September 15, 2011

ARCHDIOCESE — Cursillo is a Spanish word meaning “little lesson.” The little lesson it provides is one that expands over time.

The Cursillo helps each person better understand just how much God loves them. It offers a method for living that helps people develop a more personal relationship with Jesus, and it encourages each person to pursue a course of continual formation, enabling them to better understand the mind of Christ and the Catholic faith. As people develop a more personal relationship with Christ and follow Him more closely, they are better able to live the Gospel and actually be the “good news” in the various places God has put them to live.

The Cursillo’s small group dynamics provide the encouragement and support that helps each person improve the emulation of Jesus Christ in his or her heart and mind. Then, as they encounter others in their everyday lives, they allow the love of Christ to work through them so more and more people will discover the love of the risen Christ.

Thousands of Catholic men and women around the world live the Cursillo method and are enjoying a continuous and progressive conversion. They encourage one another “onward.” And, here in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the movement is alive and well with thousands of Cursillistas participating in the work of Jesus Christ.

The Cursillo starts with a three-day weekend. These are held twice a year at the Cursillo Center near St. Margaret Mary Church in North College Hill (winter months) and University of Dayton (summer months). During a Cursillo weekend, candidates get to know themselves better, encounter the deep love of Jesus Christ and experience the joy of journeying with their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Surprisingly, many Catholic men and women know little about this official movement of the church because it spreads slowly through person-to-person contact. However, across the world, it has helped millions of Catholics follow Jesus more closely as true apostles. 

For more information on this “handrail to heaven,” talk to the Ultreya coordinator in your parish and/or visit the archdiocesan Cursillo website at http://www.cincinnati-cursillo.org.