Cursillo (Spanish for “little course”) is conducted by priests and laypersons, during a three-day weekend focused on prayer, study, and Christian action. There is a follow-up program known as the post-cursillo.
Many who have made their Cursillo retreat weekend have likened it to a personal encounter with Christ or being touched by the Holy Spirit. Everyone experiences something different and is touched differently by the retreat weekend.
It starts on a Thursday evening and ends on Sunday evening. During those three days, those attending live and work together listening to talks given by priests, deacons and lay persons and participate in small group discussions. The talks include topics which deal with life, the Christian ideal, the Catholic Faith and the Christian approach to the world.
The community spirit of the weekend is continued through reunions of small groups of Christians and through Ultreyas, or the gathering of the larger community.
The Cursillo movement aims to make being a Christian part of every aspect of one’s life – in families, neighborhoods, and work situations. Through small groups, these Christians will help one another discover and achieve their own personal vocations. It gives pride in being a Catholic Christian.
In the Diocese of Knoxville, these weekends generally take place in the spring and fall. Men and women take separate weekends. Team members include laity and religious who present talks on what it means to be a layperson in the Catholic Church.
For more information about the Cursillo movement and upcoming weekends, please visit the Cursillo website.