Francis encouraged Cursillistas gathered for Italy’s 7th National Cursillo Ultreya “the great challenge is to maintain a spirit of charity and unity that is based on the spiritual heritage accepted by all, lived out and shared by everybody, understood by and entrusted to all.”
He also told the gathering “you have a particular charism, which has led you to rediscover and be able to announce in a simple and direct way the essential of the Christian experience, that is, the love of God for every man and woman.”
A men’s weekend is planned for Oct. 20-23, and a women’s weekend is planned for Oct. 27-30, both at St. Michael Parish in Hastings. For more information, contact Greg Vandenberg (308-530-7587; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), or Kathy Springer (402-826-2699; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Information is also available on the diocesan Cursillo webpage.
