Welcome to the fifth 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.
71st Women's Cursillo Weekend, October 1st - October 4th, 2009, Ignatius Centre, Deemerton Ontario.
Sitting: Lisa Hudson (left), Carrie Trudeau (right)
Front Row (L – R): Natalie Legault, Anne Hofheinz, Father Ken Miskiewicz, Kim Jones, Father Frank Reitzel, Pava Tomic, Dianne Rovers
Second Row (L – R): Millie Schlupp, Marianne Kieswetter, Clara Pocaterra, awn Noble, Zrinka Bevedic, Maria Carrescia, Mary-Lou Bingham, Vanessa Lobo, Margaret Carreiro, Marian Ifill, Bev Lavigne
Third Row (L – R): Verna Grube, Doreen Kirby, Joan Devereaux, Kim Maidment, Michele Schaeken, Pat Garton, Doris Paleczny, Jeanne Yardley, Roberta (Bobby) Dunn, Shannon Miller, Dianne Hubbel.
Welcome to our new Cursillistas: Zrinka Bevandic, Mary-Lou Bingham, Maria Carrescia, Joan Devereaux, Roberta (Bobby) Dunn, Pat Garton, Verna Grube, Anne Hofheinz, Lisa Hudson, Marian Ifill, Marianne Kieswetter, Doreen Kirby, Vanessa Lobo, Shannon Miller, Doris Paleczny, Michele Schaeken, Pava Tomic, Carrie Trudeau and Jeanne Yardley.
Here's what some of them had to say at the closing:
As previously announced the Men’s weekend has been rescheduled to the Spring of 2010. The Men’s team reached this decision after reflecting on what they learned at the Cursillo of Cursillos this summer. Their feeling was that it was better to focus on getting candidates for the weekend than on preparing for a weekend that had no candidates.
We now have a date for the 73rd Men’s weekend – April 15th to April 18th. Let’s live our fourth day by speaking to God about what friends we should approach about making a Men’s weekend, then speaking to our friends about God and inviting them to make a weekend. Contact David Milne at 519-894-0657 or weekenddirector@4thday.ca with any questions, comments or candidates.
The Cursillo of Cursillos held at Laurier University in Waterloo in July of this year was blessed with maximum attendance and excellent hospitality and organization by the hosting committees. The attendees were richly blessed by the presence of Miguel Sureda from Mallorca, Spain who served as Rector for the event. The Rollistas shared with us their lived experiences, giving everyone a deeper understanding of the charism of the Cursillo Movement and guidelines to keep our movements on track just as the founder Eduardo Bonnin had originally intended.
The 71st Women’s weekend, experienced the fruits of these labors, using a simplified format, lead to an amazingly grace and Spirit filled weekend. Congratulation to Rectora, Kim Jones, for initiating the many changes to simplify the “How”, allowing the Holy Spirit to infuse the “Why”, that Jesus is Our Friend, loves us unconditionally and is counting on each one of us to build His Kingdom.
I am indeed humbled but am honored to have been called to serve the Cursillo Movement at the National level. The next 4 years will no doubt be busy and challenging but I look forward to using my God given gifts and talents to the best of my ability to serve in this capacity. I ask for your continued prayers and support as I serve in this new role.
In love, friendship and service
Marg Weber
National Officer for the CCCC
School of Leaders is the HUB of the Cursillo Movement. If you think of an old wagon wheel with wooden spokes and a metal banded rim you are looking at a picture of the structure of the Cursillo Movement.
The center axel is the Secretariat. These are Cursillo Leaders who manage the ongoing functions of the movement.
The hub is the School of Leaders. It is a community of Cursillistas. As community, we get together on a regular basis to share ideas, learn new things, refresh our focus and support and encourage each other.
School of Leaders is open to all Cursillistas, especially those just off a weekend or recently moved into the area. We are not only a place of education or learning, but more a school of fish. Supporting, protecting, and helping each other to transform all of society to Jesus Christ.
The spokes are the various parts and functions of the movement. These would include Pre Cursillo, Sponsorship, Team Formation, Group Reunion, Ultreya, Environmental Groups, and Spiritual Direction etc.
The rim ties all the parts of the Movement together and with the impetus of the Secretariat - we move, we form, we support and pray for our Community of Cursillistas. We help each other to live a Life In Grace. We assist each other in our progressive conversions as we walk through life. In doing so, we bring others to know Jesus Christ - by the way we live our lives. We make a friend, are a friend and bring that friend to Christ.
What do you call a number of fish swimming in the same direction?
A School.
What do you call a number of Cursillistas who strive or desire to keep the Cursillo movement alive and growing in the right direction?
A “School of Leaders”.
What part of the wheel are you? Your participation is necessary and much needed to be part of the wheel to keep the Cursillo Movement moving and rolling forward!!
GRAND ULTREYA
CURSILLO ENRICHMENT
SCHOOL OF LEADERS
HOLY ROSARY CHURCH PARISH HALL
185 EMMA STREET
GUELPH, N1E 1V6
DATE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5TH 2009
REGISTRATION and Refreshments 9:45 AM
PROGRAM WILL BEGIN AT 10 AM and finish by 2 P.M.
BRING YOUR OWN BROWN BAG LUNCH.
Secretariat encourages all sponsors and new Cursillistas to share this day with fellow veteran Cursillistas from across the Diocese in a day of shared learning. Renew and/or make new friends. Find out more about POST CURSILLO .......Piety, Study and Action.
All are invited …Bring your friends and we look forward to seeing you on December 5th.
ANY QUESTIONS please contact MARG WEBER @ 519-747-5937 or marg.weber@sympatico.ca
This month’s witness comes from Kim Jones, the Rectora of the 71st Women’s Weekend. Thanks Kim.
SIMPLICITY MADE IT EASY
71st Women’s Weekend Highlights
It was Holy Thursday, the day of the Lord’s Supper and the day which reminds us to serve one another, that I received a phone call inviting me to be the Rectora of the next Women’s Weekend. I took a week to discern the decision. The following Thursday, I received a Novena by email from a veteran Cursillista whom I haven’t seen or heard from in many years. The subject was “A Novena for You”. That was my first “WOW” moment. It was that day that confirmed my decision and after responding a definite “yes”, I felt this peaceful feeling come over me – and am still embracing this feeling two weeks after the weekend. WOW!!
It is with this peacefulness that I entered the Pre-Cursillo, the weekend and am now living the Post-Cursillo. I am sure it is with this gift that I was able to see a different Cursillo weekend.
The team I prayed for were to be relaxed, open to the Holy Spirit and somewhat experienced in the Cursillo movement and in the “new method” of the weekend. I was sent the perfect team for me. One of my assistants was in Spain with me and the other assistant had just attended the Cursillo of Cursillos in Waterloo. Both were good friends and I felt relaxed with them. The rest of the team developed only through the help of the Holy Spirit – they came from all over the diocese and were of different ages and experience on team. There were 10 lay people including myself and 2 priests. At the team meetings, since they took place in August, not all members of the team could make every meeting so our full team only met on that Thursday of the weekend.
The team meetings were in Guelph on Saturdays, and were kept very simple with a meditation or Ultreya to start. Two talks were presented with a short break in between. We ended with lunch and whatever business that needed to be taken care of. Talks were amazing without flip charts, power point or blackboards. The talk books were handed out but only used as a guide book with the team giving awesome and most vulnerable witnesses pertaining to the talk. The talks were much shorter and most compelling. I had asked all of the ladies to introduce themselves in a way that we would know who they are when they were done. Most of the team meetings, I didn’t look at the talk guide. If they covered the talk in a personal way by giving personal examples, that became the meat of the weekend.
I chose to have no theme, no theme song, no banner, no table candles in the palanca chapel, no posters or banners put up before the weekend began, and no songs between talks. This meant less work for the team and a lot more time for sharing between talks.
The discussions began without invitation after each talk. Presentations were profound and volunteers popped up from each table without hesitation to give their table response from the talk (other WOW moments). After the Ideal talk, the Rectora’s table were wondering if we could forego two days and just move to Sunday!! (just kidding)
The Rollistas (those giving talks) were invited to “dress down” or dress as they wish to give their talk. They visited the Palanca Chapel before the talk, the assistant escorted them back to the doorway of the Rollo room and at that time I would ring the bell and introduce them (by name). They would come to the Rectora’s table for a blessing by one of the priests and proceed to the lectern to give their talk. This allowed the candidates to see that we are not doing this on our own. The priests asked for the Cursillo blessing beginning Saturday and so the candidates were introduced to this in the Rollo room.
There were only two roosters set up – one outside the kitchen and a small one on the Rectora’s table. There was no silliness and no jokes on the weekend but we had a lot of laughs and fun.
There were no musicians but my two assistants belonged to choirs and were able to lead De Colores and Grace when it was sung. They would have liked some backup at Masses especially the Psalms. We did sing at Mass but it was low key. Grace was not always sung – only Friday and Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch. Copies of Catholic graces were distributed at the tables for meal time. We did sing De Colores before each meal and marched around the tables so that people would sit with different people – I never announced or invited them to sit with different people – it just happened.
The Mananita (Cursillo morning song) was sung with a CD. The team held the wine glasses with the battery operated candles and processed through the hallways by the bedrooms of the candidates while knocking on their doors. The slower tempo of the choir enabled us to walk at a slower pace and stop at each floor level to sing. The candidates heard the words and enjoyed this very much. There were no corsages given out.
There was very little personal palanca on the weekend. Sponsor letters and personal palanca were put in the brown envelopes for them to take home. Saturday evening flowed much better and easier without the extreme emotions. The ladies went to bed earlier than I have experienced – even on Saturday. Again, I didn’t announce bed times, they just were relaxed and seem to do as they would at home.
Sunday, the final day, I did not announce packing at all. It made the atmosphere more relaxing and enjoyable.
In summary, I have worked on many teams, been assistant twice on weekends, been involved in Grand Ultreyas, and leading an Ultreya but I have to say this was truly the EASIEST WEEKEND I HAVE EVER BEEN ON!!!! WOW! It was a very relaxed weekend with minimal work for the team. If anything, we were early for everything. At our team wrap-up, all of us experienced the same feeling after the weekend – somewhat tired but mostly peace and joy.
If I could pass on anything to you, it would be this peace and joy I am still experiencing. God has blessed me this weekend and if you were at the closing, you would have seen the joy on the new Cursillistas faces! WOW!!
De Colores,
Kim Jones
Rectora (71st Women’s Cursillo Weekend)
Please send me (drmilne@sympatico.ca) any talks you think should be published so we can publish a witness talk every month. Please realize that I will have to use my judgment on whether or not a talk is published so it's possible that not every talk will get published.
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
Fall is upon us and Advent is almost here. It is hard to believe that summer has ended and another church year is coming to an end. Endings can be difficult for me and I expect they are difficult for most people. Have you experienced any endings in your life recently? Whenever I face an ending I try to remember that when one door closes another one opens. That’s one way of expressing my belief in the Resurrection. It is also a way to cope with what seems like countless endings and hoped for resurrections in my life right now. Are you facing a difficult ending right now? Remember that God loves you and that an ending is just the beginning of something else God has in mind for you. De Colores, David.