Going into Cursillo, I had questions. Every prospective Cursillista does.
What’s it like? Are there trust falls and a ropes course? Will it be an epiphany or just a weekend away for worship and fellowship?
Future Cursillistas should know that there’s not a great deal of information out there about what to expect. When I asked friends at my home parish about their experiences, they said, “Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself.”
Pre-Cursillo 139, that was frustrating. Post Cursillo 139, I get it.
Cursillo, short course on Christianity, is light on details because each one is different. Each Cursillista is unique. The blend of Cursillistas, cha-chas and rectors change with every Cursillo, so the chemistry and interactions are never the same. And then there is the Holy Spirit, which moves in ways we can’t predict.
While every Cursillo will have study, worship, prayer and singing, each is a weekend unlike any other.
Every Cursillista needs to come to Cursillo with an open mind and open heart and be ready to be surprised, because there will be surprises. If I revealed what those are, then they wouldn’t be surprises. Spoiler alert: At no time was there a trust fall or a ropes course.
I came into Cursillo expecting to make friends, and I did. When my fellow Cursillistas and I run into each other, there are hugs, and we look forward to the times we meet for Fourth Day and Ultreya. With friends who have taken part in earlier Cursillos, there is now a bond that fellow pilgrims share.
Many of the surprises that a Cursillista will find are within themselves. For me, it was how, after a weekend away from television, internet and my cell phone, that I wanted the quiet of study and worship.
A month later, and I’m reading the Daily Office most days and looking forward to that time of study, praise and prayer. At work, I’ll find a quiet spot for a prayer at lunchtime. I now look for less noise and more peace, less scrolling and more real-life connections.
Another surprise is the love experienced and the connections among everyone there. We’re still unable to fully fathom the love of God, but Cursillistas do get a better understanding of it.
Post Cursillo, worship at my home parish is deeper, and connections to my church family are stronger.
A weekend at Cursillo goes by fast, and it is surprising how we were wanting it to last a little longer. Each of us has jobs, homes and families we love, but the time at Camp Bratton Green at Cursillo recharged us and refreshed us in unexpected ways.
Those who come into Cursillo with questions will likely still have questions. Cursillo can whet your desire to learn more about Christ, and those on the Cursillo path often learn enough to know they want to learn more.
Annie Oeth, a Cursillista from Cursillo 139, is a parishioner at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Jackson
2026 Cursillo Dates
Grand Ultreya—Saturday, Jan 10 Gray Center Camp side
Cursillo 140—May 1-3 Gray Center camp side
Cursillo 141—Sept 18-20
