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ARLINGTON DIOCESE CURSILLO MOVEMENT SPONSORSHIP GUIDELINES

"Make a friend. Be a friend. Bring your friend to Christ."

In order for candidates to attend a Cursillo weekend, they MUST have at least one sponsor.

To be a sponsor is a privilege as well as a serious Christian responsibility. Sponsoring someone for a Cursillo in Christianity is not a haphazard circumstance. It should be a deliberate act, the result of making Jesus Christ part of our daily life. Therefore, you must know your candidates very well. Before sponsoring, consider the following...

Who is a "good sponsor"?

  • A good sponsor is a witness
  • You are actively attending Group Reunion, Ultreyas, and Cursillo activities (such as Closings) to grow in Christ with the community
  • You are expressing the gospel messages through actions and words within your environments
  • You prayerfully select candidates who will lead in the transformation of their environments to Christ

Whom to sponsor - the candidate

  • Cursillo is a movement of the Catholic Church, for Catholics only
  • Candidates should be those who will lead in the transformation of their environments to Christ
  • Candidates  are willing to make a commitment to the Cursillo Movement's Fourth Day of life, i.e., Group Reunion and Ultreyas to help persevere in their efforts to live as a Christian in a natural way

What the Cursillo is NOT:

  • It is NOT just a weekend experience
  • It is not for someone who is looking for a retreat
  • It is not group therapy for emotional problems ‡
  • It is not a cure-all for personal problems ‡

‡ Out of love for and fairness to those having problems, they should be referred to people with the proper training. Whom to sponsor should always be a result of discerning prayer.

How To Sponsor? What Should Potential Candidates Be Told?

Prior to giving your candidate an application:

  • Explain the Cursillo method of Piety, Study, and Action
  • Stress the beauty and importance of living the Fourth Day
  • Take them to Ultreya gatherings before you give them an application
  • Invite them to join your Group Reunion
  • Explain the 3-day weekend:
    • Several talks and meditations by lay people and spiritual directors,
    • Discussions and sharing after each talk,
    • Daily Mass,
    • Reconciliation
    • Time with the Blessed Sacrament

Important: The Cursillo is not a secret!

How do I support my candidate BEFORE the weekend?

  • Ensure that your candidate is a Catholic
  • Accompany your candidate to Group Reunion
  • Offer prayer and sacrifice for your candidate
  • If necessary, help the candidate shoulder the cost of the weekend experience

How do I support my candidate DURING the weekend?

  • Ensure your candidate has had dinner before arrival at the weekend center
  • Transport your candidate to the Cursillo site and introduce your candidate to a weekend team leader or member. At this point, your candidate becomes a Cursillista
  • Offer prayer and sacrifice for your Cursillista
  • Attend the Cursillo Closing on Sunday evening
  • Provide transportation home for your Cursillista
  • If necessary, help your Cursillista shoulder the cost of the weekend experience

How do I support my candidate AFTER the weekend?

  • Accompany your Cursillista to Group Reunion
  • Offer prayer and sacrifice for your Cursillista
  • Accompany your Cursillista to the next Diocesan Ultreya, and local Ultreya
  • Actively support your Cursillista in the Fourth Day for at least 6 months, through prayer, frequent contact, encouragement to attend Cursillo activities, etc.

Co-Sponsors Are Recommended

  • The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement, the basic book of the worldwide Cursillo Movement, says:
    • "It really should be a group or a community that sponsors and supports the candidate, because the living witness of community life adds so much to the effectiveness of the preparation. The ideal would be for the candidate to be already a part of a community conducive to his or her union with other Cursillistas in the post-Cursillo."
  • If you plan to sponsor a candidate who is not from within your parish or Ultreya community, a co-sponsor from the candidate's local community will help with the necessary Fourth day contacts after the weekend.
  • New Cursillistas should be active in Group Reunion and Ultreya for at least 6 months after your Cursillo weekend before taking on this responsibility as an individual. It is highly recommended that you co-sponsor with a Cursillista who has been following the Fourth Day life for a number of years.

Cost of the weekend

A Cursillo costs $250 for meals, lodging, and all materials. $50 should accompany the application, the remainder is due at the time of the weekend.

Applications

The application is in two parts:

  • Your candidate completes their side of the application,
  • You complete the Sponsor side

When both sides are complete, forward the application with a $50 deposit to

The Arlington Diocese Precursillo Team
c/o Joan Sheppard
8156 Ships Curve Lane
Springfield, VA 22153

Spouses

  • If you have discussed Cursillo with both spouses, and both wish to make a Cursillo, applications should be submitted at the same time.
  • Although applicants are called to be candidates based on the dates their applications were received, every effort is made to get the spouses on the two closest available weekends when applications are received together.

If you have any questions regarding sponsorship, contact Joan Sheppard at (703) 622-2475.

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When you receive the completed Candidate side of the Application form and the deposit from your candidate, complete The Sponsor side and mail the entire package to:

The Arlington Diocese Precursillo Team
c/o Joan Sheppard
8156 Ships Curve Lane
Springfield, VA 22153