Stages of Cursillo

Pre-Cursillo

During this period, sponsors identify and recommend for Cursillo those individuals who are leading an active Christian life and are a living witness to their love of Christ. It is also the period that candidates are assisted in making appropriate preparations.

Three-Day Weekend

The Cursillo weekend brings together a diverse group of Episcopalians to share the richness of many styles of worship and to broaden each one's appreciation for our Church. Lay people conduct the weekend with two or three members of the clergy functioning as spiritual advisors. Cursillo presumes that those who attend are already well grounded in the faith. It is not intended to be a conversion experience but an enriching and deepening of what is already there.

The weekend begins Thursday evening spent in the Chapel with meditations and Compline. Then silence is kept until after the worship on Friday morning. After breakfast, participants are assigned to table groups for the weekend. The next two days are filled with talks and group discussions with emphasis on Grace, the Sacraments, and the great Cursillo tripod: Piety, Study, and Action. Plus there is fellowship, singing, good food, and lots of laughter, as well as time for privacy, meditation, and prayer. Eucharist is celebrated daily.

Post Cursillo or Fourth Day

The Cursillo weekend is not an end to itself. It is a starting point that lasts the rest of your life. The Fourth Day is composed of three major elements:

• The Group Reunion, the heart of Cursillo, is a small group of friends who meet weekly and who hold each other accountable for their spiritual journey.
• Ultreya, which is usually held monthly, is a "reunion of the reunions." It provides support and builds community by allowing the sharing of communal experiences.
• Spiritual Direction is a commitment to seek out skilled lay persons or cleric for spiritual direction to provide help in deepening their union with Christ.

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