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Cursillo Movement: A “Short Course” with Lasting Impact “De Colores!!!”

By Joe Pangilinan

The Cursillo movement—formally known as Cursillos in Christianity—offers parishioners a concentrated spiritual experience, one designed not merely as a weekend retreat but as a lifelong method for living and sharing Christian faith. Rooted in the National Cursillo framework in the U.S., the movement continues to foster committed lay leadership, evangelization, and small‑group fellowship across dioceses.

Origins and Purpose

Cursillo traces its roots to Mallorca, Spain, in the 1940s, when Eduardo Bonnín Aguiló and other lay collaborators devised a three‑day “short course” in Christianity as a way to encourage spiritual renewal and apostolic commitment. Over time, the movement spread globally, arriving in the United States around 1957, where it has been adapted in numerous dioceses.

On its national website, the mission of National Cursillo USA states that the movement seeks “to communicate the best news of the best reality: that God, in Jesus Christ, loves us; … communicated by the best means which is friendship.” Its vision rests on three fundamental encounters: with oneself, with Christ, and with others.

The Three‑Day Weekend: Catalyst for Transformation

At the heart of Cursillo is a guided weekend experience (often three days) featuring a series of talks given by clergy and laity, interwoven with meditative times, prayer, worship, and fellowship. Participants are challenged to reflect on their identity in Christ, their vocation, and how to be active Christian leaven in their environments.

Yet the weekend is not an end in itself. Rather, it serves as a launching point—the “Fourth Day”—into daily Christian living, supported by two crucial post‑weekend practices: Group Reunion and Ultreya.

Group Reunion involves small clusters of participants who gather regularly to share spiritual growth, support accountability, and encourage one another’s efforts to bring Christ into everyday settings.
Ultreya is a larger gathering of multiple small groups for fellowship, witness, and encouragement in their apostolic mission.
Structure and Support

While Cursillo is a movement rather than a rigid organization, the National Cursillo Center (sometimes called the National Secretariat) offers coordination, resources, and oversight for diocesan movements. The Center’s “Resource Center” provides downloadable content in audio, video, and text formats to assist leaders in formation and ongoing support.

Within the Catholic Church’s structure, the movement has achieved canonical recognition and is embraced as one way lay faithful can fulfill their baptismal call to evangelization.

Impact and Contemporary Renewal

Across numerous dioceses, Cursillo continues to shape lay leadership, invigorate parish life, and provide spiritual support networks. In the Diocese of Youngstown, for instance, the movement celebrated 60 years of retreats in 2024, noting how it has expanded its reach beyond young men to encompass all seeking spiritual renewal. In Western North Carolina, one clergy writer described Cursillo as an “invitation to live intentionally,” where the weekend opens doors and the follow‑up groups sustain growth.

As the world changes, Cursillo’s model remains relevant: its emphasis on friendship, witness, small‑group discipleship, and lay apostolate resonates in contemporary parish life. Its challenge is to adapt wisely—to keep the core charism alive while responding to shifting demographics, new communication methods, and the pastoral needs of younger generations.

In West Virginia, we are reviving the Cursillo movement with upcoming events. We will be having Ultreya weekends in various Vicariates. See our events page for dates and details for Ultreya and our upcoming Cursillo weekends.

Bishop Mark Brennan and Pope Leo are both Cursillistas. Our diocese have been looking for ways to evangelize and encourage small groups. Cursillo is a way to not only encourage small groups but maintain it.

Conclusion

The Cursillo movement is a remarkable example of a lay‑led, Church‑rooted tool for evangelization. Far more than a weekend retreat, it aspires to transform environments by equipping ordinary people with spiritual depth, mutual support, and missionary momentum. In the words of its national mission: to bring alive the reality that God, in Jesus Christ, loves us—through friendship, conviction, and constancy.