The participants of the March 7-10, 2024, women’s Cursillo weekend. First row: Kim Haire, Eileen Wickham, Debbie Smeathers, Vicki Kinnard. Second row: Fr. Ken Mikulcik, Christy Allard, Marti Vickers, Alice Giarusso, Mary Hagan, Bettie Stone, Karla Wagner. Last row: Marie Anderson, Lindsey Felton, Marilyn Day, Katherine Woodward, Julie Tiell, Mary Lee, Ada Rhodes, Anna Conn, Teresa Young, Donna Howard, Fr. Terry Devine, Mary Grace Woodward, Kimberly Demarest, Amy Fogle Stiff, Kathy Melton, Tina Wolken, Charlotte Hedges, Michelle Sandheindrich, Rachael Hagman. COURTESY OF CURSILLO
Cursillo weekends continue tradition of ‘Make a friend, be a friend, and bring that friend to Christ’
BY ASHLEY HAYCRAFT, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
The Cursillo community held the 76th men’s weekend and 78th women’s weekend during the beginning of March at Gasper River Catholic Retreat Center in Bowling Green. There were 13 men and 12 women making the weekend, which is among the largest groups since Covid canceled the weekends in 2020. Many of the women described their experiences with tear-filled eyes, as they talked of finding a community of believers and new friends that are traveling the same path in this life toward Christ. As they shared conversations, prayers, and meals together over the four-day experience, they felt a sense of belonging that they had been missing for years. Some of the men explained they had not realized how much they were lacking in their relationship with Christ and were eager to continue growing with Christ through the Cursillo method.
Cursillo is an international movement that began in Spain with Eduardo Bonnin in the early 20th century and has been steadily growing as those who make the weekends find a foundation for being authentically Christian, which is a love of God and love of neighbor. The Assistant Rector of the men’s weekend, Marty Schroeder, commented, “there is really something different (in those who attend the weekends) from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, I’d call it the Holy Spirit.” Marty then explained his experience of being involved in Cursillo for several years now and how it has affected his life: “At each Cursillo weekend, a group of strangers come together, acknowledge each other’s worth as human beings, and acknowledge the power of God and love of Jesus which in turn helps him go back into daily life and share Jesus with others.” Marty, along with several other men, have mentioned having a newfound courage and strength to talk with others about Jesus and how their relationship with Him has changed their life, after making a weekend and using the Cursillo method. The women’s Assistant Rectora, Mary Woodward, commented on the same realization when asked about her experience of the weekend. She believed her relationship with Christ was strong, and then after being involved with Cursillo she recognizes a new drive to share Jesus with others in her life.
The participants of the Feb. 29-March 3, 2024, men’s Cursillo weekend. Fr. Tom Buckman, Dcn. Gayle Rhodes, Paul Haycraft, Marty Schroeder, Tommy Wagner, Kenny Woodward, Gervase Ebert, Scott Elliott, Kelley Wheatley, Bob Cinnamond, Bob Stallings, Dcn. Tim Barnes, Troy Christian, Kelly Christian, Randy Miller, Rick Turner, Chris Woodward, Wes Wheatley, Dcn. John Knight, James Meserve, Josh Ballard, Jeff Andrini, Chance Anthony, Daniel Blandford, Tommy Davidson, Jerry Dickenson, James Jarboe, Adam Lucas, Pat Padgett, Andrew Payne, Michael Rhodes, Paco Ruiz-Tulier, Gary Warren, Isaac Warren. COURTESY OF CURSILLO
Plans and many prayers are already in the works for the 2025 weekends. Mary trusts in the Lord to prepare her to be Rectora of the 79th women’s Cursillo, and explained she will be filling the prayer jar she received from her long time Cursillo friend, Tina Wheatly, with her preparation ideas and plans. Mary stated, “God will let me know how He wants this next weekend to play out.” Marty is also already contemplating the men’s 77th weekend and challenges the group from this year to live out the Cursillo method of “Make a friend, be a friend, and bring that friend to Christ.”
Ashley Haycraft is the communications chair for Cursillo in the Diocese of Owensboro. To learn more, visit www.cursillo-owensboro.org.
Originally printed in the April 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
