SAN DIEGO ENGLISH-SPEAKING CURSILLO
Cursillo is a recognized worldwide movement of the Roman Catholic Church, based on the charism given by the Holy Spirit to Eduardo Bonnin in the early 1940’s in Mallorca, Spain. The full name of the movement is “Cursillo de Christianidad”, or “Short Course in Christianity” although it is really much more than that!
The Cursillo begins with a three day weekend (separate men’s and women’s weekends) during which the participants experience three encounters: an encounter with one’s self, an encounter with Christ and an encounter with others. The three day weekend is an intense experience of learning and spiritual growth in the Catholic faith but also an opportunity to make new friends within the diocese and have some time to get away from the stresses of the world, have some fun, laugh and relax.
Unlike other retreats, Cursillo does not end after the three days. The participants continue to live out what they have learned in their “fourth day” – their regular daily lives. Groups of Catholic friends meet weekly to discuss their faith journey in a structured but comfortable format. Once a month, the various local groups get together to rekindle their weekend experience. Their lives become a continually shared experience of their Catholic faith, strong friendships are formed and others in their environments are influenced by them.
The worldwide Cursillo movement, with “Cursillistas” numbering in the millions, is transforming the world for Christ, one country, one diocese, one group of friends, one person at a time.