During the weekend you will hear five meditations and fifteen talks. (Yes, it sounds a lot but it's amazing how they fly by!) The meditations and five of the talks are given by the clergy and the other ten talks are given by lay members of the team. During the weekend, participants work together in small table groups and there is an opportunity to respond to the talks in a variety of ways. (Don't worry - you will not be put on the spot.) Each table is assigned two leaders who will help facilitate discussion.

CURSILLO IN THE DIOCESE OF WAKEFIELD

The Cursillo movement began in Spain and made its way to England via America. The Spanish word "Cursillo" means `a short course' but a Cursillo weekend is much more than that. It is a three day experience which, in the Diocese of Wakefield, happens twice a year.

The Weekend

Timetable (click here for typical timetable)

We begin at tea time on Thursday evening. There is time to settle in and to meet others who will be sharing the weekend with you - some will be there as fellow participants; others are members of the team that will be serving you throughout the weekend. (All members of the team have previously been participants on a Cursillo weekend and will have been working and praying together for some time in preparation for your weekend.) You will soon discover that the age range of the people there is wide and that we all come from a broad variety of backgrounds which all helps to enrich the weekend. Following the Thursday evening meal (the food is excellent and you won't have to cook or wash up all weekend!) our leader for the weekend will introduce the team and explain more about the weekend. Two meditations follow and after our short evening service there will begin a period of silence which will last overnight.

Friday and Saturday begin at an early hour (so be prepared!) and you will be given a slight lie-in on Sunday morning. Friday and Saturday begin with a Eucharist and close with a service in the chapel. Sunday begins with non-Eucharistic worship in order that the weekend reaches its climax in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday afternoon. We then make our way back home at the end of Sunday afternoon.

Teaching , Praying and Sharing

The team is there for you throughout the weekend and if you would value a chance to talk/ pray/ make  confession; the clergy will make time available for you.

During the weekend we will worship and pray together, we will learn together, we will share meals together, we will have a lot of fun together, and we may even share a few tears together. The programme is busy and Cursillo is not really a retreat but there are opportunities for quiet during the weekend. In other words, Cursillo is a multiple experience which we go through individually and together in community. Cursillo weekends are soaked in prayer - people will be praying for you from the moment your application is received.

We can't promise that every single aspect of a Cursillo weekend will be just right for you but many many people have found their Cursillo weekend to be a highly significant moment in their lives. Most participants experience the drenching of God's love. For some, the weekend is a point of healing; for others it is a point at which important life decisions are made. We simply ask you to be open to God's agenda during the weekend so that you can receive from Him.

After the Weekend (The 4th Day)

Cursillo offers to Christians, and to the Church a support and encouragement structure based upon monthly meetings in Churches around the Diocese. There will also be an opportunity to join a small group in your locality.

In summary - Cursillo Offers

• An opportunity to grow in faith
  
• A way of experiencing Christian Community
  
• Help in our spiritual journey and Christian witness
  

We hope very much that you will join us on a Cursillo weekend soon. Whether you do or not, may God bless you richly.

Click here for details of planned weekends

Click here for Weekend Application forms

Further Information

Click here for an Information Leaflet

Click here for weekend dates are available here

If you would like to find out more about Cursillo please contact:-

Rev. Simon Moor