Members of the Cursillo Movement recently gathered at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte for a weekend retreat, called an Encounter. Participants included English, Spanish and Vietnamese Catholics from six states. (Left) Cursillistas pose for a photo during the retreat: (first row) Trang Nguyen and Amy Thu-Huong Nguyen, (second row) Vinh Do, Anh Vu and Tac Bui, and (third row) My-Phuong Nguyen, Lily Bui, Tiffany Bui, Minh Huong Tran, Hiep Nguyen and Hoa Le. (Photos provided by Tita Wofford) CHARLOTTE — Nearly 200 Catholics from six states who belong to the Cursillo Movement recently gathered at St. Matthew Church for a weekend retreat, the first held in the Diocese of Charlotte in seven years.
“Cursillos de Cristiandad” (“Short courses in Christianity”) is an apostolic movement of the Catholic Church that was founded in Spain after World War II and has since spread worldwide. Cursillo stresses personal spiritual development, and members – called Cursillistas – strive to support each other in living out their
Christian faith in their everyday lives. Cursillistas participate in regular diocesan weekend retreats designed to help them grow closer to Christ, through talks, prayer, fellowship, Mass and reconciliation. Additionally, they can attend two-day spring and fall events – called Encounters – where they meet Cursillistas from other states and language groups within their region. The April 14-15 Encounter in Charlotte drew Catholics from the Carolinas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
“It was worth the wait,” said John Sequeira, lay coordinator of the English-speaking Cursillo Movement for the Charlotte diocese. “We were originally told to expect about 120 attendees. We prepared for 150. By the weekend, we welcomed over 180 Cursillistas from six states representing three language groups: Vietnamese, Spanish and English.”
The Encounter began and ended with Mass, offered by Father Miguel Sanchez from St. Matthew Parish.
Talks included a keynote address by Deacon Mike Martini, spiritual advisor for Cursillo Region VII, about “Being a Faithful Steward of Cursillo.” He challenged everyone with the question: “Are we living the Movement?”
Pam Kelly, from St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem, said, “Through Deacon Mike’s challenges, I was inspired to reflect and discover more ways to be a faithful steward to my brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Saturday’s agenda included various speakers presenting talks in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, followed by engaging small group conversation. Patti Eiffe, a longtime member of St. Leo Parish, also gave a personal witness.
The talks and small group conversations reinforced why Cursillo has such an impact, participants agreed.
”It’s about growing closer to Christ through friendship,” said Tricia Bunch, rector for an upcoming Women’s Cursillo Weekend in June and longtime member of St. Leo the Great Parish.
“I thought the presentations were both fulfilling and memorable, and I loved the small group sharing afterwards,” added Chris Schneider from St. John Neumann Parish in Charlotte.
Fellowship was also an important part of the Encounter weekend. Vietnamese Cursillistas treated everyone to a traditional dinner on Friday, English Cursillistas provided breakfast on Saturday, and Spanish Cursillistas made a delicious lunch so no one left hungry.
Mealtimes provided a wonderful opportunity to “renew friendships from years past,” said Butch Mayer of St. Matthew Parish. He added, “The sheer number in attendance was a great testament to the Holy Spirit and the Cursillo Movement.”
“We were blessed beyond measure by this Encounter weekend,” said Sequeira. “Thank you to St. Matthew and the countless volunteers from multiple teams and multiple language groups. They did great work behind the scenes and invested their time and talents to coordinate an amazing experience.”
— Tita Wofford, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Pam Kelly and Chris Schneider contributed.
Learn more
At www.CharlotteCursillo.com or www.Natl-Cursillo.org: Learn more about the Cursillo Movement