VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 NUMBER 71 Fully Alive · VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 NUMBER 71 3 OFFICERS’ CORNER Bernie Reilander This summer has been for me a series of 'the best yets'! Let me explain

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 NUMBER 71

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THE NATIONAL RESOURCE OF THE CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC CURSILLOS

70th Anniversary of the First Cursillo in Christianity

Celebrated in Mallorca, October 18th, 2014

CONTENTS Officers’ Corner 3 Heart of the Charism P 8 Matters Spiritual 23 Book Report 5 You Asked Us 13 Wittness 25 70th Anniversary 6 Around the Country 14 From Eduardo 26

Fully Alive


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OFFICERS’ CORNER Bernie Reilander This summer has been for me a series of 'the best yets'! Let me explain. A well-loved priest friend of mine is known for his familiar and expected response following any Cursillo weekend when he has served as spiritual advisor. Asked for his impression of the weekend he always says; “It was the best yet!” The answer is true enough, for who of us would answer any other way just after the lived experience of the 'three days'. He is always quick to add that after five decades of weekends in our diocese, we are sure to be getting better and better at delivering an authentic Cursillo message to the new Cursillistas. In November of last year, our new pope released his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) which has had a great impact on every aspect of Church life during this past year. It has given us insights into the thinking of Pope Francis, especially on the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world and encouraging the Christian faithful to embark on this new chapter of evangelization marked by joy. This is familiar territory for Cursillistas who have been living this mission since the early 1940s when Eduardo received the charism that was to touch so many lives. It is from the Cursillo Movement's unique Charism, recognized by the Church, that flows a mentality from which the Method was born. This method helps each of us in our mission to bring the realization of God's love to our own life and then to others. In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis calls us 'missionary disciples' – we spread the 'Good News' as believers in Christ. He also says “An Evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the

initiative, He has loved us first (1 John 4: 19) and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast.” So we are called to receive Christ as well as give Christ to the world, and we stay on this path of missionary discipleship by using the Method. Participants described the 2014 national Cursillo conference at King's University College in Edmonton (June 19-22) as 'the best yet'. It had as its theme, From Vision to Mission – The What and the What For, with an emphasis on the 'action' part of the Method. The content continued to focus on the valuable work from the three Conversations by dissecting Eduardo Bonnín's definition of Cursillo and showing that we have a mission which flows from Eduardo's original vision; a vision which must become our mission. The Conversations have added so much to our understanding of the Cursillo. They have been the means that have allowed us to travel from a superficial understanding of the Cursillo to the heart of the Cursillo, its Charism, so as to be able to become the Good News. It seemed to me that the spirit of Evangelii Gaudium was present in every presentation and in every conversation, as Pope Francis' clear and simple way of communicating was being emulated with 'joyous' results. The CCCC officers had prepared well and were inspired by the group effort to provide a precise and encouraging message. We always hope, as we do with every conference, to achieve what St. Paul, patron of Cursillo, said so well in his first letter to the Corinthians: (1 Cor. 1: 10) “Now I appeal to you, brothers and


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sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” We also hope that the knowledge of familiar things has been strengthened and that everyone will be encouraged in their study of new ideas which will take people deeper into their understanding of Eduardo's vision of Cursillo and the mentality which led to a very effective method. By looking closely at each part of Eduardo's definition of Cursillo, we hoped to increase the enthusiastic zeal for the mission that every Cursillista has, indeed every Christian has, to bring Christ to everyone beginning with ourselves. Our mission is to have all people on the journey with us, living the method in all its aspects, living it as the Holy Spirit, through Eduardo, designed it to be lived. Cursillo is not an event but an on-going lifestyle – a way to live as disciples in Christ's footsteps. This is the mission – to be co-creators with Him in transforming the world with the Gospel. During the summer months, I took time to study Evangelii Gaudium in more detail and found many others on the same journey. It seemed that the pope's apostolic exhortation was being quoted everywhere and it gave a new life to all my summer reading, the best reading I've done in a long time. It was often the focus of discussion at my group reunion and a source of encouragement at Cursillo events and ultreyas. As the summer closed, the CCCC was invited to send a delegate to the CCCB 2014 Forum, held at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec, in mid-September, organized and hosted by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, specifically the Episcopal Standing Committee for Relations with Catholic Movements and

Associations of Canada. The list of almost 40 participants included all manner of groups from across Canada represented by their 'national' executives. The potential value of such a forum in terms of our opportunity to dialogue was obvious as all had the common mission of evangelization at the heart of their charisms and mission statements. I was edified by how many there were also Cursillistas who, grounded by their Cursillo experience, had become the leaders in the 'missionary' expressions they represented. During two days, four major presentations focused on evangelization and how this essential mission of the Church, especially in light of Evangelii Gaudium, impacts on the work and charisms of their movements and associations. Many insights into Pope Francis' thinking were shared. Most delegates agreed that the 2014 Forum had been the 'best one yet' because of its unifying focus on Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium, a document that connected to the core mission of everyone's movement or association. We were also blessed by the attendance of the apostolic (papal) nuncio, Archbishop Bonazzi, who also spoke at the conclusion of the Forum reminding us that the Gospel is a treasure that we must share. So now you might appreciate my dilemma, after a summer of 'best one yets', my humility has taken a big hit! I expect that some more time spent with Evangelii

Gaudium will help.

The 2014 Conference

booklet containing the rollos

and meditations is available

from the Resource Centre.


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BOOK REPORT Frank Malick If you are reading this, your life has probably been changed in some way by the encounter with self, God and others on a Cursillo weekend. Have you ever wondered how Cursillos in Christianity came about, and what its original purpose was and still is? The answer to that question is deeply intertwined in the life and thought of Eduardo Bonnín, upon whom the Holy Spirit deposited the charism of Cursillo, and his small band of companions who, in Mallorca, Spain of the 1940s, developed a method and a movement “that has been able to express the Gospel in modern terms and revitalize the lives of nearly ten million people throughout the world; in some countries up to two generations.”1 The purpose of this book is to help us better understand Cursillo and its foundational charism by better knowing its founder, since there is close relationship between Cursillo and the life of its main architect.2 In this work, Eduardo Suárez del Real Aguilera, a Mexican journalist now living on Mallorca, uses the biographical interview to convey Eduardo’s life story, preserving his linguistic preferences so that his very language reveals personality traits, as well as his life history, which enriches his story with points of view from Eduardo’s band of brothers.

1 Eduardo Suárez del Real Aguilera, Eduardo Bonnín: An

Apprentice Christian, Palma de Mallorca, Spain: Fundación

Eduardo Bonnín Aguiló, 2013, p. 15

2 Ibid., P. 11

As you read this book, you will get to know Eduardo on a personal basis, sharing his excitement about Christ, his commitment to Cursillo and the Church, and the joy and frustration he has faced shepherding the movement through six decades. In reading this book, I was most struck by a definition of Cursillo that Eduardo first put forth in 1997, that differs from the definition contained in the Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement (by which I first studied the Movement).

We will see how his early life led him to recognize the need for a modern means of evangelization in which laity were the main participants, the founding of Cursillos in Christianity, its early growing pains followed by worldwide acceptance (and modification from its original intent), and his ongoing struggle to preserve the foundational charism which he received so many years ago. It is the story of a life dedicated

to communicating God’s love to every person - of a humble man, who after years of study and growth in his faith, still considered himself An Apprentice Christian to the end! Author: Eduardo Suárez del Real Aguilera Title: Eduardo Bonnín: An Apprentice

Christian

Copyright: Palma de Mallorca, Spain:

Fundación Eduardo Bonnín Aguiló (FEBA), 2013, 210pp.

Ordering Info: http://www.cursillocanada.org,

ISBN: 978-84-936888-9-9


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SEVENTY YEARS OF CURSILLO 1944 – 2014

On October 18th in Mallorca, a day-long celebration was held to mark the 70th anniversary of the Cursillos in Christianity Movement. The celebration took place at the Monastery of Lluc, high in the mountains behind Palma. The Cursillo Movement was begun in 1944 through the drive of Eduardo Bonnin, its founder, and over the years has travelled to every continent where there are now 45 million people who have lived the Cursillo.

Four hundred and fifty participants from different countries of the world gathered at the Monastery. While a large group departed towards Lluc from Caimari at 8.00 am, some walked the steep 18 km mountain pathway, while others opted to reach the shrine in buses from Palma, leaving an hour later. Once at the Monastery, an apostolic hour was held. This was followed by a talk by Lorenzo Marian, the president of the Mallorcan Cursillo Movement. He said: “The main purpose of the Cursillo Movement, is to bring the person of Christ to people through friendship; how could it be otherwise, knowing the person of Eduardo Bonnin who promoted the Cursillos since the first one held in Cala Figuera Santanyi, although it was not formalized until 7 January 1949”.

Today in Palma Feba exists (Fundacion Eduardo Bonnin Aguilo) that was created

with the aim of disseminating and publicizing the thinking of the Cursillo Founder, in addition to preserving his work. Eduardo Bonnin travelled to many countries to promote the authentic Purpose, Mentality and Cursillo Method.

Several Mallorcan Cursillistas shared their different experiences of having been involved in the Cursillo Movement since the 1940s up to this day. This was followed by the participants walking the Way of the Cross up the steep paths behind the Monastery.

Gathering once more at the conference site, several Mallorcan Cursillistas entertained the participants with songs and jokes.

Lunch was a smorgasbord of a great variety of local foods provided by those in attendance. Following lunch there were more witnesses by those who had known Eduardo and one young woman who had never met him, having lived the Cursillo weekend after his death. A Cursillista from Mexico spoke on behalf of all those in attendance who had come from other countries. A slide show was presented of Eduardo’s life showing pictures and scenes from his first communion, his time in the army, the first Cursillo in 1944, Cursillos that came afterwards, conferences, Cursillos of Cursillos, the I, II and III


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Conversations, world Ultreyas and meetings with Cursillistas on his many travels throughout the world. There were also pictures of his particular friends, those he made Group Reunion with and pictures of him with three different popes, Pope Paul VI, John Paul II and Pope Benedict.

The day ended with Mass celebrated in the basilica of Llluc by Bishop Salinas, bishop of Mallorca. The bishop received a resounding greeting from the Cursillistas. At the end of mass, as he gave the farewell blessing, he publicly announced that he was going to start the investigation for having Eduard Bonnin declared a saint, although cautioning that it was a long process. This was greeted by much joy in the congregation.

A particularly beautiful part of the celebration was the presence of many young children, the children of the Cursillistas, who were included in some of the events and it was they who brought up the gifts during the mass. It is these young children who are the future of the Cursillo of tomorrow; they will have grown up knowing Cursillo as part of their lives.

The day was greatly enriched by the kindness and friendship shown by the Mallorcan Cursillistas, who always live Eduardo’s message of friendship with all. Through Eduardo and them the rest of the world learns what it is to live the Charism of Cursillo.

Sheelagh Winston


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THE HEART OF THE CHARISM

Part three (final)

The following is the third and final part of a presentation from the VII World Encounter. It was given by Alvaro Martinez Moreno of Cordoba, Spain. He is the president of the GECC (the European International Group) and a member of the Fundamental Ideas Commission

The kerygma and the fundamentally Christian are two closely related aspects that are also a key feature of the method. The whole process in its various stages centres on the kerygma, on the joyful proclamation of the Good News of Salvation, in the announcement of a God who loves us madly in Christ, who offers us a new and fulfilling life in Him. The kerygma is centred in Christ and we find again in it the Christ-centred feature of the CM. This is perhaps the clearest aspect in the CM method, which has been repeated so many times; however we have to keep repeating it, understanding it and learning ourselves, at least in some of its aspects. If it is kerygma, it is the nucleus of the Christian message, it is fundamentally Christian; that is the reason why the essentially Christian is also key in the CM. We proclaim and propose the basics: firstly, what is essentially evangelical, not everything is doctrine, not all is theological reflection, and all morality becomes critical.

If kerygma is first proclamation, is first announcement it is therefore priority for those to whom the message is new (first heard), not known, little known or just assumed; if it is kerygma, it is a joyful message, made by witnesses. There is no kerygma if there are no witnesses, no testimony of life, no experiential reference to the lived experience, if there is no joy in sharing what one lives or intends to live.

Our next key point is closely related to this one, which is the primary objective of the method, the entire learning curve of the

three step method, of friendship, of the proclamation of the kerygma. It is the triple

encounter with oneself, with Christ and with others; it is a fact, an event that can be expressed in various ways, which is also referred to as experiencing the kerygma or as living the Christian way. However, it is explained in a clear and bright way when in the conjunction of those closely related and intertwined three encounters. A first meeting that allows the person to actually find himself, to meet intimately with reality and what reality can come from there, a reality which eventually prepares and enables the other encounters. A central, a fundamental, a vital encounter with Christ, is basically the experience that makes it possible to be a Christian3, an experience that illuminates our very existence and provides a new way of life; an experience in which we find the other; it is the encounter with the other, who will remain as part of one's life, one's own way of life.

It is as a result of that encounter that conversion is achieved; we find again the countless possibilities to talk about the same reality, which, as a Christian is a life of conversion, to experience conversion is essentially to live the Christian way in a conscious, growing and shared fashion. The conversion is what allows us to keep living that triple encounter with oneself, with God and with others for ever. However, that point is not a single fact, but a new direction, a new way of being in which God is the

3 Seminar. “The Ecclesial Movements in the Pastoral Concern of the

Bishops”, Pontifical Council for the Laity, Rome, 1999.


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centre, and therefore it is a process that goes throughout life. The fact that the CM provides, through the charism, an effective channel to enable it, a way in which we can actually join people in this process certainly constitutes a gift of the Holy Spirit; a precious gift which we cannot get used to, a miracle that should not fail to amaze us.

The next point is a basic human and Christian consequence of everything mentioned above: The Christian groups, promoting Christian living groups. It is the logic of the charism, which unavoidably leads to the community; if the whole of the method is aimed to enable Christian life, it must lead to Christian life. It is because living the Christian way means communal living, because a Christian on his own is no Christian at all, because Christianity is communal, a community that realizes in small groups with Christ at the centre, to live in Christ, to follow Christ, to communicate Christ.

It is the groups (group reunions, Ultreyas,), which enables and helps us to live what is fundamental to being Christian, to walk in the process of conversion, to grow in holiness, Christian groups in which friends share in faith and life and also encourage others, motivating them, starting with those closest to their own environment. I think it is important to highlight two key aspects of these groups in the CM which should be promoted. That is to always be ecclesial groups naturally: Christians must be Church (being a Christian is to be Church), in which a sense of the Church is alive, you know and feel as Church, And they can never be an end in themselves: they are a channel for the life of the people. The important thing is to enable life, Christian community, living together what is fundamental to being Christian, in friendship. What matters is the lives of people and the groups have to serve the specific individuals who form them and

have to create the dynamic that the people in the group need.

The last point, the final one is the environments, the action in the environments. This, in a way, is also a consequence of the above steps. The conversion of the person leads to the transformation of environments. Because the process is to enable people to live more fully, more Christian environments are required. You cannot separate people and their environments and the conversion of people from the transformation (or fermentation) of the environments. The method enables the the aims of the CM, the evangelical leavening of environments with the light of the Gospel. The starting point is always the witness of the conversion of each person in their own environment, the action of the person in their particular environment (their own square metre). But from there you can open other possibilities: to act jointly to study and discern environments, to seek channels of coordination and cooperation: the more the fermentation of the environments happens, the more society, culture, the world will be transformed. That is what it is to build the Kingdom of God as the Lord explained: from within, from the smallest thing, like a mustard seed, and acting as yeast.

A communal reality (The CM). A fourth and last compartment in the heart of charism: communion, a communal dimension, embodied and lived in this special community that is the CM. Acknowledging that the original charism drives the movement and means that you recognize that the charism is a compelling force, cohesive communion, unity. The gift of the Spirit is shared by many people, it builds rapport, sharing life and faith and friendship,.not by us, but by the grace of the Spirit. The charism creates communion, towards communion and so builds the


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Church, a concrete and particular way of being Church. It builds the CM and acts as the source and origin of communion.

This means living communion in a very special communal reality: we define specifically as "movement", meaning that it is very broad in terms of participation and membership in it. Combining a universal dimension plus a diocesan implementation. Who then forms the CM? Whoever! It is free and is open to anyone who has had the experience of the weekend and wants to keep connected to others, taking an active part in it. Based on the personal desire to stay in it. That is, it is a very different reality, in which there will be different levels of identification, involve-ment and responsibility. Those who always remain the driving force and core of leaders, the School of leaders: those who participate more cons-ciously and feel the charism of the CM.

In this mobile and movable reality, the charism calls us and unites us in a single CM. We are a movement. We do not act separately, at any level, neither between groups nor Ultreyas, in Schools, in the Diocesan or National Secretariats. We participate and are called to live the same charism and therefore to live unity in diversity. That is communion and fellowship is always a gift and a task. And I think we all have that experience, the gift and task. It is at times an arduous task, which means accepting the tension, difficulty, conflict and even the way in which we understand the charism! However, it also means trusting in the

action of the Holy Spirit and in the will of the people, The Holy Spirit will not free us from stress, but helps us and guides us to overcome it and to walk on.

It is in this way and despite everything else that we feel at home, Benedict has beautiful words to express this: “The movements are the place that helps Christians to feel ‘at home’ in the Church, the house where you can breathe the family of God.” That's my own experience, my house, where I can find

and experience the presence of the Lord, where I grow and build myself as a Christian. Here is where I feel and live the friendship and closeness of my brothers, Here is where I share a same evangelizing project, from where I am being sent, with my friends, to proclaim the beauty and richness of being a Christian; here is where I have the privilege of witnessing God action in the lives of many people. It is certainly my house, the Lord’s gift for my own good, for the good of my family and all my people, so that I can share with them that gift.

V. CONCLUSION

(1) Here is where the practice of dissection ends and what leaves us with an exposed, an open heart, open in those four basic compartments: God, the going toward the other, a particular procedure and communal reality; in revising it all over I find a wonderful disposition, a fascinating arrangement of the four compartments that allows the heart to function and bring life to every corner of the body; That is, from my personal perspective, the heart of the charism. I can only complete this


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presentation with a reference to the Gospel, around three New Testament passages that were included in the last weeks’ liturgy and that somehow also spoke of our charism.

(2) Luke 12: 56 "Don’t you know how to interpret the signs of the times?". I understand that the signs of the times show a special time for the CM. Firstly, by the reality of the world we live in today, of the society and of man. Today, more than yesterday, much more than in the beginning of the CM, we find many people living far from God and at the same time, in great need of God (although they might not know it or might not want to recognize it), That is the analysis that many sociologists and other scholars make of our society, the evolution of the last 50 years is that of a society in crisis, secularized, fragmented, and lost.

It is in this reality, or as a part of it, that we find the Church which for years has been acutely aware of the need to respond in a new way, to a new world, We are calling for a new way of being Church and finding a mission in the world. We are calling to propose the New Evangelization (and new notice!).

It is with the teaching of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, with the recent Special Synod of Bishops and with the recent impetus given by Pope Francis that we should move forward; we should go to the outskirts to meet mankind; and here we find a special reference to the role of the laity and of the new movements.

It is in this context that our charism fits remarkably well; so we wonder “What do we find in the call to the New Evangelization?” Words like first announcement, kerygma, encounter with Christ, conversion, testimony, friendship, small communities of reference resonate

relentlessly; those are our words! All movements, but especially a movement like ours is specially called to make our charism a fruitful one, to give those fruits of maturity that John Paul II called for as the world’s mission and the communion of the Church.

We need to be aware of this reality, not only of the full validity of charism today, as proposed in the draft of Fundamental Ideas, but also of the importance, convenience, necessity, urgency of a charism like ours, of our charism, the charism of our Movement, in today’s world.

(3) 2 Tim 1: 6: “That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift of God that you possess”. A second text, a second reflection. It is necessary to be aware; it is advisable to continue studying the charism, of course... Above all, however, it is urgent to live it and fan it into a flame! Cardinal Rylko’s words in “The New Evangelization: a question of being and doing”4, an opening speech addressed to the representatives of new movements and ecclesial communities, at the Pontifical Council for the Laity, in 2011, are once more clarifying in reference to “the capacity of the ecclesial movements and new communities in terms of offering a significant contribution to the New Evangelization. The real ‘newness’ that can reinvigorate the missionary impulse of the Church today”. For such purpose he stressed the need to, “accept with a renewed spirit and a renewed enthusiasm, the proper charism of the community or movement to which one belongs”, the “capacity of being renewed in welcoming their charism”, the “rediscovering all the more the beauty of each one’s charism while recalling that no charism is given only for the institute alone but for the good of the entire Church and

4 Encounter with Ecclesial Movements and New Communities about the New

Evangelization, Pontifica68sl Council for the Laity, Rome, 2011

http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=5217


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its mission”, and the living of the charism fully and in joy.

Welcoming, rediscovering and living require returning to the source (the heart), and becoming closer to the charism, in order to “be more”, not to do more. Above all, firstly, the most important: God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Return to the centrality of God, to pursuing Christ, to being open to the Spirit. Secondly, the willingness to serve others, attention to others, listening, availability to be close and act fraternally. Then, and only then, comes everything else: the questions concerning method, the route, the three phases, etc... First being, and then doing.

Revitalizing the charism also means doing it within the Church, bearing in mind that all charisms – ours too –, should be developed for the building of the Church, mainly at this time when we, the CM, are called for a greater effort towards communion, co-operation and integration... On several occasions John Paul II pointed out that the Church expected from the movements the "mature" fruits of communion and commitment, such fruits made real through communion and commitment to the local Churches and parishes5 and in co-operation with the various movements6. Specifically to the CM he said: “Join your missionary forces with those of the various ecclesial groups raised up by the Spirit in the Church of our time.”7 Pope Benedict XVI says: “Over and above the affirmation of the right to life itself, the edification of the Body of Christ among others must always prevail with indisputable priority”]. 8

5 Message by John Paul II during the I World Congress of Ecclesial Movements

and New Communities, Rome, 1988.

6 John Paul II homily at the Vigil of Pentecost, 1996.

7 John Paul II speech at the World Ultreya of the CM, Rome 2000.

8 Message by Benedict XVI during the II World Congress of Ecclesial Movements

and New Communities, Rome 2006

Reviving the charism means therefore reviving with joy and enthusiasm our own being, our own identity, turning up to the nucleus of the charism, in order to put such charism to the service of others and even more to the service of the Church.

(4) Mark 16: 15 “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel”. The third and final text is our program. If we are aware of the need of our charism today, if we get ready and help one another to live it, then we will really go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel.

We are a movement; we should allow ourselves to be lead by the Spirit. We should let the Spirit be the one who makes us go – as a community. As a Movement, we shall have unity in what is essential; freedom in what is accidental, and charity in everything and with everyone. Let us come out of ourselves towards others. Let us go out to the whole world – geographically, as in a World Encounter like this, which reflects such plural reality. Furthermore, however, let us go to the realities of the world, the world that is in such need to meet God. Let us go especially to the immense world formed by the far away, the ones who need God even more. And let us proclaim the Gospel: the good news we have once learnt and experienced, and that we now enjoy. The good news of the love of a God who encounters men/women and gives sense to their lives. We are the witnesses of this; we have the privilege of having being witnesses of this in our own lives and in the lives of so many people. We are witnesses and we are aware that our charism lies on this.

Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful!


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In one of the annual reports received and included in the CCCC Annual Report the writer reported that after the Cursillo weekend, many Cursillistas joined a local prayer group rather than becoming members of a Cursillo Group Reunion. The rationale for this was that ‘they are fed more in the prayer group’. The writer of the report asked for feedback about this phenomenon.

A prayer group is a wonderful and enriching way for people to build their personal relationship with God. A Cursillo Group Reunion has a very different purpose.

The mentality and method of Cursillo focuses Cursillistas on transforming their environments with the Gospel and it prescribes a specific way to do this. The Cursillo Group Reunion is at the very heart of the Cursillo Movement, it is why the Movement exists. As Eduardo said, the Cursillo weekend is held so that there will be more people in Group Reunion. The reason for this is that the more people in an authentic Group Reunion, the more people there will be effectively transforming their environments with the Gospel. This means that as the members of the Group develop their friendship, it moves from being a group of friends who share human friendship to one that transcends the human and becomes divine, simply because the dynamic of the group makes Jesus its centre and reason for being. As the number of people in a Group is relatively small, four to five people, the members develop an

intimacy that is not possible in a larger group. This then becomes a part of what each member of the Group lives. The group in fact becomes Christianity in Action which is explained in the weekend rollo of the same name.

As stated above, the purpose of the Movement is for those who have been transformed by the realization that God loves them, to then have the desire to bring that ‘Good News’ to those in their environments. In the Group Reunion they share what they are living as Christians using the Cursillo method and strategy, the tripod of Piety, Study and Action. Attendance at a prayer group does fulfill the aspects of piety, the first leg of the tripod. However, the method of Cursillo calls us to live all three legs of the tripod equally. There can be no authentic apostolic action if it does not flow from our piety and study. There is a very specific purpose to the Group Reunion, to support, encourage and witness to what each is living, their successes and failures in their attempts to bring the Gospel to their environments. It is really a place where each one returns to the source, to the well from which comes the desire and determination to persevere. In the Group Reunion we learn from each other, we experience love and friendship, respect and admiration from the friends that we share the Reunion with.

The Group Reunion is unique in that it encourages each of its members to persevere in the strategy spoken of in the Study of the Environment rollo; to make a friend, be a friend, and make your friend a friend of Christ’s. The Group Reunion is not just about being fed personally, it is more about growing in ways to BE the Gospel in the environments, it is about finding the strength and fortitude to persevere in answering the call of our baptism, and that Continued on page 24

YOU ASKED

US……?


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ATLANTIC

SAINT JOHN

Saint John has little to report. We are hosting the Grand Ultreya on June 14, 2014 and following that we are going into a suspended mode. The executive has agreed to stay on in name only and if the community has people willing to take over the positions - some members have been volunteering their time for over 8 years in various positions - then we are willing to help them transition into their new positions. We hope to have 3-4 ultreyas per year but that is open to the turnouts we get

Thank you for all the help and support you have given the Saint John Cursillo Secretariat. It has been a pleasure working with you and meeting so many wonderful and supportive people

De Colores

Cheryl Maillet

CAPE BRETON WEST

My name is Eddie MacEachern and I am in the 4th year of 5 year term

Secretariat: Spiritual Director, Renewal Centre Representative, Lay Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Post-Cursillo, Supplies We meet once a month for ten months

Our movement covers the area from Port Hawkesbury, NS to Cheticamp, NS Ultreyas. We have 50 – 75 Cursillistas attending Ultreya and we have 3 Group Reunions. Six Ultreyas per year held at the St Joseph’s Renewal Centre in Mabou, NS Our focus for this year is to keep the Cursillo movement active and alive We have no involvement in the School of Leaders and are not aware if there is anything available in the Diocese Our Ultreya follows the Mallorcan model as demonstrated at the annual conferences by CCCC. Our Ultreya consists of a witness rollo.We fulfill the element of prayer by a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

ATLANTIC,

Antigonish (Tri-Counties,

Cape Breton East, Cape Breton West

Halifax, St. John’s, Charlottetown,

Yarmouth, Yarmouth Valley. Saint. John

CENTRAL

Montreal English, Spanish, Hungarian,

Korean London, Kent County/Chatham,

Peterborough, Toronto,

Hamilton, Timmins, Ottawa, Thunder Bay,

Essex, Latin American

WESTERN,

Vancouver, Nelson,

Calgary, Edmonton, Grouard-McLennan, Native Cursillo,


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building bridges from coast to coast Group Reunions: 20 % of our active Cursillistas are in Group Reunion. Weekends We hold 1 Men’s and 1 Women’s weekend a year (both at St. Joseph’s Renewal Centre, Mabou, NS We charge our candidates $100 to attend the Cursillo weekend Regional Conference Depending on the location, 1 or 2 of our Cursillistas attend the Regional conference. Special Events: We hold a Fall rally each year. We let our bishop know when we hold each Ultreya as well as both Cursillos. Bishop Dunn made Cursillo a couple of years ago.

YARMOUTH VALLEY

Lay Director: June Turcot, September was the beginning of my term so two years will be completed at the end of August of a 3 year term. Secretariat: Lay Director, Spiritual Director, Pre Cursillo Men, Pre Cursillo Women, Post Cursillo, Secretary, Treasurer, Palanca Director, Kitchen Director, Rooster Tale Director, Communications Director, Supplies Director, On Site Director and School of Leaders Director.14 altogether. All have a 3 year term. Cursillo Community: The Valley Movement generally covers the area from Weymouth to Wolfville. We usually have

40 at a regular Ultreya and as many as 130 at a special Ultreya (when the Bishop attended) with not everyone there so I would like to suggest that we have 150 active Cursillistas. Our focus for the movement this coming year is to develop our pre-cursillo, promote small Group Reunions and to rejuvenate enthusiasm for the movement by communicating upcoming events such as a Reunion Ultreya/BBQ in September a Cursillo for Cursillistas (School of Leaders workshop), and our monthly Ultreyas. Following our Cursillo in the spring we hold a special Ultreya to encourage Cursillistas to form small Group Reunions. We have two of these FIESTAS because we are in a large rural community and this way they get to meet people closer to home. We have one in Digby and one in Berwick. A newsletter is published by me every month and sent by email to our group of Cursillistas and copies are provided at the Ultreya. We have discontinued our Valley Roosters Tale in favour of a monthly Newsletter by the Lay Director for the time being as it is more current and up to date with the activities of the movement. This is emailed to all and a hard copy is available at Ultreyas. No mailing is done at present. We are currently working on a FaceBook page for the Valley Cursillo to bring all members together who wish to join the group. We hope this will create enthusiasm and revive old members of the community and perhaps create new interest in our efforts to evangelize by inviting prayers, showing group pictures of past Cursillos etc.


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School of Leaders: We do not presently have a School of Leaders organized but when we do it will focus on 'make a friend, be a friend and bring that friend to Christ'. Ultreyas: Our Ultreyas are now held every month in two locations: the 2nd Thursday of every month at St. Anthony's in Berwick and the 3rd Friday of every month at St. Patrick's in Digby. Because of the locations more people are able to attend in our large area of 108 km from Weymouth and beyond to Wolfville. We generally have 30 to 40 attending each Ultreya whereas formerly we had approx 40 attend in the central location of Middleton. The format is that of the Mallorcan model. We have Group Reunion and a witness Rollo. We pray together as a group for our intercessions but we do not visit the Blessed Sacrament.

Group Reunions: Since we have not done any study or polls as to how many are in Group Reunions we can only guess based on general conversation that about 60% are involved in Group Reunion of the Cursillistas who attend Ultreyas and are actively involved. Weekends: Our Cursillo Weekends are have been held in the Spring after Easter only once a year. This year we held a men’s weekend in May with 5 men and a women's weekend the following week with 12 women candidates attending. We follow the Mallorcan method and use the Rainbow Manual. We have been having them at St. Patrick’s Church in Digby. The suggested donation for both candidates and team is $75.00 for the weekend. Our plan for future Cursillos is to hold them in September-October at St. Joseph's in Kentville. We have dates set for 2015. Workshops: We do plan on having a workshop this fall but no date has been set.

Communications with CCCC: Six of our representatives attended the workshop given by CCCC in Yarmouth in April of this year. We also have the Manual of the PEI Conference which each of our secretariat have copies of and are encouraged to read and we have discussions from the topics covered by the rollos. Regional Conference: We did not attend the ACCC conference in April as the date conflicted with the Workshop in Yarmouth. Special Events: A workshop was held last fall, our 2 Cursillo weekends in May. We plan on 3 events this year to bring together our two groups of people attending Ultreyas. When these events happen we will not be holding local (separate) Ultreyas in those months. The first one will be an Ultreya Reunion/BBQ in September. Others have not been planned as yet. Liaison with diocesan bishop: Our Deacon Dave Hasler keeps the bishop informed about our activities. Also bishop receives a copy of our monthly newsletter. Dave Hasler has retired as our Spiritual Director. We miss him but he has been replaced by Fred Hole who is doing a phenomenal job as our new Spiritual Director. Respectfully submitted by: June Turcot, Lay Director Valley Cursillo Movement (Yarmouth)

CENTRAL REGION HAMILTON Lay Director: Frank Malick, 1st year of 3 year term.


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Secretariat (meets Monthly): Lay Director, Diocesan Spiritual Advisor, Co-ordinators (4) of School of Leaders, Pre-Cursillo, Weekend and Post-Cursillo, Secretary, and Treasurer. Members are invited from School of Leaders. Secretariat members meet with Bishop Douglas Crosby each year to give him an overview of what is happening. Bishop Crosby, himself a Cursillista, is very supportive of the work of Cursillo in the diocese The Hamilton Diocesan comprises 126 parishes, 50% of which have a Cursillo Representative acting as a local contact for Cursillo within the parish. Over 4,000 people have experienced Cursillo since 1968, and about 500 are still active in the diocese. Weekends are held each spring for Men and Women at the St. Ignatius Oratory in Deemerton. In 2014 we welcomed 10 men and 15 women into the Cursillo community. The weekends are followed by a 4th Day Reunion sponsored by the School of Leaders and attended by new Cursillistas, their sponsors and team members, where the Foundational Charism is discussed, veterans witness on how they live Group Reunion and Ultreya, and new Cursillistas are invited to share the first weeks of their 4th day. Team members are selected first from the School and then the larger community, with team having to be in regular Group Reunion and/or attending ultreya. Team comprised 10 lay people and 2 spiritual directors for each weekend this year. Candidates and team are asked to give $200 to cover costs of the weekend. Ultreyas: There are 8 Ultreyas within the Diocese meeting weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Ultreyas have been introduced to the Mallorcan model but adherence varies.

100-120 people attend Ultreyas on a regular basis (20% of the active Cursillistas). School of Leaders: The School meets 6 times a year (Jan, Feb, May, Sep, Oct, Nov) in Kitchener and Burlington. A break occurs in March and April due to team formation for the spring weekends. Average attendance has been 25-30 for both locations combined (the same topics are covered in each location). We have just completed a two-year review of the Rollos of the Weekend, and have begun a renewed discussion of the Topics of the 1st Conversations of Cala Figuera. Group Reunions: 25% are in Group Reunions. We have been strongly stressing the importance of Group Reunion the last three years on the weekends and at the School of Leaders. Special Events: We hold a Grand Ultreya each September at which Bishop Crosby celebrates mass and about 100 attend. This July we are planning a family-focused barbecue social at Deemerton, to celebrate community, strengthen friendships among Cursillistas and their families, and re-engage Cursillistas who have faded away from the movement. Workshops: We are holding a workshop in October 2014 for veteran Cursillistas, with a special emphasis on re-igniting Cursillistas who have drifted away from the Total Security of the movement. We are currently engaged in planning it with the CCCC. Communication with the CCCC: We advertise the conferences through our website, newsletter and at Ultreyas. On average we have 5-10 who attend. All on the Secretariat subscribe to the Fully Alive Newsletter.


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Regional Conference: The Regional Encounter is advertised through our newsletter and website. Many attended the Regional Encounter held in Toronto in November 2012. No Regional encounter was held in 2013. De Colores , Frank Malick

TORONTO In the Archdiocese of Toronto, The English Cursillo Movement plans for 2 sets of Cursillo Weekends – Men and Women Spring (May) and Men and Women Fall (Nov). During this reporting period, two sets of Spring Weekends and one set of Fall Weekends were held, respectively at Scarboro Foreign Missions and Consolata Missionaries in Toronto. In total, 38 women and 30 men made their Weekends this past 12 months. The demographics continued to be broad, with a clear trend towards an increasing number of new Cursillistas in the age group of 20 to mid-40’s joining the community. The majority of the new Cursillistas expressed renewal or deepening of their faith experienced over their Weekends. Pre-Cursillo

As in the past, the actual process of sponsoring candidates – soliciting commitment, submitting application, began about 2-3 months before an upcoming set of Weekends. Often, actual attendance could only be confirmed close to the start of the Weekends, as late drop-outs and occasional add-in’s trickled in. This suggested perhaps the need for ongoing education required in the community in Pre-Cursillo preparation.

Concerted efforts have been made in making Cursillo known through pamphlets being distributed in many parishes. The plan was also to initiate Cursillo pulpit presentations in selected parishes, ideally 2-3 months prior to weekends, to provide all responders with good sponsorship, by allowing sufficient time to “make a friend, be a friend, and bring your friend into friendship with Christ”.

Post-Cursillo

The Movement continued to emphasize the importance of the 4th Day. Follow-up contacts by Weekend leaders and sponsors served to encourage new Cursillistas coming out of a Weekend to stay connected with the community, through Group Reunions, or Ultreya and School attendances. Over this reporting period, over 60% of new Cursillistas stayed connected with the Movement in some form, an upward trend. A few gradually emerged to become active leaders, availing themselves to serve in different capacities – rollista’s at School or Ultreya, Weekend team leaders. Overall, it was an encouraging trend.

Group Reunions

All new Cursillistas were encouraged to participate in Group Reunions. Weekend leaders increasingly took on the responsibility to help ‘start up’ groups, either by bringing new Cursillistas into an existing group, or starting up a new group with them. This has proven successful in the past year, with over 50% of new Cursillistas having regular Group Reunions.


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Ultreyas

Three local Ultreyas - Mimico (weekly), East End (monthly), Brampton (monthly), continued to be self-sustaining. Attendance in some had been low. Nevertheless, maintaining the presence of these Ultreyas had always been considered just as important as encouraging attendance numbers. The Movement also maintained a monthly GTA Ultreya to offer the opportunity for the communities from the 3 local Ultreyas to come together. Participation over the past 12 months had been maintained at 15-20 people on average in an evening, not unreasonable considering the relatively long commuting required on a weekday. The most recent Ultreya registered 45 attending, many fresh out of the Spring Weekends. The Spirit was abounding. School of Leaders

The Movement continued to run two School semesters – Fall and Winter, totally about 12 evenings in a year. Over this reporting period, the focus of the School was on Pre-Cursillo, Cursillo, and Post-Cursillo. All were encouraged to attend the School. However, prospective leaders identified among new Cursillistas just emerging from a Weekend were specially invited by the Spiritual Director. This personal invitation had shown to be effective in bringing these prospective leaders to the next step in their growth. As the demographics of the Movement changes, with the gradual infusion of new blood, the need becomes paramount to ensure that new leaders and the community at large are properly formed in the Foundational Charism of Cursillo. Thus sets the direction of the School for the coming year.

Further Grooming of Lay Leaders The Movement had been making a conscious effort to groom new leaders from new Cursillistas coming out of a Weekend. Those with leadership potential were identified, invited to the School of Leaders, and given opportunities to give rollos. They could then be invited to serve on an upcoming Weekend. Through a team formation/preparation period of 10 weeks, these new prospects were further nurtured as Weekend leaders. Over this reporting period, the Weekend team make-up’s had been trending towards an increasingly higher percentage of new Cursillistas serving alongside experienced ones. The hope is to make available a larger pool of leaders to draw from and in so doing provide some long-deserved reliefs to Weekend veterans. Secretariat

The Toronto Secretariat is made up of 7 members – Spiritual Director, Lay Director, Treasurer, Pre-Cursillo, Cursillo, Post-Cursillo, and School of Leaders. Each of the lay positions carries a 2-year term. Two transitions happened over this past 12 months – Manchiu Wong assumed the role of Lay Director and Kevin O’Brien the role of Leader’s School Rector. As we approach the end of this reporting year, we expect the transitioning of the Treasurer role.

50th Anniversary Celebration of the Toronto Movement

On November 23, 2013, the Toronto Movement celebrated its 50th Anniversary at St Roch’s Parish Church in Etobicoke, ON. Cursillistas from long past re-emerged. Veteran and new Cursillistas immersed in an afternoon of fond reminiscing, witnessing, fun, and food. The fruit of the Spirit in the community was


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plainly in sight, germinated from the seed planted by Fr Marshal Beriault when he introduced the Movement to Toronto for the first time 50 years ago. Report submitted by M. Wong, Lay Director, Cursillo Movement of the Archdiocese of Toronto

PETERBOROUGH DIOCESE

Unfortunately the Peterborough Cursillo

movement is currently experiencing a

period of inactivity and Cursillo weekend

and secretariat activities have been

suspended. There are a few Ultreyas still

being held in different parts of the diocese.

WESTERN EDMONTON My name is Dave Kornder and I am acting as the Lay Director for the Edmonton Archdiocese Cursillo Movement. We have a Secretariat of seven members, which includes the positions of Lay Director, Post Cursillo Chair, Communications, Secretary, Treasurer and members at large. The Secretariat has been meeting monthly over the past year for about two hours each meeting. We have a very large geographic area that we serve in the Edmonton Archdiocese and that is presenting us with a few challenges. The Cursillo community includes Cursillistas in Edmonton, Beaumont, Sherwood Park, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, St. Albert, Stony Plain and as far away as Edson. This means that some of our members must drive for two to three hours to gather for Ultreyas, School of Leaders or for team meetings for weekend planning. While not so bad in the summer months, this is a real challenge in the depths of

winter. The real focus for us over the past year has been to continue to develop the School of Leaders. We thank God for the blessings that have been experienced as a result of this effort. Previously, in February 2012, we received a strong foundation and lived example of how the School of Leaders is intended to function through a weekend workshop from Sheelagh Winston and John Schlosser. This year we continued with the monthly gatherings and focused our discussions on the book about our founder entitled “Eduardo Bonnin An Apprentice Christian”. We invited all of the Cursillistas in the Archdiocese to participate, but on average we would have around twelve Cursillistas in attendance. The sense of community and the depth of discussion that was evident at these gatherings was a wonderful example of the charism of Cursillo! Our time has been largely occupied by the preparations to host the 2014 CCCC National Conference at King’s University College in Edmonton from June 19-22. This has been a long-term dream and goal since four of our community had attended the 2011 conference. The opportunity to involve many of our local members and to rejuvenate our spirits has been a side benefit to the many graces experienced in the organizational process. The Ultreyas have been a regular monthly gathering of the community in a meeting room at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on the last Wednesday of the month. We have been attempting to follow the Mallorcan model more closely and do begin with the Group Reunion opportunity for all present. The witness talks that we have been blessed to hear have been wonderful testimony to the power of God and the Holy Spirit in the lives of the


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speakers! There is always a time for fellowship and socializing as well as raising our voices in song together. There are seven or eight different Group Reunions that meet on a regular basis (weekly) throughout the Archdiocese. Each of these is comprised of approximately 5 or 6 Cursillistas. The Group Reunion that I am a member of has been meeting faithfully for at least 20 years! The composition of the group has changed over time, and I have had the privilege of being involved for the past 15 years. There are still many Cursillistas in the Archdiocese who are not

active in a Group Reunion and there is a challenge to invite them and involve them for the future.

Our Spiritual Director is extremely busy with his many duties at a parish and diocesan level and has requested to the Archbishop that another person be considered for the position, who may have more time to devote to the community. This led to a very open and positive meeting between myself, the Spiritual Director and the Archbishop in November 2013. The Archbishop was very supportive of the Cursillo movement, himself being a Cursillista from many years ago in the Halifax area. There was a decision to revisit the position of Spiritual Director after the 2014 conference. There have been a few social events as well during the year for all of the Cursillo community to come together and enjoy each other’s company. These have included a New Year’s Eve bonfire and potluck as well as a summer picnic. Due to the focus on the hosting of the national conference, we have not planned any Men’s or Women’s Weekends over this past year. The one Women’s weekend that was planned in May 2013 was postponed

due to a number of factors. After much praying, it was decided that it was perhaps God advising us to reconsider and wait until a future time. We continue to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit and the graces to be able to offer more weekends in the upcoming year. It has been a very busy year, with much friendship and prayer! We thank God for the blessings of a deeper understanding of the charism through the study of “Eduardo Bonnin An Apprentice Christian”. We thank God for the opportunity to host our brothers and sisters in Christ from across Canada at the June conference! De Colores! Dave Kornder Lay Director GROUARD-McLENNAN Submitted by Rob Burris, outgoing Director of Cursillo - 4th Year of a 4 year term as Director Secretariat: Positions: Chairperson, Director, Secretary, Palanca Chair, Ultreya Chair, Properties (2 positions), and Spiritual Director. The Secretariat meets once a month from September to May. Term: terms are for 2 years, with one 2 year extension possible, for a maximum total of 4 years. Focus: In terms of focus, the Board has had three: 1. the post-weekend (Group Reunion and Ultreya) has been its prime focus. 2. There is also the pre-weekend; i.e. establishing friendships and inviting candidates to a weekend. This has yet to be addressed by the board as the concentration has rightly been on the post-weekend. 3. Finally, the Board is aware of its need to strengthen our relationship with the CCCC so it is not isolated from the larger Cursillista community.


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Cursillo Community: The Cursillo community is comprised of all of those within the Archdiocese of Grouard McLennan. There are Cursillistas outside of this area but these are the exceptions. We have had approximately 2500 Cursillistas experience 125 Cursillo weekends since 1979. It is not known how many Group Reunions there are but the Board is in the process of getting that information with a questionnaire circulated for each Cursillo. Historically, Grande Prairie, Peace River, and Fairview, in Alberta, and Dawson Creek and Ft. St. John, in British Columbia, were towns involved in the Cursillo weekends. In the last 15 – 20 years, Grande Prairie has been the centre of Cursillo activity. Cursillistas from the area travel to Grande Prairie to participate in the weekends and other related events. Recently, the Board has attempted to move the weekends to other towns because we do not want the movement to become isolated to Grande Prairie. We believe that Cursillo is not a Grande Prairie event; Cursillo is the Church in action. So far we have had one weekend in another community, and will have another next spring. School of Leaders: In our community we have two levels of leadership: 1) the Board and, 2) active Cursillistas, roughly 50 -70 people who continually work weekends in a number of capacities. The active group is continually renewed as time goes by. Both groups are open to anyone who is interested and wants to learn more about God and the Church. In this area, the Cursillo is a Catholic movement and so one must be an active Catholic person in order to sit on the Board. Ultreya: – In Grande Prairie, the Ultreya meets once a month from September to

May. We meet at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Other communities formerly held monthly Ultreyas, but have fallen away. Our Board is committed to travelling to those communities to hold Ultreyas and help them get on their feet. Grande Cache will be first. We typically have 20 – 60 participants at each Ultreya. We are currently not following the Mallorcan model exactly, but have incorporated aspects after our Ultreya chair attended the Annual conference last year. The Ultreya typically has: 1) a group reunion, with men’s and women’s groups meeting; 2) a witness Rollo, which we have always had; and, 3) we bring intentions forward. We intend to bring intentions before the Blessed Sacrament several times next year. All changes to our format have been met with approval from the community. Group reunions: We have no formal data collected with respect to the percentage of Cursillistas who are involved in a group. However, informally the Board all feels that percentage is low. The post-cursillo is a focus and a concern for our board and has been for some years. This focus has taken priority since Sheelagh Winston’s visit last year. This issue will continue to be a focus for our community. In an attempt to address some of issues around the post-cursillo we made some changes to the weekend. We shortened talks to provide more corridor time to build relationships. We have ensured that we model the group reunion process at the weekend and form groups during the weekend. We also ensure that Rectors and Rectoras are currently involved in group reunions. The successful groups have been together for up to 30 years.

Weekends: We have one men’s' and one women’s weekends per year. Currently the weekends are held in Grande Prairie. Continued on page 31


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MATTERS

SPIRITUAL

FROM VISION TO MISSION The opening meditation given by John Schlosser at the 2014 annual

conference. With this meditation we begin the theme of this conference: from Vision to Mission. The vision of Eduardo Bonin was and still is; that the realities of Christianity become alive in the uniqueness, originality and the creativity of everyone – of every Christian. Eduardo experienced this insight from his experience with the other soldiers with whom he shared his life for several years. Eduardo saw the other soldiers not just with his eyes – he saw them with God’s eyes. He saw the potential for good in them which others could not see or refused to see. What Eduardo saw was that the great possibilities of the soldiers was, is and will always be “ the stone which the builders rejected became the corner stone” (MARK 12 10-11 Was not Eduardo’s vision also the vision of Jesus: Who saw in Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Peter and all the other disciples their great possibilities in revealing the wonderful hope that God never tires of offering in Christ’s never-ending life. What Eduardo saw in his fellow soldiers is only a shadow of what God saw in them. But, in Eduardo’s vision what he could not see – nevertheless emerged in the

charism of Cursillo. How does God see what I look at in the people with whom I am involved – especially in friendship. How does God see the people with whom I live, work and play with. What else does God see in them that I have not yet seen. As I get to know them as God knows them – how amazing can my vision of them become? Why is it that, at times, I tire of trying to see them as God sees them? Did Eduardo ever tire of trying to see others as God saw them? While I am not to compare myself to anyone else, still I need to be reminded of the way in which Jesus looked upon everyone – even the people who criticized Him. Even though what they said to Him may have angered Him, His anger was meant to bring out their giftedness. Even though they may have refused to respond to His invitation to develop their giftedness, their refusal did not stop Jesus from always inviting them to realize their giftedness and to use it for the food of others as He used His sacred giftedness

Jesus saw the glory of God in the giftedness and even in the potential giftedness of all people.


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Eduardo also followed Jesus consciously in this regard. – not only in the people with whom he was involved but also situations of his life requiring his un-divided attention. How conscientious am I in trying to see others as God sees them, to see God’s vision in the situations that require my un-divided attention? How much hope is there for me if I do not try to face the challenging circumstances of my life as God sees them? In persevering in the task of seeing others, seeing the situations in our life as God sees them there is great service to our world. After all, the call of Christianity that God emphasized in the life of Eduardo was

service to the world. Eduardo realized that the Church is to be a servant to the world. The song that is based on Isaiah – “those who serve the suffering world will renew their strength – they will mount up on wings like eagles – they will run and not be weary – they will walk and not faint – help us Lord in thy way. Eduardo could see the vision of God in this song – calling the church to be of service to the world by seeing the world with God’s eyes. What about me? Will I persevere in trying to see the world with God’s eyes?

Continued from page 13

which we hear each Sunday at mass. “Go and make disciples of all nations”. In the Group Reunion the members share whether or not they have fulfilled the commitment that they made on their Service Sheet on the weekend, they share what their moment closest to Christ was, their piety. In the Study section they share what they have experienced to better understand the gift of God in their life, what they have learned that makes them a better person and therefore a better Christian. The action section is where the members of the Group share what they have done to bring the Gospel to their environments, what successes they have had and where things did not turn out as they hoped. They also share how they propose to proceed, what their plan is. The members of the Group agree to pray for each other in their attempts to bring the Gospel to their environment in the following week or until the Group meets again.

From this it is clear to see that the dynamic of the Group is to assist its members in their

primary goal of bringing Christ alive, close and personal to all they meet in their environments, especially those who are far from God and His Church. The members of

the Group Reunion are living out the message of the of all the rollos of the Cursillo weekend, especially the Study of the Environment rollo, and are a living witness of Christianity in Action.

From this we can see that the person who actually gives the Group Reunion rollo on the Cursillo weekend must actually be living an experience of an authentic Group, they must be walking the talk to authentically witness to its effectiveness. CCCC has explored the topic of Christianity in Action which sets the stage for a proper understanding of Group Reunion in several different conferences. This material is available for study from the CCCC Resource Centre.


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I lived my Cursillo weekend in Tampa, Florida in Sept., 2001. It was the 94th Men’s Cursillo of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, and I sat at St. Matthew’s Table. The weekend I attended was held three weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, at a time when many Americans were finding refuge in their faith, and hence it was a time of intense searching for meaning of the events of the day. During the weekend, I developed a hunger for study – study of Scripture, Church Tradition and the Cursillo Movement. At that time, we followed the Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement and the US Leaders’ Manual, so that was my basis for formation in Cursillo. The focus was on bringing leaders to the weekend who could then go out and evangelize their environments. Only those who could receive the sacraments of the Church were welcomed, with preference to the “should go” versus “can go” candidates. My Cursillo world was quite well-ordered, until the US National Director came back from visiting Eduardo Bonnin in 2003, and told everyone that we had missed the key message of Cursillo, that the focus should be on the individual, not the environments, and so a “Shift in Focus” was launched to bring the US into line with the Foundational Charism. The first impact in the “Shift in Focus” was to adopt the Mallorcan outlines, which we did not like and refused to use. In fact, our diocese led a coalition to fight the “Shift in

Focus”. It was only when I attended the 2008 US National Conference as a Lay Director, and the Episcopal Advisor appealed to the Spiritual Directors for unity in the Movement , that I suspected we might be on the wrong track. Moving back to Canada in 2010, I naturally made contact with the Ultreya in Burlington, and began to get involved with the Hamilton Diocese Cursillo Movement. I decided to keep an open mind, and worked my first Canadian weekend with the Mallorcan outlines. Many of made contact with the Ultreya in Burlington, and began to get involved with the Hamilton Diocese Cursillo Movement. I decided to keep an open mind, and worked my first Canadian weekend with the Mallorcan outlinesthe translation problems I had encountered in the US had been corrected, and I found them much simpler and direct. I was also surprised to find that one did not have to be in good standing with the Catholic Church, nor, in fact, even to be Catholic to attend a Cursillo weekend. I am preparing to work my fifth weekend in Canada and what I have learned through experience is that Cursillo attempts to create an environment where one can enjoy a personal encounter with Christ. Everyone experiences Cursillo in their own unique way, but most come away with the profound knowledge that Christ loves them intimately, and that they can’t help but share that love with others And that realization makes all the difference to me – rather than “fishing in the fishbowl” of good Catholics we need to find the “faraway” and invite them to that encounter and the realization that God loves them. Continued on page 31

WitnesS

Daily we touch him


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FROM EDUARDO

In 2000 Eduardo spent a weekend with the Mallorcan Cursillistas a presented a series of talks. The weekend was called Days with Eduardo. The following is one of those talks.

MY IDEA AND MY FEELINGS CONCERNING CURSILLO AND ITS LEADERS, PAST,

PRESENT AND FUTURE

There are two matters I must speak about which I have already spoken about because they are both very important. They happen to be the Group Reunion and the Ultreya. Some intelligent people have asked me in the past why group meetings are held in the Ultreya. I have always replied that this is done in order not to waste our time talking about politics or the weather. We hold the group meeting in order to get to know people better and to become closer to one another. Cursillo has continuity if we have learnt what the group meeting is. It makes the spirit of Cursillo constant in the life of all and the Ultreya is like the Cinderella of the Cursillo movement. It is like a pair of bellows. If it doesn’t work, neither will the Cursillos Movement. The behaviour of the leaders at the Ultreya must be to bring us closer to one another. They must be filled with what we are living. There are people who turn up late at the Ultreya so as not to have to participate in the Group Reunion. Cursillo is about a great number of people knowing Christ and coming closer to Him. People mustn’t be forced. They must wish for this to happen. We must arouse in people a desire to go to the Ultreya. Everyone is unique. We can’t make generalizations. Everyone is un-transferrable and has his/her own personality. We must want to spread the news; people must know that Christ died for our sake and that He is inside those Christians who live their Christianity seriously and truthfully.

The world doesn’t know His words: “I will be with you”, “We shall come to him and make our dwelling inside him”, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you”, When two or three gather in my name, I shall be among them”. People don’t know about this and the news must be spread. If we do so, we’ll feel much better and we must have a desire to meet and know more people. Christ wants me. He wants to be the axis of my whole being. My attitude at the Ultreya ought to be: “I know this person and I also know that other one too; I’m going to find someone I don’t know. At the Ultreya everything Christian becomes appropriate and that is what makes it so beautiful. It has to do with the strength of discovering one another; knowing that we are united like brothers and sisters united by the same motivation. Of course, there are so many things we are discovering. There is a book called “The Hidden Fountain” and it reads “water can run under a rock and not yet be a fountain and there it is. The same happens with affection. But then comes the time for it to emerge and it becomes a spring. However, the rock must be broken because God hid the purest springs of water under the hardest rocks”. There is a great pain in the rock holding back the spring which is to cover its surface with flowers. In every rock there is a spring to be being forged. The world had to bring forth more water. We must place our trust


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and never deny that which our eyes cannot see because the water is below the surface. If somebody lives a sullen and austere life, in a corner without any love and you hear others say that he is heartless, don’t listen to their words. Turn your mind to the water and say “how deep the fountain must be and what great suffering the rock will endure”; this is a fact. We go to the Ultreya and we think that there are people who know nothing at all. But they know a great deal more than us. We must think that the Lord hid the purest springs beneath the hardest rocks to keep them safe and we must go beneath the rock and enjoy the spring of living water which Christ promised to those who follow Him in Spirit and Truth. He told the Samaritan woman and He is telling each one of us the same. A spring of living water will gush from the inside of the one who believes in me. And “Who believed that? What Christian believes these words? Very few are the Christians who believe this and that is why there are so few springs of living water around! If you don’t have what it takes and you don’t have the aforementioned mentality which a leader ought to have, don’t get involved in Christ’s matters. Be brave and take another road. We’ll send you to a TV programme and you can spend the whole day watching television and you’ll have a better time than going to the Ultreya. Christianity is possible, it is fantastic and it is pleasant. But we must break the shell and we haven’t got enough strength, it can be hard on us because the shell is hard. But once it’s broken, the water Christ promised to the Samaritan woman comes forth. This is true and He did not only make this promise to the Samaritan woman but to all of us. The spring can come out of each one of us and when you experience it you feel glad. It is a total pleasure. It is really

something great and wonderful. We have a a spring of living water which was blocked up. When we go to “Mañanitas”, we must try to understand how those people who still need to go through the furnace of their last day at Cursillo, are feeling. Waking them up so early, it is more than enough for them to hear “De Colores” and “las Mañanitas”. If we say “praise to the Lord, praise to the Lord” and “no pasará, no pasará” (It will never happen) , they won’t understand us and they’ll think we are crazy. We must realize that these people are not ready yet. They will be in the evening after hearing the last rollos. All they need to know is that we’ve come to wake them up, we’ve come from different places, we’ve prayed for them and when they come to the Ultreya, we’ll ask them to stand up and we’ll give them an ovation. When all this is true, it moves people. However, when it’s a farce, the Lord is very sad indeed. There was a couple who came to Mallorca and their business went bankrupt. The woman used to say: “Our Lady must be very glad when you call her Mystical Rose”. I thought to myself that this woman had discovered something Christians had not learnt about. She would tell me on repeated occasions: ”I’m going to visit the Blessed Sacrament at Saint James’s Church and nobody has taught me to love Our Lady as you have. You have found the way and are able to call her Mystical Rose”. That woman became captivated and she captivated me. We must perceive these things and live them out. We must bring them to life in our lives. What do I expect from the leaders in Mallorca? I don’t want to become sad because going to Heaven is a beautiful thing. It should cheer anybody up. I think we ought to understand these things and you shouldn’t wait until I die to understand


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them. I’m sure that you will have understood this in two days’ time for the next Ultreya and we’ll all be much happier. In the name of the Lord, please don’t mess about when you get to the Ultreya. Don’t be late for the Group Reunion. We must get involved for the sake of our brethren. There are many interpretations to getting involved, but I think that we must get really close because the Lord deserves it. It is like bullfighting in the ring. We shouldn’t worry about being caught by the bull. The Lord acts as guarantor to what He has said. We can trust his words and step in the apostolic bullring. We won’t be gored by the bull. What does Christ expect and what do all you here expect? The Lord wants us to take him seriously; with the joy that Christ’s matters have. These are profoundly serious and their joy goes even deeper. There was a Cursillo at a leper colony in Fontilles and I wanted to know if leprosy was contagious. I was told it wasn’t as long as we didn’t mix saliva or an open wound everything would fine. With that certainty we went to give the Cursillo near Alicante. We got a rousing reception. There were two Cursillistas who had attended the Cursillo and they had been scratching one day and somebody told them that it was leprosy. The priest who had told them about the Cursillo went there. What a great time we had there. We would eat our meals with them and they would say: “nobody has ever wanted to sit and eat with us at our own table”. But something happened. On the last day several expensive looking cars turned up and several rich young men got out of them. They had come to serve meals to the lepers on the last day. That day we were unable to do it because this privilege had been handed down from father to son or grandfather to grandson and they took pride upon themselves as they placed the trays of food on the tables. That’s all they

did. They simply put the trays down on the tables. They didn’t do what we had done during the Cursillo. I thought to myself there was a huge difference between them and us. We were at the lepers’ service and they had gone there thinking how holy they were after getting out of their flashy cars every Sunday and serving the lepers. What we learnt from those lepers was truly wonderful indeed. Another thing that you ought to know concerns the Montuiri crime9, but that gave a spectacle to the Cursillo of Mallorca. Another issue was the friendship with Tarrassa where we met Armengol. I remember Maite and Damián, a school teacher in La Puebla but who was later posted to Tarrassa. He really did cause a stir in Tarrassa. All of these things have an importance in the history of Cursillo in Mallorca and we must respond to them acting as Christians. The reaction must be a Christian one –not because we have a great responsibility, but because we have a great possibility and people look towards Mallorca. Even if there is a decree saying that the Cursillo Movement depends on the fundamental ideas and it is these which explain all, Mallorca –by the grace of God- is the birthplace of Cursillo. Many people visit Mallorca to see the birthplace of Cursillo. Those of us who are here rock the cradle as we sing a lullaby. That isn’t it at all, you know. We must be Christian and our everyday life must be Christian. We shouldn’t do odd things –just be ourselves, but in Christian terms. Each one has his or her own personality and way of being. This isn’t what I think. It is what Christ expects from each one of us. We must give ourselves to Christ because He deserves it. I don’t deserve anything. I am only the loudspeaker. I think that this is what Christ

9 See the prison story in the Weekend rollo manual


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is asking us to do. I am not a prophet. Christ doesn’t tell me things. I can remember that when Father Laburu was in his heyday –during Pope John XXIII’s pontificate- he would say: “Christ or death”. He would say this in Italian at the parish churches in Rome. He used to say that God had told him this and that. During the Bishop’s visit to the Pope held every two years, when Don Francisco Suárez and Dr. Hervás were there, Pope John XXIII said: “Father Laburu says he has a connection with God. I am God’s Vicar and God has never spoken to me”. Wasn’t the Pope a simple and humble man? They showed the Pope a leaflet –which is the best one that has ever been written about Cursillo- written by Father Casaldáliga when we were giving Cursillo in Africa. It is called “Africa de Colores” and was another thing which had a great influence. We went there with Damián Vidal, a fellow whose surname was Casas and Father Casaldáliga –who has been the Bishop of Matogrosso and is now emeritus and has stayed in Matogrosso. He is a Catalonian man who was with us and wrote this short leaflet. Doctor Hervás had the leaflet on him when he was with the Pope because it had just been printed and when he was about to put it away it was time for the audience with the Pope. It was in his hand and he said to the Pope: “This leaflet explains very well what the Cursillo Movement is about”. The Pope took it and said: “I’ll read it tonight”. He put it in his cassock pocket and I guess he must have read it. There was a very intelligent black man. I think he had a Master’s degree. Cybernetics was just beginning, but he certainly knew a lot. He was married and had two daughters and a son. His eldest son had died. He was a school teacher and more than just that. We

had the idea that he should prepare to give the study rollo. The Bishop was very keen and asked us to give two Cursillos. How did this business of the Cursillo in Guinea all start? It began in Montserrat because there was a group of Catalans with Damián Vidal –the school teacher from La Puebla who had been posted to Tarrasa- who were jumping up and down, singing and telling jokes when the Bishop of Guinea approached them and said: “Why are you all so happy?” Damián Vidal replied: “We are Cursillistas”. The bishop asked them what that was all about and they explained it to him. Then the bishop asked them to go to Guinea and give a Cursillo there. They phoned me that very same evening and asked me if I was willing to go to Guinea and give a Cursillo. “Of course”, I said. “But we must get vaccinated against malaria first”. This school teacher was called Boniface Bian and had to give the Study rollo and we all asked him if he was willing to do so. He said that he wasn’t because his black friends would not be willing to accept lessons at a Cursillo from another black man. He explained that when black people had a child who was ill they didn’t fetch a black doctor because they didn’t trust him and went in search of a white doctor. This was a great pity, but it is true. When we reached the place where the Cursillo was to be held, the black people and the white people were having an argument with each other and we learnt what the whole matter was about. The problem was that the black people and the white people didn’t want to share the same room. But thank God, the rooms were individual ones and each one slept with his guardian angel and the whole matter was forgotten. This man stood up, invoked the Holy Spirit and as he was doing so they said to each other: “This black man is just like us. What is he going to tell us?” He said: “I’m going to tell you what Cursillo


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has meant to me. I have many of your sons and daughters in my class and they have all witnessed my bad temper at one time or another. In order to go to school, I had to walk past the cemetery where my eldest son is buried. Each time I went past, I wept. I’m not ashamed to tell you this because I thought that God had taken my son away from me. That he had died in the prime of life and he was my future because I loved him very dearly. I went to Cursillo a week ago and since then, when I walk past the cemetery, I sing “De Colores” because I know that my son is much better off in Heaven than down here. I truly believe he is in Heaven”. Everyone began to applaud him. They sat down, listened to the rollo and that was really incredible. At the clausura a man gave me a walking stick which I still keep at home. They had made him the chief because he had fought a gorilla and beaten the animal. He had converted to Christianity and said that he believed in the conversion of Africa. He said, “If Christians behave as I have seen they can during these three days of Cursillo, I believe in the salvation of Africa”. There is no airport there. Only a runway and along the side we were able to see black people and white people holding hands and singing “De Colores” around the aircraft. This is what Christ achieved at the first Cursillo we held in Africa –in Guinea.

There is also a great deal to be said about Portugal. They took it so seriously that they even placed a commemorative plaque in Cala Figuera. But we must remember that they spread it to all their provinces abroad: Mozambique, Madeira, Lorenzo Marques, Funchal, Rwanda and Angola. Cursillo reached all these corners. I remember the school in Rwanda where there were some very friendly little black children saying: “Christ de Colores”. And about the Chinese I could tell you many things. We must be grateful to God for so many things, but if you help me, the Lord will spill His grace upon us because the Lord likes –as we all do- people to be grateful. He likes us to have thoughtful gestures in our brotherly love. We must be thoughtful with the Lord and when we pray to His Mother, we must do so with all our strength and from the bottom of our heart. Let us learn how to pray. Let us learn to pray and that it may all come true. Lord, that when we are kneeling before You in the tabernacle, we may say repeatedly that may it all become true and may the truth make us free. Because mankind was meant to be free and take the path which then becomes a highway to freedom which really makes us happy. I won’t say anything more. Thank you for your attention and please forgive this poor Christian for going on so long, but I would go on talking until midnight when I see you all so attentive.

IMPORTANT NEWS

NEW PHONE NUMBER FOR THE RESOURCE CENTRE PLEASE CHANGE YOUR RECORDS TO ENSURE YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH

US WHEN NECESSARY

250 307 6585


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Continued from page 22

Weekends are held in Catholic Schools. In the past we have held the weekends in other communities, but in the last few years that has only happened once. We operate on donations only.

Social Events: We have a held a camp out last summer which was very successful. The next one is planned for August. A bowling night was planned but was cancelled because of a time conflict with pre-weekend meetings. The Board held a Christmas pot-luck. A pot-luck dinner is held at the Ultreya following each weekend. Workshops: We have had one workshop with the CCCC when Sheelagh Winston visited us in May, 2013. Communication with the CCCC: We have been attending the Annual Conference for the last 2 years (2012 as represented by Marg Popek and last year by Janine.) I have no idea how many subscribe to Fully Alive but would guess that it would be very few.

Regional Conferences: We are not aware of the regional conferences. Annual report to the Bishop: We have not been submitting an annual report to the Archbishop, at least not that I am aware of. However, we will begin to do so, beginning with this report. Blessings, Rob Burris

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That revelation was reinforced in reading Eduardo Bonnín: An Apprentice Christian. I never had the pleasure of meeting Eduardo in person, but I feel I know him better after reading this book, and share his eternal optimism and enthusiasm for the human journey we all are on: ‘With the exception of Spain, the movement in the world is going well’. Eduardo Bonnin, Apprentice Christian. May God grant us the perseverance to carry on in his footsteps, and may the Cursillo Method continue to bring souls to Christ.

A CURSILLO OF CURSILLOS IS A GREAT

OPPORTUNITY TO DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ESSENCE, PURPOSE AND MENTALITY OF THE CURSILLO MOVEMENT.

ORGANIZED IN THE SAME MANNER AS A CURSILLO WEEKEND, THERE WILL BE ROLLOS, WITNESS, PRAYER AND DIALOGUE WITH CURSILLISTAS FROM

AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE ARE ALSO DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT

MIGUEL SUREDA, MEMBER OF THE MALLORCA SCHOOL OF LEADERS AND

LONG TIME FRIEND OF EDUARDO BONNIN WILL ACT AS RECTOR FOR THE CURSILLO OF CURSILLOS. WE ALSO HOPE TO

WELCOME TWO OR THREE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MALLORCA SCHOOL TO SHARE THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WITH US.

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND, A “NOT TO BE MISSED” OPPORTUNITY. REGISTRATION INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEW YEAR.

Cursillo of Cursillos

CONFERENCE 2015 CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA,

JUNE 25TH TO 28TH


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CHAIRPERSON SPIRITUAL ADVISOR

Bernie Reilander (613) 820 2228 Fr Pat

O’Meara (902) 881 2565

501 – 1081 Ambleside Drive

[email protected] 34 King Street Yarmouth, NS

[email protected]

Ottawa, ON K2B 8C8

B5A 2XS

Diane Coates (905) 840 8377 76 Trudelle Crescent [email protected]

Brampton, ON L7A 2Z2 Arlene vanDiepen

(902) 961 2271

RR2 [email protected] 544 Settlement Road Morell, PE C0A 1S0 John Schlosser (250) 747 7007 4539 Gordon Drive [email protected] Kelowna, BC V1W 1T3

For address changes, subscriptions to Fully Alive, or to submit questions or articles, please forward to:

S. Winston, Editor. CCCC, Resource Centre

PO Box 23066 Shoppers Westend PO Vernon, BC V1T 9L8

Ph.(250)307 6585 Fax. (514) 227-5221 e-mail [email protected] www.cursillocanada.org

Fully Alive is published three times per year by the National Secretariat of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Cursillos

who is solely responsible for its contents. No article or any part of it may be reproduced without the written permission of

CCCC © CCCC 2014 all rights reserved

Documents

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 NUMBER 71 Fully Alive · VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 NUMBER 71 3 OFFICERS’ CORNER Bernie Reilander This summer has been for me a series of 'the best yets'! Let me explain