By Tina Prosenick
Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ! Translated “Little Couse”, the Cursillo is basically a four day walk with Christ, where individuals experience an encounter that has a lasting effect on their connection with the Lord. In the words of one participant, “It was the most magnificent AMAZING spiritual weekend experience. I had never felt so at peace after.”
A Cursillo weekend is offered to individuals by cursillistas, those who have previously attended a Cursillo, although they may also be sponsored by the parish.
After attending a Cursillo, the next experience with the community is called an Ultreya, where cursillistas come together to ‘unpack’ and recharge their lives. I was finally able to find an Ultreya here in the Phoenix area. I hadn’t been able to find one since I left Montana five years ago and I sure did miss it. “Ultreya” is a Spanish word, derived from the original Latin, meaning Onward! This word is now used by the Cursillo community to signify the meeting which is held after a Cursillo experience.
The Ultreya gathers together groups from a particular region and provides continuity by contributing to the maintenance of the Cursillo spirit and by revealing the reality of the living Church.
In a climate of friendship, members share their life experiences based on the three tenets of Cursillo life (prayer, study and action) or on a passage from Scripture. This sharing from real-life experiences can either be contemplative in nature or may deal with an evangelizing experience, and it serves as examples to all of us of the challenge which Jesus lays before His followers: “Go and do likewise.”
As its name implies, the Ultreya is a call to move forward and to keep the flame of the Cursillo burning brightly.
If you have made your Cursillo, please let Sr. Mary Beverly know at srmarybeverly@sescc.org because we are updating our records at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. Some of you may have made your Cursillo in other parishes, and we are interested in starting small groups to carry on the Ultreya within our own parish.
In September, The Most Reverand Bishop John Dolan attended an Ultreya at Mount Claret where he gave a talk on the movement. We were also honored to have The Most Reverand Eduardo A. Nevares, Auxiliary Bishop, who is very invested in Cursillo and Ultreya.
Interested in attending a Cursillo? Visit the Phoenix Cursillo website at: www.phoenixcursillo.com to sign up for their newsletters and find out where monthly Ultreyas are happening.
You can stop by the St. Elizabeth Seton office to get the necessary paperwork to attend one. If you don’t have a sponsor, please talk to Sr. Mary Beverly and she will help you get one.
~God’s peace to all~
