What is cursillo

Cursillo began in the 1940s in Majorca as a ‘short course in Christianity’ to prepare young men for a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It crossed the Atlantic to Texas and then back again to the UK. Cursillo was gifted to the diocese of St Albans by Chelmsford Cursillo, and St Albans #1 took place in October 2011.

Cursillo is a residential weekend (usually!) event during which Christians explore their faith in all its dimensions in a prayerful and supportive environment.

The Cursillo method is built on three fundamental principles –prayer, study and action – all of which are explored in detail on the weekend and which inform our activity afterwards.

Our next Cursillo Weekend: Chelmsford Diocese Retreat House, Pleshey from Fri 16th Feb to Sun 18th Feb 2024. You can access a booking form here.

Don’t expect a retreat! Every Cursillo is built around talks and group discussions. The Eucharist is celebrated every day and there are opportunities for prayer, worship and fellowship throughout. It can be a very intense experience. Having said that, we always include periods of free time for personal reflection and to allow you your own space. The weekend begins on the Friday evening and finishes on Sunday evening with a closing eucharist to which you’re welcome to invite friends and family. Don’t worry about trying to absorb or remember everything at once. There’s a flow to the event that carries you along.

Everyone who attends a Cursillo (pilgrim) needs to have a sponsor, an existing Cursillo member – a friend or someone from their church who knows them well, has an idea of where they are in their spiritual journey, and has been prompted to invite them. The sponsor will pray for them before, during, and after the weekend The sponsor should also help them sort out any practical issues associated with attending the weekend (transport? feeding your pets?) and will introduce them to the wider Cursillo community.

We also ask the potential pilgrim’s priest/vicar/minister for their approval. The reason for this is to make sure that there are no current circumstances that might make it inappropriate for the pilgrim to attend Cursillo at this time.

On the weekend itself there is a staff of lay and ordained Cursillista volunteers who deliver the talks, lead the discussions, make sure everything runs smoothly, and, most importantly, pray. If a pilgrim finds themselves in need of spiritual support or guidance there will be opportunities to speak with a spiritual advisor.

Our Cursillo weekends currently take place at the retreat house at Pleshey, near Chelmsford, Essex. www.retreathousepleshey.com

Ultreyas and Group reunions take place at churches and halls across the diocese of St Albans.

It is important that you undertake your Cursillo at the right time in your Christian’s life. If you’re not sure yet, you could talk to others about what to expect – perhaps others at your church who have attended Cursillo. You’re always welcome to contact the lay and spiritual directors of St Albans Cursillo to learn more.

We expect all pilgrims to be present for the whole of the event. (If you think this may not be possible for you, please contact the lay or spiritual director to discuss.) We ask you to free yourself as far as possible from distractions and your usual responsibilities – you might want to turn off your mobile phone, leave your laptop at home, etc.

We hope that after this experience you’ll become more involved in Cursillo, but there are no obligations or expectations of you.

Everybody is welcome to attend our Ultreyas, group reunions, study and quiet days. These are a good way to get a feel for Cursillo and to meet existing Cursillistas. Talk to existing Cursillistas about their experience. Details of forthcoming Ultreyas or other gatherings can be found on our events page. Do feel free to join us with no expectations.

St Albans Cursillo does not want financial concerns to prevent anyone from attending one of our weekends. We seek to cover the cost of each weekend through donations from both staff and pilgrims, but it is left to each individual to decide what they can afford, and no-one is obliged to pay anything. Any shortfall in the cost of a weekend and the modest running costs of the organisation are met largely from the regular donations we receive from some Cursillistas, by standing order. If you would like to make St Albans Cursillo part of your regular giving, please set up a standing order with your bank. This is most easily done through the bank’s online banking facility or mobile app. Please also inform our treasurer: John Emmett, 11 Thorn Grove, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 5LB.

Our bank details are, St Albans Cursillo, Account No. 20370968, Sort Code 30-90-84

St Albans Cursillo is registered for Gift Aid. If you pay UK income or capital gains tax, please complete a Gift Aid declaration. This is a very valuable way of enhancing substantially your donation, since HMRC will give us £2.50 for every £10 that you donate. The Gift Aid declaration form is available here. Please complete it and send it to the treasurer.

Please also contact the treasurer if you do not use online or mobile banking, if you would prefer to make a one-off donation, or if you have any questions.