Cursillo & Fourth Day Groups
“Cursillo” is a Spanish word that means “a short course.” An Episcopal Cursillo can be described as a three-day retreat in which adult Christians committed to living out the fundamentals of the Christian life and furthering their spiritual growth are welcome – regardless of denomination.
A Cursillo weekend is not intended to replace or detract from your involvement in the life of your church or parish, but instead, to enhance that participation and encourage you to be a leader in carrying out the work of God’s plan. That plan follows the very same mission of All Saints parish by encouraging each other to grow in faith through worship, prayer and service.
It is the hopes of the Cursillo community at All Saints to share with others the joy one experiences on a Cursillo weekend, and how that may enrich your lives. The governing board that supervises Cursillo retreats has been searching for a local site in which to hold the weekends. (The past few years we have been going to Santa Rosa.) It appears that a location has been found in San Francisco, which we would be sharing with other Bay Area Cursillo groups. The hope of all concerned is that this will make attending a Cursillo more feasible for many people, and with that idea comes renewed motivation and enthusiasm.
A Personal Note From Team Leader Mary Kincaid
Having been a “cradle Episcopalian” and worshiping faithfully in the Episcopal tradition all my life, I was not prepared for the transformation that occurred to me when I attended my Cursillo retreat in the early 1980s. For years I had heard and seen the phrase, “God is Love,” in various places. But it wasn’t until I experienced my Cursillo that I really understood that statement. I intellectually understood that God loved me unconditionally, but I didn’t really feel or believe it. However, on my Cursillo weekend I received such generous outpourings of love… from total strangers, given to me freely in the way of prayer, service, nurturing care, acceptance, forgiveness, joyful music, and yes, lots of laughs and hugs. As a result of my Cursillo weekend, I have committed myself to furthering and continuing that ministry so that others might also experience the joy and love I felt. I have since worked on the teams of many Cursillo weekends, and meet with two support groups regularly to keep focused on my role as an apostle of Christ and how I can evangelize the world in my own way. Yes, God IS Love!