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Wakefield Anglican Cursillo Lay Director Carole Hepworth |
What is Cursillo?
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CURSILLO IN THE DIOCESE OF WAKEFIELD The
Cursillo movement began in Spain and made its way to England via America.
The Spanish word "Cursillo" means `a short course' but a
Cursillo weekend is much more than that. It is a three day experience
which, in the Diocese of Wakefield, happens twice a year. The
Weekend
Timetable
(click here for typical
timetable)
We
begin at tea time on Thursday evening. There is time to settle in and to
meet others who will be sharing the weekend with you - some will be there
as fellow participants; others are members of the team that will be
serving you throughout the weekend. (All members of the team have
previously been participants on a Cursillo weekend and will have been
working and praying together for some time in preparation for your
weekend.) You will soon discover that the age range of the people there is
wide and that we all come from a broad variety of backgrounds which all
helps to enrich the weekend. Following the Thursday evening meal (the food
is excellent and you won't have to cook or wash up all weekend!) our
leader for the weekend will introduce the team and explain more about the
weekend. Two meditations follow and after our short evening service there
will begin a period of silence which will last overnight. Friday
and Saturday begin at an early hour (so be prepared!) and you will be
given a slight lie-in on Sunday morning. Friday and Saturday begin with a
Eucharist and close with a service in the chapel. Sunday begins with
non-Eucharistic worship in order that the weekend reaches its climax in
the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday afternoon. We then make our way
back home at the end of Sunday afternoon. Teaching
, Praying and Sharing
During
the weekend you will hear five meditations and fifteen talks. (Yes, it
sounds a lot but it's amazing how they fly by!) The meditations and five
of the talks are given by the clergy and the other ten talks are given by
lay members of the team. During the weekend, participants work together in
small table groups and there is an opportunity to respond to the talks in
a variety of ways. (Don't worry - you will not be put on the spot.) Each
table is assigned two leaders who will help facilitate discussion. The
team is there for you throughout the weekend and if you would value a
chance to talk/ pray/ make confession;
the clergy will make time available for you. During
the weekend we will worship and pray together, we will learn together, we
will share meals together, we will have a lot of fun together, and we may
even share a few tears together. The programme is busy and Cursillo is not
really a retreat but there are opportunities for quiet during the weekend.
In other words, Cursillo is a multiple experience which we go through
individually and together in community. Cursillo weekends are soaked in
prayer - people will be praying for you from the moment your application
is received. We
can't promise that every single aspect of a Cursillo weekend will be just
right for you but many many people have found their Cursillo weekend to be
a highly significant moment in their lives. Most participants experience
the drenching of God's love. For some, the weekend is a point of healing;
for others it is a point at which important life decisions are made. We
simply ask you to be open to God's agenda during the weekend so that you
can receive from Him. After
the Weekend
Cursillo offers to Christians, and to the Church a support and encouragement structure based upon monthly meetings in Churches around the Diocese. There will also be an opportunity to join a small group in your locality. In
summary
- Cursillo
Offers
We
hope very much that you will join us on a Cursillo weekend soon. Whether
you do or not, may God bless you richly.
5 Kingfisher Drive Wakefield West Yorkshire
WF2 6SD |