Sponsor Form

The selection of good Cursillo candidates is the most vital aspect of the pre-Cursillo phase. You must sponsor candidates who will not only benefit from the weekend, but who will persevere in the demands of the Fourth Day - men and women who will participate in group reunion and Ultreya and actively pursue the movement’s central goal, i.e. Christianizing their environments. To be a responsible sponsor, you must:

• Know your candidate. Invite only those individuals whom you know well. “Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ.” The candidate you sponsor must be:
  • A practicing Catholic, free to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church.
  • Strong and mature in Christian faith (the Cursillo Movement is not designed, for instance, to “rescue” someone who is on the verge of leaving the Church).
  • Reasonably sound physically, emotionally, and psychologically (the weekend may be harmful to someone who is not; in addition that person’s presence may inhibit or prevent the spiritual growth of others).
  • Ready to make a commitment to the post-Cursillo activities of group reunion and Ultreya, and to the Cursillo goal of Christianizing our environments (Do not ask, “Will Cursillo be good for this candidate?” Ask instead, “Will this candidate make a contribution to the Cursillo Movement?”)
• Pray about your decision to invite your friend to join the Cursillo Movement. Discuss that decision with other Cursillistas (at group reunion and Ultreya) and a Cursillo priest, deacon, or sister. Do not sponsor an individual who should be making a retreat instead.
• Explain the movement in detail to your candidate: not just the weekend, but everything about the post-weekend phase, especially group reunion and Ultreya, and everything about the movement’s goals, especially Christianizing our environments. Make sure your candidate is not “surprised” by any weekend detail, except palanca and the closing.
• Commit yourself to palanca for your candidate, for the other candidates, and for the weekend team. Plan to get your candidate to the weekend site (get someone else to drive if you are on the team) and plan to attend the closing. Commit yourself to group with your candidate for at least six months immediately following the weekend. Your responsibility to the movement and to your candidate lasts long after you have submitted his/her application.
• Sponsor only one candidate for any weekend. It will be very difficult to live up to your postweekend commitment with more than one.

PLEASE NOTE: You may sponsor a married person whose spouse does not intend to make a weekend, if there seems to be a good reason for doing so (for example, a person whose leadership qualities will guarantee a significant contribution to the movement). As a rule, husbands and wives should still be encouraged to share their spiritual lives by entering the movement together.

Candidate Form

If you still do not fully understand the Cursillo program, please talk to your sponsor before submitting this application. When you are convinced that this is what you want to do, sign and date the back of this application and return it to your sponsor. The Diocesan Lay Director will notify you upon acceptance.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION:
The Cursillo Movement is a movement of the Church. It seeks to revitalize Christian life by calling on its members to enter into a lifelong program of personal piety, study, and apostolic action - in other words, to be a GOOD CHRISTIAN.

Pope Paul VI gave his approval to the Cursillo Movement in 1966, appointing St. Paul as the official Patron and Protector of the Movement.

The purpose of Cursillo is to help those in the Church understand their calling to be Christian leaders. The members of Cursillo are called Cursillistas (pronounced Cur-see-yih-stahs). The Cursillo Weekend serves as the means of entry into the Cursillo Movement. During this weekend, you will listen to a series of rollos (pronounced roy-yos) (talks), gather in small group discussions, sing, and worship. These rollos are given by very knowledgeable team members and spiritual directors, interspersed with other spiritual, educational, and recreational activities. After listening to these rollos, you may find that you know very little about truly being a Christian.

The Cursillo Weekend is not a traditional retreat, nor an alternative to Marriage Encounter, or a Charismatic Renewal seminar. It is neither the time nor the place to seek psychological or emotional healing. Therefore, we ask you to prayerfully consider your motives before submitting an application. Consult Cursillistas you know, especially your sponsor. Please be sure that you are open to the experience of Christ’s calling you to active and continuing participation forever. Feel free to ask your sponsor to take you to an Ultreya meeting or to invite you to a Group Reunion.

The Cursillo Weekend, in the Diocese of Charleston, is conducted by a team of Cursillistas and spiritual directors. Conditions are comfortable, but not luxurious. Days are full, with free time limited to short periods throughout the day. Each person spends the weekend in a loving, joyful, Eucharist-centered Christian community.

For your application to be accepted, you must be sponsored by a currently active Cursillista.
You must also be:

• A practicing Catholic, free to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.
• Strong and mature in Catholic faith.
• Sound emotionally and psychologically (the weekend may actually be harmful to the individual who is not).
• Completely informed about the overall movement and honestly want to be an active member.

I have read the information on this application and discussed it with my sponsor.
I am prepared to make a commitment to the Cursillo Movement.