Cursillo-related Movements > in various Christian Churches >United Church Cursillo
United Church Cursillo
A great number of Christian denominations in America have adopted the Cursillo movement. Some follow the Catholic Cursillo model entirely (and are entitled to use the name Cursillo), others have adapted it to meet specific needs and in order to welcome with ease Christians of whatever denomination (and work under different names). The Cursillo of the United Church of Canada - Canada's second largest church (after the Catholic Church), and its largest Protestant denomination - belongs to the first group and has kept the name "Cursillo".
By what we can gather from the Montreal United Church Cursillo website, it is following closely the pattern of the Catholic Cursillo:
- One becomes part of the Cursillo community by participating in a three day faith-sharing weekend (separate weekends for men and women) which is a personally rewarding and enriching experience. [...] Learning, praying, sharing, singing, laughing and living together produces an environment where Christ’s presence is felt and available to all for direction and understanding. [...] You will engage in talks on Ideal, Grace, Piety, Faith, Study, Action, Leadership, Sacraments and Christian Community. The talks lead to lively discussion in small groups.
- The weekend is not an end in itself but very much a beginning. After the weekend you will be invited to a short evening celebration (2 hours) during the week following your Cursillo at a church close to you. Your sponsor, the one who invited you to this weekend, and the Cursillo community will continue to support you on your Christian journey. Life will remain pretty much the same as before with all its successes and failures. However, most people tend to be clearer about their commitment to Christ and His mission. Often they become more involved in their church life and some come to a role of increased leadership. All have made new friends and/or deepened existing friendships and relationships and have become part of the Cursillo community.
Concerning the history of the United Church Cursillo the same Montreal website mentions:
Since our first Cursillo weekend was held in February 1987, more than 450 women and men have attended one of our Cursillo weekends. Although a number have moved away (as far as British Columbia and New Brunswick) we have still strong concentrations in the West-Island, the South Shore, Montreal, Laval, and, in Ontario, Cornwall and Kemptville.
Information excerpted from the Montreal United Church Cursillo