History of the Cursillo Movement
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The Cursillo Movement is a movement of the Catholic Church. The name Cursillo is Spanish, meaning short course, and is often associated with a 3-Day weekend - which is only one aspect of the Cursillo Movement. The proper name is Cursillo de Cristiandad (short course of Christianity). There is much more to the Cursillo Movement than just a 3- Day weekend. This Movement evolved from Spain in the early 1940s. It began when a group of men dedicated themselves to bringing the young men of Mallorca, Spain, to know Christ better. It developed as they prayed and worked together, sharing their thoughts about the state of the world and the effectiveness of their efforts to bring the light of Christ to it. In the late 1940s the first Cursillo was given and the Cursillo Movement began.
The Cursillo has been refined and changed somewhat, but today’s Cursillo weekend remains basically the same as those first Cursillos. The first Cursillo was so fully formed that a movement began from that date. It grew out of a process of development. Its leaders had worked together to bring men to Christ – to Christianize the world. The Cursillo grew in the climate of spiritual renewal. It was developed by men of prayer who were seeking to serve the Lord. It was formed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit working in men who had dedicated themselves to bringing others to a knowledge of Christ. The Cursillo Movement came to birth in the movements of renewal that preceded the second Vatican Council. Vatican II was such a major event in the history of the modern Catholic Church that there is a certain tendency to date everything from the Council. But Vatican II was itself born out of an effort of spiritual and pastoral renewal that had begun years before.
The liturgical movement, the scriptural renewal, Catholic Action and other movements of the lay apostolate had begun years before the Council. Everywhere in the Church, people were seeking to find ways of “bringing the Church to life in the hearts of men” (Romano Guardini). The Cursillo Movement came from the work of such individuals. The first stirrings of what later was to become the Cursillo Movement began on the island of Mallorca during World War II. The Spanish Civil War had ended in 1939, and the years after the Civil War were a time of ferment in the Spanish Church. Before the war, a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Compostela had been planned. This spiritual Journey to the great Spanish pilgrimage center of the Middle Ages would provide a time for the young men and women of Spain to dedicate themselves in a renewed way to the work of the apostolate. After being postponed several times by the disruption of war, it was finally rescheduled for 1948. The spirit of this pilgrimage was a spirit of restlessness, of dissatisfaction with spiritual lukewarmness, of moving onward - “ultreya.” *Spanish for “onward” or “keep on going.” Ultreya was a cry of encouragement for medieval pilgrims. The Cursillo Ultreya is a regular gathering of cursillistas to encourage each other in their pilgrimage to the Father.
It was also a spirit of brotherhood among fellow pilgrims who were striving together to reach the goal of a life fully given to the love of God and man. This pilgrim style has marked much of the spirituality of the Cursillo Movement. Preparation for the pilgrimage gave rise to efforts of renewal in the different Catholic Action groups in Spain, among them the branch for young men in the diocese of Majorca. As a result of the preparations for the pilgrimage there was greater interest in finding an effective way to work apostolically. The groups responsible for preparations for the pilgrimage to St. James were the diocesan councils for the young men’s branch of Catholic Action. Catholic Action was the official organization of the lay apostolate in Spain (and in many other countries). Most organized efforts of Catholic laity taking part in the work of the Church were part of Catholic Action (which was supported and directed by the hierarchy).
In Spain, Catholic Action was divided into the men’s branch, the women’s branch, the young men’s branch and the young women’s branch. The leaders of the young men’s branch (on the island of Majorca) were the founders of the Cursillo Movement, who worked together as a team. Together they worked at the task of forming Christian life among the young people in Majorca. Out of their common efforts, dedicated to the work of God, something new in the life of the Church was born. Church renewal, spiritual renewal, pastoral renewal, the pilgrim style, a pastoral plan, teamwork among leaders - the Cursillo Movement grew out of all this. At first the Cursillos were just “little courses” (little course is the literal meaning of the Spanish word - Cursillo) which were given by the young men’s branch of Catholic Action. They were given to members of Catholic Action groups as a means of formation to develop effective apostles.
The first Cursillo in the United States was held in Waco, Texas, in 1957. The key figures then were Father Gabriel Fernandez and two airmen from Spain, Bernardo Vadell and Agustin Palomino, who were training with the United States Air Force. Father Gabriel had arrived in Waco in 1955 from Spain where he had attended his Cursillo under two of the founders - Father Juan Capo and Eduardo Bonnin. Airmen Vadell and Palomino were transferred to Mission, Texas, just after they had completed the second weekend in Waco. By late 1957 the traveling airmen had conducted the first weekend in Mission. In 1958 they established a Cursillo Center in Laredo, Texas, and soon after, the movement was introduced in Corpus Christi. In 1959, the Cursillo spread throughout Texas and to Phoenix, Arizona. In August of that year the first national convention of spiritual directors was held, and the first Ultreya magazine was published. From that point on, the growth of the Cursillo Movement quickened throughout the United States.
All weekends were held in Spanish, until 1961. That year the first English-speaking weekend was introduced in San Angelo, Texas. Throughout the 1960s, Cursillos were introduced (Spanish and English) in places such as Lorain, Ohio; New York, New York; San Francisco, California; Gary, Indiana; Lansing, Michigan; Gallup, New Mexico; Cincinnati, Ohio; Brooklyn, New York; Saginaw, Michigan; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kansas City, Kansas; Boston, Massachusetts; Monterey, California; Sacramento, California; Los Angeles, California; Pueblo, Colorado; and Yakima, Washington. The Cursillo Movement in the United States was organized nationally in 1965. At this meeting a National Secretariat was organized, and a National Cursillo Office (currently in Dallas, Texas) was established. Furthermore, it is linked to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Today it is a worldwide movement with centers in countries such as: Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United States, Yugoslavia, and several African countries. The movement is a member of the International Catholic Organizations of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome. In 1980 the Cursillo Movement established an international office, called the OMCC (Organismo Mundial de Cursillos de Cristiandad). The OMCC coordinates the four existing international working groups (Latin America, Europe, International English Language Group, and Asia/Pacific Group), whose leaders meet periodically to further its work.
At one of these meetings in Rome in 1966, Pope Paul VI had the opportunity to address the movement. Among his words of encouragement were the following: “Cursillos de Cristiandad, that is the word, purified through experience, affirmed by its fruits, that today travels with citizenship papers throughout the world . . . “Whether some methods become obsolete, whether new manifestations of the Spirit arise, the permanent task of the layman will continue to be the infusion of Christianity into life through the encounter and personal friendship with God and in communion with his brothers. The layman, upon forming himself in Christianity, reforms his mentality and conforms his life to Christ’s image by means of faith, hope and charity; acting with complete responsibility he transforms the temporal structures in which he is immersed, guided in his action by the glance of Christ he continually tries to remake the world according to God’s plan and design . . . “We know that in your plan of spirituality and apostolate in the Cursillo Movement the ‘Sensus Ecclesiae’ (mind of the Church) is the guiding light that orients you . . . “Beloved sons and daughters: Our soul is so oppressed by the vision of the evils which afflict the Church and mankind. But permit us to express our overwhelming joy that, at this moment, floods our soul before the immense chorus of your manly faith in Christ, your fidelity to the Church, your fervent loyalty to this Chair of Peter and to the ministry of the episcopal hierarchy. “Cursillos de Cristiandad! Christ, the Church, the Pope, are counting on you!” Pope Paul VI First World Ultreya, Rome May 28, 1966 In 1980 Pope John Paul II, addressing the first National Italian Ultreya in Rome said, “Your movement, which recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, devotes itself to drawing forth from Christians a commitment to live lives consistent with their faith whether individually or as a community – and to bring this ferment to the environments where you live. “You have discovered anew the explosive truth of the evangelical message: God, Father of all, comes to us as we encounter him in Jesus Christ to reunite us through the grace of the Spirit in one family which is the Church. “In her we are truly able to experience even now the love which will be the inexhaustible fountain of eternal joy in heaven. Here then is the synthesis of all of Christianity. This is the news that all human hearts hope for without realizing it. Therefore dedicate yourselves more and more to being tireless apostles in your environments. “My apostolic blessing goes with you as a pledge of this divine grace which enables you to live forever.” Pope Francis addressing participants in the course of formation of the Cursillos de Cristiandad Movement (30 April 2015)…… I encourage you to “keep pressing forward”, faithful to your charism! To keep alive the zeal, the flame of the Spirit who always urges the disciples of Christ to reach those who are distant, without proselytizing, to “go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel”
(An excerpt from the article “The Cursillo Movement – What is it?” published by the National Secretariat, copyright 1995)
The Cursillo Movement is a movement of the Catholic Church. The name Cursillo is Spanish, meaning short course, and is often associated with a 3-Day weekend - which is only one aspect of the Cursillo Movement. The proper name is Cursillo de Cristiandad (short course of Christianity). There is much more to the Cursillo Movement than just a 3- Day weekend. This Movement evolved from Spain in the early 1940s. It began when a group of men dedicated themselves to bringing the young men of Mallorca, Spain, to know Christ better. It developed as they prayed and worked together, sharing their thoughts about the state of the world and the effectiveness of their efforts to bring the light of Christ to it. In the late 1940s the first Cursillo was given and the Cursillo Movement began.
The Cursillo has been refined and changed somewhat, but today’s Cursillo weekend remains basically the same as those first Cursillos. The first Cursillo was so fully formed that a movement began from that date. It grew out of a process of development. Its leaders had worked together to bring men to Christ – to Christianize the world. The Cursillo grew in the climate of spiritual renewal. It was developed by men of prayer who were seeking to serve the Lord. It was formed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit working in men who had dedicated themselves to bringing others to a knowledge of Christ. The Cursillo Movement came to birth in the movements of renewal that preceded the second Vatican Council. Vatican II was such a major event in the history of the modern Catholic Church that there is a certain tendency to date everything from the Council. But Vatican II was itself born out of an effort of spiritual and pastoral renewal that had begun years before.
The liturgical movement, the scriptural renewal, Catholic Action and other movements of the lay apostolate had begun years before the Council. Everywhere in the Church, people were seeking to find ways of “bringing the Church to life in the hearts of men” (Romano Guardini). The Cursillo Movement came from the work of such individuals. The first stirrings of what later was to become the Cursillo Movement began on the island of Mallorca during World War II. The Spanish Civil War had ended in 1939, and the years after the Civil War were a time of ferment in the Spanish Church. Before the war, a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Compostela had been planned. This spiritual Journey to the great Spanish pilgrimage center of the Middle Ages would provide a time for the young men and women of Spain to dedicate themselves in a renewed way to the work of the apostolate. After being postponed several times by the disruption of war, it was finally rescheduled for 1948. The spirit of this pilgrimage was a spirit of restlessness, of dissatisfaction with spiritual lukewarmness, of moving onward - “ultreya.” *Spanish for “onward” or “keep on going.” Ultreya was a cry of encouragement for medieval pilgrims. The Cursillo Ultreya is a regular gathering of cursillistas to encourage each other in their pilgrimage to the Father.
It was also a spirit of brotherhood among fellow pilgrims who were striving together to reach the goal of a life fully given to the love of God and man. This pilgrim style has marked much of the spirituality of the Cursillo Movement. Preparation for the pilgrimage gave rise to efforts of renewal in the different Catholic Action groups in Spain, among them the branch for young men in the diocese of Majorca. As a result of the preparations for the pilgrimage there was greater interest in finding an effective way to work apostolically. The groups responsible for preparations for the pilgrimage to St. James were the diocesan councils for the young men’s branch of Catholic Action. Catholic Action was the official organization of the lay apostolate in Spain (and in many other countries). Most organized efforts of Catholic laity taking part in the work of the Church were part of Catholic Action (which was supported and directed by the hierarchy).
In Spain, Catholic Action was divided into the men’s branch, the women’s branch, the young men’s branch and the young women’s branch. The leaders of the young men’s branch (on the island of Majorca) were the founders of the Cursillo Movement, who worked together as a team. Together they worked at the task of forming Christian life among the young people in Majorca. Out of their common efforts, dedicated to the work of God, something new in the life of the Church was born. Church renewal, spiritual renewal, pastoral renewal, the pilgrim style, a pastoral plan, teamwork among leaders - the Cursillo Movement grew out of all this. At first the Cursillos were just “little courses” (little course is the literal meaning of the Spanish word - Cursillo) which were given by the young men’s branch of Catholic Action. They were given to members of Catholic Action groups as a means of formation to develop effective apostles.
The first Cursillo in the United States was held in Waco, Texas, in 1957. The key figures then were Father Gabriel Fernandez and two airmen from Spain, Bernardo Vadell and Agustin Palomino, who were training with the United States Air Force. Father Gabriel had arrived in Waco in 1955 from Spain where he had attended his Cursillo under two of the founders - Father Juan Capo and Eduardo Bonnin. Airmen Vadell and Palomino were transferred to Mission, Texas, just after they had completed the second weekend in Waco. By late 1957 the traveling airmen had conducted the first weekend in Mission. In 1958 they established a Cursillo Center in Laredo, Texas, and soon after, the movement was introduced in Corpus Christi. In 1959, the Cursillo spread throughout Texas and to Phoenix, Arizona. In August of that year the first national convention of spiritual directors was held, and the first Ultreya magazine was published. From that point on, the growth of the Cursillo Movement quickened throughout the United States.
All weekends were held in Spanish, until 1961. That year the first English-speaking weekend was introduced in San Angelo, Texas. Throughout the 1960s, Cursillos were introduced (Spanish and English) in places such as Lorain, Ohio; New York, New York; San Francisco, California; Gary, Indiana; Lansing, Michigan; Gallup, New Mexico; Cincinnati, Ohio; Brooklyn, New York; Saginaw, Michigan; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kansas City, Kansas; Boston, Massachusetts; Monterey, California; Sacramento, California; Los Angeles, California; Pueblo, Colorado; and Yakima, Washington. The Cursillo Movement in the United States was organized nationally in 1965. At this meeting a National Secretariat was organized, and a National Cursillo Office (currently in Dallas, Texas) was established. Furthermore, it is linked to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Today it is a worldwide movement with centers in countries such as: Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United States, Yugoslavia, and several African countries. The movement is a member of the International Catholic Organizations of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome. In 1980 the Cursillo Movement established an international office, called the OMCC (Organismo Mundial de Cursillos de Cristiandad). The OMCC coordinates the four existing international working groups (Latin America, Europe, International English Language Group, and Asia/Pacific Group), whose leaders meet periodically to further its work.
At one of these meetings in Rome in 1966, Pope Paul VI had the opportunity to address the movement. Among his words of encouragement were the following: “Cursillos de Cristiandad, that is the word, purified through experience, affirmed by its fruits, that today travels with citizenship papers throughout the world . . . “Whether some methods become obsolete, whether new manifestations of the Spirit arise, the permanent task of the layman will continue to be the infusion of Christianity into life through the encounter and personal friendship with God and in communion with his brothers. The layman, upon forming himself in Christianity, reforms his mentality and conforms his life to Christ’s image by means of faith, hope and charity; acting with complete responsibility he transforms the temporal structures in which he is immersed, guided in his action by the glance of Christ he continually tries to remake the world according to God’s plan and design . . . “We know that in your plan of spirituality and apostolate in the Cursillo Movement the ‘Sensus Ecclesiae’ (mind of the Church) is the guiding light that orients you . . . “Beloved sons and daughters: Our soul is so oppressed by the vision of the evils which afflict the Church and mankind. But permit us to express our overwhelming joy that, at this moment, floods our soul before the immense chorus of your manly faith in Christ, your fidelity to the Church, your fervent loyalty to this Chair of Peter and to the ministry of the episcopal hierarchy. “Cursillos de Cristiandad! Christ, the Church, the Pope, are counting on you!” Pope Paul VI First World Ultreya, Rome May 28, 1966 In 1980 Pope John Paul II, addressing the first National Italian Ultreya in Rome said, “Your movement, which recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, devotes itself to drawing forth from Christians a commitment to live lives consistent with their faith whether individually or as a community – and to bring this ferment to the environments where you live. “You have discovered anew the explosive truth of the evangelical message: God, Father of all, comes to us as we encounter him in Jesus Christ to reunite us through the grace of the Spirit in one family which is the Church. “In her we are truly able to experience even now the love which will be the inexhaustible fountain of eternal joy in heaven. Here then is the synthesis of all of Christianity. This is the news that all human hearts hope for without realizing it. Therefore dedicate yourselves more and more to being tireless apostles in your environments. “My apostolic blessing goes with you as a pledge of this divine grace which enables you to live forever.” Pope Francis addressing participants in the course of formation of the Cursillos de Cristiandad Movement (30 April 2015)…… I encourage you to “keep pressing forward”, faithful to your charism! To keep alive the zeal, the flame of the Spirit who always urges the disciples of Christ to reach those who are distant, without proselytizing, to “go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel”