Cursillo

Cursillo Weekend Retreats

Cursillo is a Christian movement that gives you an opportunity to recognize your own spiritual gifts during a weekend retreat.  The focus of Cursillo is to allow you to discover and celebrate your Christian leadership potential. Each year the nonprofit Santa Clara Servant Community (SCSC) sponsors a weekend retreat at La Selva Beach near Monterey.  The weekend is planned and led by volunteers who want to share their love of Christ with others.  All team members (aka Cursillistas) have attended their own Cursillo retreat in the past.

The Santa Clara Servant Community is a member of the National Episcopal Cursillo organization which is actively supported by ECA and many other churches in Santa Clara County.

 

Cursillo Weekend

No two Cursillo weekends are alike, but most of our retreats share these characteristics:

Arrival - Cursillo candidates are driven to La Selva Beach by their sponsor and arrive on a Thursday evening in time for dinner with the other candidates and their sponsors.  Your sponsor will leave later that evening.

Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon - The retreat includes a number of talks followed by small group discussions and activities designed to bring you closer to Christ and the Christian community as a whole.  You will be encouraged to participate but you will not be required to share in any way that makes you uncomfortable. All meals are provided and snacks are available throughout the weekend.  Music is a special part of the weekend. During free time, there will be opportunities to read, explore the grounds, and, weather permitting, walk down to the beach.  A church service will take place each day.

Departure - The retreat ends on Sunday afternoon, and your sponsor will be back to La Selva Beach to pick you up.

Who can attend?

Cursillo is for adults, and most candidates hear about it through their church or through another Cursillista.  An ideal candidate is someone who is active in their own church and wants to deepen their relationship with Christ and explore Christian leadership opportunities. There is no maximum age limit but very young adults may want to wait a few years before attending.  Not everyone is ready for Cursillo.  Cursillo gives you the opportunity to move closer to Christ but it is not intended to resolve personal issues.

The first step in attending the weekend retreat is to find a sponsor.  All candidates must have sponsors.  A sponsor is a person who has previously attended Cursillo and who has taken or is willing to take a Sponsor Training Class.  If you are interested in being a candidate and do not already have a sponsor, contact your priest, pastor, or minister or a Cursillista at your church. Your sponsor or pastor will get you an application form and handle all the formalities.

How do I find out more information about Cursillo?

Visit the website for the Santa Clara Servant Community at www.sccursillo.org.

De Colores