June 2009 Hamilton Diocese Cursillo Communique

Welcome to the fourth 2009 edition of the Communique for the Hamilton, Ontario Diocese Cursillo community. For more information about the Hamilton Diocese Cursillo Movement visit www.4thday.ca.

In this issue:

• A Message from our Lay Director
• Annual Report
• Cursillo Enrichment School of Leaders
• Secretariat Changes
• Cursillo of Cursillos Fiesta
• Father Frank's Sixtieth Anniversary
• Books Available For Lend Or Purchase Through Secretariat
• Fifth Day
• Last Word

A Message from our Lay Director

Dear Cursillistas,

First, I wish all of you a happy, healthy, safe summer. I hope you can all enjoy some holiday time with family and friends.

On behalf of all Cursillistas, I would like to thank Joyce Hause and Marg Weber, whose terms on Secretariat are complete, for their dedicated, devoted time and work to our movement in our diocese. They have represented us for many years on the Secretariat.

I also thank Kim Jones from Guelph, Sharon Penlington from Kitchener, Joe Trocki and Patrick Guay from Burlington for joining our Secretariat. Kim has taken the secretary position. Sharon has taken the School of Leaders position. Joe has taken the treasurer's position and Patrick the post-cursillo position. David Milne, presently communications has taken over the weekend position. I know we have very dedicated Cursillistas on board to help all of you on your Cursillo journey.

Marg Weber recently gathered some statistics about the number of active Ultreyas in our diocese and the number of Cursillistas attending Ultreyas. Here is the break down. These numbers are the average.

• Burlington – 20
• Cambridge – 2
• Fergus – 2 to 3
• Guelph – 6 to 8
• Hamilton – 5
• Hanover – I don't have a number
• Kitchener – 35 to 40
• Owen Sound – 10

As you can see by these numbers, some of these Ultreyas are probably more like a small group than an Ultreya.

Here is the challenge to all of you. Approach a Cursillista, and invite them to Ultreya. There are thousands of Cursillistas in our diocese. Where are they? Let's work on bringing Cursillistas back to Ultreya and let's make sure our new Cursillistas get to Ultreya. If you sponsored them, pick them up and take them.

My next challenge is I want to hear from you. What are your suggestions on getting Cursillistas to Ultreya? Please call or write me with your ideas. Your 4th day is the most important part of the movement. There is something we are not doing right. What is it?

God bless all of you!

De Colores!

Sandi Farwell
27 Wren Cres. Kitchener, ON N2A 1Y7
519-894-5081
sandwalt@sympatico.ca

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Annual Report

Each year, prior to the annual meeting of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Cursillos, we submit a report of the past year's Cursillo activities. Here is the report we submitted this year:

DIOCESE OF HAMILTON CURSILLO MOVEMENT

May 30, 2009

Summary Report for the Past Twelve Months
(June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009)

The following is a summary of the status of Cursillo in the Diocese of Hamilton.

Goals:

Strategic Focus:

• We continue to simplify the weekend itself and strengthen the 4th day segment of Cursillo.
• We continue to teach through the School of Leaders.

Secretariat Activities:

• In June 2009 we will again meet with Bishop Gerard Bergie, one of the Bishops in our Diocese, and a Cursillista.   
• As of May 21, 2009, we have replaced four new members on the secretariat.  Some are job shadowing the new members until the end of June 2009.
• One member has volunteered to be the Diocesan Historian when her Secretariat position ends in June 2009.
• Our Cursillo Movement has received the status of a charitable organization so we are now able to issue tax receipts to any donors.
• We look forward to learning more about the Cursillo of Cursillos which was held in Mallorca and will be this year’s conference in July 2009 in Waterloo.

Successes:

Pre-Cursillo:

• A Secretariat member has spoken with the deaneries of priests to have the clergy better understand Cursillo and be able to support our movement with their own parishioners.
• Along with sending Palanca, the weekends are supported by a Prayer Wheel, where people are praying around the clock from the beginning to the end of our Cursillo weekends.
• Our Secretariat member has started to speak to school boards to have teachers get the day off for a weekend without losing pay.
• We are in the process of setting up a Cursillo parish representative in each parish in the diocese so interested parties can speak to someone in their own parish about Cursillo.

Cursillo Weekends:

• We held two weekends in the past year (Women’s 71st and Men’s 72nd).
• Currently we have two teams in formation for the upcoming weekends in the fall of 2009.

School of Leaders:

• A School of Leaders was formed in Sept. 2007 and has run until May 2009.
• The School of Leaders has covered many topics and held four sessions in the fall of 2008 and two sessions in the spring of 2009 (these two were longer days). 

Fourth Day (Post-Cursillo)

• There are eleven active Ultreyas in Hamilton Diocese.
• There has been one Diocesan General Ultreya in the past year.
• We also held a celebration of Eduardo Bonnin’s life in June 2008.  The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Bergie and many attended this event in Kitchener.
• We continue to announce sponsor responsibilities at all weekend closings.
• A Cursillo Prayer Service is held at the funeral home for our Cursillista friends who have gone into their 5th Day.
• There is an on-going e-mail/phone prayer network with some Ultreyas.

Conferences:

• We had Cursillistas from our diocese attend the conference in B.C.

Communications:

• We continue to have a monthly communiqué/newsletter that is e-mailed to 218 Cursillistas in our Diocese.  Another 14 have this mailed to them.  This allows everyone to be in the loop of information on a monthly basis.
• Our website www.4thday.ca continues to be updated.

Background Information:

• Cursillo has been active in our Diocese for 40 years.

Respectfully submitted for the Secretariat

Sandi Farwell

Lay Director
Hamilton Diocese Cursillo Movement

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Cursillo Enrichment School of Leaders

CESOL is taking a summer vacation and will continue again in the Fall after the Fall weekends.

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Secretariat Changes

Dear Cursillistas

It is that time when I need to say good-bye to the Secretariat but not goodbye to Cursillo.

My name is Joyce Hause and I made the 29th Cursillo in June of 1983 at St. Benedicts School in Cambridge and I sat with St. Cecilia's group.

As I open my minute book from the Secretariat the first page is a coloured picture of Father Steve Stinson from our Sept. 2006 Newsletter. I really do miss these pictures we had in those days – but for those of you who really know me – I am still a paper person. I want to have something in my hand – a picture – a list – etc. It was because of Father Steve that I considered serving on the Secretariat. When I look back to the first meeting I attended – Oct. 2, 2002 – I can tell you that there have been a lot of devoted Cursillistas whom I have worked with and have given a lot of their love to the Cursillo Movement. We have come a long way and through all of their work and the continued work of the existing Secretariat from the Hamilton Diocese you have the best as they continue to donate a lot of their family time for your benefit. To serve on the Secretariat is a privilege and at some time I would hope that you respond to a call to serve.

I will continue to pray for the Secretariat now – Father Frank Reitzel – He is our "gem". He continues to show us love and compassion – he gives us his talent and time – he loves the movement – his business card states “Retired but Ready” and that is the truth. Please continue to pray for him and take care of him. Other members continue to be – Sandi Farwell, David Milne & Rodney Bell. The newer members are Kim Jones, Sharon Penlington, Joe Trocki & Patrick Guay. We continue to pray for their continued good health and that they be blessed on their journey as Secretariat members.

It is always a special blessing when you can travel within the Hamilton Diocese and meet Cursillistas wherever you go. It is special to have these people as our friends and I wish each and every one of you a safe and happy summer.

Take care. DeColores – Joyce Hause -

It has indeed been my privilege to serve the Hamilton Diocese Cursillo Movement over the last several years . Cursillo has indeed been a blessing and has enriched my life more than I can ever say or begin to put into words. I want to thank the entire Cursillo Community for your love and support, your friendship, prayers, encouragement and guidance over the years. .

A reading from Matthew 5:15 - "…nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a basket, it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all the house…" The clear message being, that Jesus is the light for all of us, and it is our duty to hold that light up where all can see it - to see Christ's love through us. I pray that He will continue to use me, to let His light shine through me, to serve others

God bless you and DE COLORES!

Marg Weber

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Cursillo of Cursillos Fiesta

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Father Frank's Sixtieth Anniversary

About 90 friends and family gathered at Resurrection College in Waterloo on Sunday June 14th to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Father Frank Reitzel's ordination. The celebration started with Mass said by Father Frank and continued with food and fellowship in Resurrection Manor. Father Frank asked Dan Brown and Sharon Penlington to lead the music at mass and they did a fine job. The closing song was De Colores, as requested by Father Frank.

Father Frank was ordained on June 11th 1949 and has served the Congregation of the Resurrection in many ways in the sixty years of his priesthood. He has also served Cursillo for many years.

Congratulations Father Frank on the 60th anniversary of your ordination!!

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The Fifth Day

The 5th Day Cursillo Prayer service is available to be held at the funeral home prior to the funeral and at the discretion of the family following the passing of their loved one. A Cursillo member will lead the service.  If anyone knows of the passing of a Cursillista in our Diocese please contact myself or any member of the secretariat  marg.weber@sympatico.ca

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The last word

School is out and summer vacation has started. Or has it? I'll be attending the Cursillo of Cursillos in a few days and I'm just starting to learn what my new role as Weekend Director involves. Even though school is out and summer vacation has started the need to learn continues. Learning about Cursillo and about Secretariat is good but learning about God is more important. Recently I attended a wedding at a Free Methodist Church. During the service the minister proclaimed "Our God is an awesome God". What a great reminder! I look forward to what else God has to teach me this summer as my wife and I travel to the Saguenay in late July to celebrate our 35th anniversary and when my friend Tom and I travel to Algonquin park in late August for five days of canoeing. May God bless you this summer with many teachings.

De Colores,

David

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