What is Cursillo?

The Cursillo is an encounter with Christ. Its mission is to bring Christ to others by learning how to embrace our vocation as laypersons. It promotes a spiritual revitalization of our world. By living a fully Christian life, we bring Christ to others, including members of our family, workplace, school, etc. The Cursillo Movement provides a method and a technique to provide each of us with the tools, the mentality, the strength, and the support to make this natural type of evangelization possible.

The Cursillo weekend is more a workshop than a retreat. It is an opportunity to learn, grow and share in Eucharist prayer, adoration, and personal reflection within the context of a Christian community. The weekend is designed to inspire and encourage the deepening of faith and to develop a consciousness that we are called to be leaders in our environments.

Our History

Cursillo (pronounced "kur-see-yo") is a Spanish word meaning "short course" - a short course in Christianity. The Cursillo started in Spain in the late 1940's and has since spread throughout the world. It came to the United States in 1957 when Spanish Air Cadets, training at Lackland AFB, in Waco, Texas held a Cursillo weekend for a group of Spanish speaking men. The first weekends in Atlanta were held in 1965 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. That gathering and all those held since had roots going back to the very first three days held in the monastery of San Honorato on the Island of Majorca, Spain in 1949.

The Weekend: What to Expect

The Atlanta Archdiocese Catholic Cursillo Weekend is held at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Ga. It begins Thursday evening at 7:00pm and concludes Sunday evening at 5:00 pm. During the weekend, a team of religious and lay personnel presents a series of talks to the candidates. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the team and candidates live as a small Christian community over the weekend and discuss these talks in small groups. The discussions provide an opportunity to share insights about the presentations and hear how others received that same presentation. The talks and discussions cover a variety of topics including:

The lay person's role within the Church
Meaning of grace and sacraments
Importance of prayer and the study of God
Christian leadership and living Christianity in community
Our call to bring Christ to others and transform the very environments in which we live
The importance of supporting one another in our efforts to live a truly Christian life

Throughout the weekend the participants will pray together, attend daily mass and have an opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.