Pete Roth, Lay Director

PNRGram #36: Investing Mimi, Msgr Mahler, National Encounter, George Washko interment

Dear friends –

1. Lay Director Investiture Mass at 7:30 p.m. May 24 at St John Neumann Church, 11900 Lawyers Road in Reston, VA. Reception in the Parish Hall to follow. Please bring food, drink to share and a friend. All are Welcome. For more information, contact Don Hudenburg at 703-716-1050. And if you need a map, the one from the diocesan website is pretty neat: http://arlingtondiocese.org/parishes/index.php?address=29&type=parish

2. National Encounter has about 410 registrants, with a maximum possible attendance of 600. Note that the cost of $325.00, with lodging, and $225.00, without lodging, will go up $25 beginning June 1.

3. A Note from Msgr Mahler I am feeling better, less tired than I have been, but more tired than I like to be. I am facing surgery to remove a tumor on the right kidney and, possibly, to remove the right kidney itself. The surgery is scheduled for Monday, June 2nd at the Virginia Medical Hospital in Arlington, Va. at 7:30 AM. I thank all for their concern, calls, prayers, cards and Masses offered. Please keep the prayers coming. Let us pray for one another. De Colores. -- Msgr. Mahler

4. Interment for George Washko, Arlington National Cemetery 1 PM June 12 with full military honors. Meet at the ADMIN BUILDING (not Ft Myers Chapel) by 1230. Directions: From McLean, take GW Parkway south until you start going under bridges. Take the Arlington Cemetery-Memorial Bridge exit. Merge left with the traffic exiting from Route 110. At the stop sign make a left onto Memorial Drive. On Memorial Drive there will be a traffic guide directing all traffic into the pay parking facility: inform the traffic guide that you are there for George Washko’s funeral. Continue on Memorial Drive to the end of the street, turn left into the cemetery (to go the Administration Building).

De Colores!

Peter N Roth, Layme Duckirector
Arlington Cursillo
1 Th 5: 17

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PNRGram #35: Formation x 2

Dear Friends -  

1. This Saturday, (tomorrow!) at Mt. Tabor in Oakton, there will be a Formation Day for Ultreya Coordinators and points of contact. If your parish doesn't have an Ultreya and you'd like to represent your parish - or if you'd just like to participate in this dedicated day - please send Freddie Wall an email at wallflower64@gmail.com  . The day will begin at 10:00 a.m.Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Paul Wynants at noon. Lunch will be provided and the day's activities will be over by 3 p.m.
    
2. Team Formation for the Women's 127th Cursillo begins this Sunday. Team members are Emelda August, Kathy Hauser, Colleen Brennan, Sr. Anne Jordan, Fr. Ed Bodnar SJ, Fr. Joe McCloskey SJ, Pat Durkin, Carol Poplin, Carol Eager, Carole Schloss, Liz Falcone, Paula Shipe, and Marylee Girardi (Rectora). Please continue your palanca for this team, and drop them an e-palanca note via their webpage at http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/w127/w127.htm . This weekend is August 21-24, 2008 at Dominican Retreat House; invite a friend now.

---
Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Luke 6:37
 

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PNRGram #34 - Men's 116th Cursillo, Sponsor note

Wednesday, April 22, 2008

 Dear Friends -

1. Men's 116^th Cursillo will begin at 7 pm April 24 at The St Joseph Center, 1200 Varnum Street NE, Washington, DC 20017. There will be a brief prayer service for sponsors (in the chapel) as the weekend begins.
    
2. Sponsors: the Cursillo fee is $200. Please discuss this with your candidate so you all are aware of who has paid what portion. If your candidate is to be paying, suggest they bring a check to the Cursillo.
    
3. Palanca! For the Men's 116^th Cursillo

a)      Snacks: Please bring/send water, diet and regular soft drinks, healthy chips, cookies, fruit, and veggies for munching during the weekend. Last weekend, we almost ran out of food and drink at noon Saturday!

b)      Sacrifices Continue to pray for the team and our Cursillistas-to-be. Bring/send them a love note to let them know you're praying and sacrificing for them.

c)       List of team, candidates, and link to the palanca clock is at http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/m116/m116.htm . As of 7 pm today, we have 16 candidates. Keep your eye on the site for the latest details.

4. Mañanita Sunday, April 29, at 7:00 a.m. Gather at 6:45 a.m. in front of the seminary on the 13^th street side. One of the Team will meet us and escort us to the Mañanita area.
    
5. Men's 116^th Cursillo CLOSING & RECEPTION 3 pm April 27. NO MASS. Please be seated by 2:45 pm to begin celebrating at 3 pm. Follow the signs to avoid stairways! Parking available on the local streets, as well as on the property in front and on the right side (13th Street side). Please bring heavy hors d'oeuvres and beverages to share.
    
6. Men's 116^th Cursillo CLEANUP. Yeah, there's always cleanup. Cursillistas of the Women's 126^th were asked to lead this effort. Rather than dump this on them, when it's time to clean up, let's allconsider this detail as a call to "wash each other's feet". And so that there's no food wasted, please plan to take something home with you.

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De Colores!
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
1 Th 5:17

 

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PNRGram #33 - Sponsor contact with Precursillo; Diocesan Ultreya

Dear friends -

1. Diocesan Ultreya 7:30 pm April 5 at St Raymond Peñefort. Y'all bring a snack as you meet our babechicks from Sweet Surrender, Beltway Babechix, Cornerstone, and Daughters of the King (aka, Princesses) tables.

2. Sponsors-to-be: Jack Finnerty is not available. For sponsorship issues, please use only Precursillo@cox.net , no snail mail for things that can't wait until after 14 April, phone calls only to Bill Forster (703) 591-2377.

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Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director, Arlington Cursillo
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PNRGram #32 - 126th Women's Cursillo at Village of Mt Zion

Dear friends -

1. The 126^th Women's Cursillo begins this Thursday evening at 7 pm at Village of Mt Zion. For directions, Click here. There are some last minute additions to the list of candidates; please check here http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/w126/w126.htm for details.
2. The palanca clock for the 126^th Women's Cursillo is ticking at http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/w126/w126palancaClock.asp  Sign up for an hour of prayer to support the weekend.
3. Closing & Mañanita, Saturday & Sunday, March 29 & 30. Because Village of Mt Zion is "far away", some Cursillistas will travel to Woodstock on Saturday and sleep over for mañanita (7 am Sunday) and stay for closing. A special Cursillo rate of $60/night is available at the Comfort Inn. You must call (540) 459-7600 and mention "Cursillo" to get this rate.
   1. Lucy Schleibaum has reserved the "7 Bends Room" on the 2^nd floor of the Comfort Inn from 6pm to whenever for a "Wine & Cheese" soiree. Bring something edible/potable for preprandial socializing. If you're in town, join us! Please note that this room was named in honor of the maximum amount of exercise the LD has ever done.
   2. Breakfast after mañanita! The Knights of Columbus will begin serving breakfast Sunday at 8 am at St John Bosco. Pancakes. Sausage. Bacon. Free will offering. 50/50. Yum.
   3. The Closing will begin at 3:30 pm Sunday. Mass will follow, and then the reception. Please bring substantial food to share for the reception. Arrive a little early, and help set up.
   4. We need community assistance to clean and straighten the retreat center, too. Hang around just a few minutes more so we can all leave within a reasonable time.
4. Diocesan Ultreya 7:30 pm April 5 at St Raymond Peñefort. Y'all bring a snack as you meet our babechicks!

De Colores!

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Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director, Arlington Cursillo
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PNRGram #31 - Day of Reflection, Day of Prayer, Sponsors NEEDED, Palanca notes, hotel

Dear friends -  

1. Cursillo Lenten Day of Reflection, Saturday, March 1 - 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., St. Mary's Activity Center, Fredericksburg Turn to him with all your heart and soul, live in loyal obedience to him. Then he will turn to you to help you and will no longer hide himself. Remember what God has done for you, and give thanks with all your heart. Tobit 13: 6
   This will be a day of reflection, silence, contemplative prayer, and optional sharing focused on the call to each of us to return to God with all our heart. Our retreat leaders will be Jane Duffy and Trudy Dervan, who are Cursillistas and lay spiritual directors.
   Your day could begin with 9:00 a.m. daily Mass at St. Mary's. Dress comfortably and bring a journal. You may wish to bring a cushion or footstool for added comfort. Bring your lunch and a drink. Coffee, tea and donuts will be provided. Contact Freddie Wall (703-356-5706 or email wallflower64@gmail.com ) to reserve space or ask questions.
    

2. Fr. Mike Hann is presenting a Lenten Day of Prayer ("The Year of St. Paul") at Missionhurst on Thursday, March 6, from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  The program will include conferences, reconciliation, Eucharist. Lunch is provided. Register by
   March 3: 703-528-3800.
    

3. As the publicity for Cursillo rises, so does the curiosity in the diocese. Folks who would like to make a Cursillo are approaching us, without sponsors. If you can be a friend immediately, we need you for these opportunities for the Women's Cursillo (March 27): Herndon; Annandale; St Veronica; and Springfield. Contact Jack Finnerty at (703) 591-7422 or email precursillo@cox.net
    

4. We have two Teams in formation, and I know from personal experience how much it means to a Team to receive palanca notes of support during formation. Perhaps you could find a few minutes to write a little note to one of the Teams. If you can't deliver it by hand to one of the team members, you can always e-mail it to the Rector. Caterina Tiso is at siciliansunrise@aol.com and Mark Krause is m.krause6@verizon.net . (Check the web site for team e-mail addresses.)
    

5. Travel to Village of Mt Zion Sunday March 30 for Women's 126th mañanita can be a long trip, so some folks stay over in Woodstock Saturday night. (Some folks stay the whole weekend!) The Comfort Inn has offered Arlington Cursillo a group rate of $60.00 per night plus tax. Please contact Lucy Schleibaum at lucys5959@yahoo.com by March 10 so we can get a count.

6. The St John Bosco Knights of Columbus agreed to put on an extra-special pancake breakfast to host the Cursillistas who will be coming to Mañanita on March 30th! Juice, pancakes, bacon, sausage, coffee. Lee Dieter will hustle us with a 50/50.
    

---
Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director, Arlington Cursillo

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PNRGram #30: Next LD; Diocesan Ultreya

Dear friends -  

1. Many thanks to the community for your palanca, and many thanks to God for Jim Byrne, Trudy Dervan, and Mimi Fitzgerald offering to serve us and the Cursillo Movement! It seems right to the Holy Spirit, and to us, that Mimi Fitzgerald serve as the next Lay Director for Arlington Cursillo, the term of service to begin May 24, 2008.
    

2. Diocesan Ultreya RESCHEDULED - previously scheduled for Jan. 27 will be Friday, Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd in Alexandria. Please join us for this pre-Lenten celebration of our fellowship in Christ. Bring a snack to share, your singing voice, and your eagerness to spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ. Good Shepherd's Ultreya has recently re-formed -- let's show up and give them a boost. If you sponsored a Cursillista on any of the weekends last year or are planning to sponsor one on an upcoming weekend, call them and invite them to come along with you. See you there!

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Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director, Arlington Cursillo

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1/17/08 PNRGram #29 Discernment; Thanks

Dear friends –

1. The Penultimate step – discernment! Beginning at 7:30 pm this Monday, 21 January 08, the Cursillo Movement will celebrate mass at Missionhurst with Fr Mike Hann, to continue our invocation of Holy Spirit on our discernment of the Next Lay Director. Join us, if you are able! If you can’t attend, please pray for us where you are.

After mass, the Secretariat will move to the lower room to discern in private session, while the other attendees will locate a place to party.

Following the discernment, I will announce the name of the Next Lay Director in the Missionhurst chapel.

2. Final step – investiture of the NLD as Lay Director: 7:30 pm mass at St John Neumann 24 May 08.

3. Thanks to all who attended the School of Leaders Jan 12 to converse with each other and the Lay Director nominees. Special thanks to Esther Silva for arranging this grace-filled session.

4. Thanks for the notes testifying to each of the nominees. Reading them was like reading a bag of palanca notes!

5. Thanks be to God for the graces continually poured out on the Arlington Cursillo Movement! De Colores!

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PNRGram #28 Vision Statements; makin' movies
 
Dear friends –

1. As promised, the Lay Director nominees have presented us with their Cursillo Vision statements, which we’ve posted on our website. Please take a look; we can question our nominees more easily when we’re familiar with their statements. Then, come to School of Leaders (10 am Jan 12 at St Mary of Sorrows) and ask questions! I tentatively expect this event to have this general shape:

Gathering
Opening prayer
Group Reunion
Break to grab coffee
A brief intro to this part of the discernment process
Interviews with Nominees, by each in turn:
    Brief statement by the nominee
    Questions from the Cursillistas
Closing prayer

Expect to be finished by 12 noon.

2. Do you take movies? For the benefit of those in our community who will not attend this Saturday’s School of Leaders (10 am Jan 12 at St Mary of Sorrows), I’d like to record the session (picture & sound) and produce a few DVDs that can be mailed quickly, like within a day. If you have the tools to do this, please email me at peternroth@yahoo.com or call 703-378-6838. First one who volunteers gets the job!

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PNRGram #27: PS - hopefully, a clarification

Dear friends -

 In the last PNRGram (#27), I said "Election of the next Lay Director will be at the Secretariat meeting etc etc". Election was a poor choice of word on my part. Our tradition has been that the Lay Director is 'called' rather than 'elected', and so the word I should have used is Discernment.

In this regard, and ideally, we've sought evidence that the Holy Spirit wants a particular person as Lay Director. Some of this evidence comes from viewing the person and their vision statement. Other of it comes from testimony of others. This last source is what we're looking for now.

We already know this : that Jim, Trudy and Mimi are saints; they're good people, dedicated to Christ, dedicated to Cursillo; they're friends; and they're leaders, among their many other noble and praiseworthy qualities. They would not be nominees if all that were not true.

 So beyond that: What is the Holy Spirit telling Cursillo about our nominees that needs to be heard? Tell us what God is telling you, so that you will help us discern.

 Email me at peternroth@yahoo.com .

 Sorry for my imprecision. And thanks to Mary Lou McGonigle for helping to clarify this.

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Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director, Arlington Cursillo

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PNRGram #27:Lay Director news; palanca requests; National Encounter news; wazzup
January 2, 2008

Dear friends -  

1. Happy 2008! The Adventure continues! "For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard." Acts 4:20.
    

2. School of Leaders 10 am Jan 12 at St Mary of Sorrows to be a "special meeting" at which Jim Byrne, Trudy Dervan, and Mimi Fitzgerald, the nominees for Lay Director, will present their visions for Cursillo. Please come and support these saints with your palanca!
    

3. The 126th Women's Cursillo team begins formation Jan 13! Palanca, please, to email addresses on the team web page .
    

4. Election of the next Lay Director will be at the Secretariat meeting Jan 21, 2008 in the Missionhurst Community room, after a mass at 7:30 pm celebrated by Fr Mike Hann. Please come and pray with us, that we may hear and follow Jesus's lead. Installation to occur May 24 at St John Neumann by Bishop Loverde.
    

5. Cursillo Spiritual Director - Fr Mike Hann retired as our Spiritual Director. As we search, please pray the Lord sends us The Right One.

 

6. Ultreyas - please email the dates and times of your meetings to Trudy Dervan tpharlow@aol.com so we can continue to publish them on our site and in the Arlington Herald. There's a bunch on our Calendar - pick one and have some fun!

 

7. A FAQ for the Cursillo National Encounter, 31 July - 3 August, 2008:

           Q: Where do I register for the Encounter?

A: You can register on-line at https://www.natl-cursillo.org/encounter/ , or download a registration form and mail form with full payment to the National Cursillo Center, P.O. Box 210226, Dallas, TX 75211. You can fax form to 214-339-6322, or e-mail form to: nationalcursillo.center@verizon.net Use a separate Registration Form for each registrant.

 Q: Is there a commuter's registration fee?

A: Yes, it is $225.00 per person. The commuter fee does not include lodging.

 Q: Why is the commuter's fee not posted on the National Cursillo website?

A: To avoid confusion. The full fee for the 18th National Encounter is $325, and the commuter fee is for the benefit of Cursillistas local to CUA, only.

Q: How do I take advantage of the commuter fee?

A: Register online and enter "Commuter" under the section "Special Needs". The credit card transaction will process the $225 Commuter fee.

 Q: Is there any way to go to this Encounter "free"?

A: Yes! The registration fee is waived for volunteers. To volunteer, please contact Arlington Cursillistas Susan or Luis Vega at encounter08@earthlink.net or call (703) 820-9362. There's lots to do!
 ---
Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director, Arlington Cursillo

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PNRGram #26:1 change + 2 opportunities
Friday October 26, 2007

Dear friends -

1. Fr Mike Hann is a good friend, and a good friend of our Cursillo Movement. He's been advised that he should cut back on his many commitments, and so has resigned as our Spiritual Director - an "inevitability" in Mike's words. His resignation contained this line: "I would be honored to be asked to be on a team each year and willing to help as needed", so he will not disappear, merely lower his profile. Please thank him, next time you see him; pray that we can continue to be blessed by his gifts; and pray that our Lord will bless us with a successor.

2. Arlington Diocesan Ultreya November 3, 2007 at 7:30 P.M. hosted in the Parish Hall by the Cursillo Community of Sacred Heart, 12975 Purcell Road, Manassas, VA 20112-3217. All current and prospective Cursillistas are welcome. Please bring a snack or drink to share. Call or email George Darnell (703-791-5153, darnellgd@comcast.net) for directions, or use your favorite web mapping tool.

3. Cursillo Day of Recollection November 12 (Monday, Veterans Day Holiday) 9:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. St. Mark Church, Vienna (Room C102). The theme for this day is : Deepening our Relationship with God in the Prayer Style of St Ignatius Loyola. Bring your own lunch and drink. Cursillistas and those interested in Cursillo are welcome at this day presented by Spiritual Directors Mary Lou Miller and Jean Sweeney, with a closing Mass celebrated by Fr. Tuck Grinnell. The focus will be on experiencing some different prayer forms used in Ignatian spirituality. Jean, Mary Lou, and Fr. Tuck all work with giving spiritual support and retreat assistance to the volunteers of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, a group of retired seniors who spend two days a week at sites that interact with the poor. There is no charge for the event, but a free-will offering will be appreciated. Contact Trudy Harlow Dervan at 703-241-1013.

De Colores!

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Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
peternroth@yahoo.com
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #25 - Ultreya, Women's 125th, etc.
Wednesday October 3, 2007

Dear friends -

1. The St John Neumann Ultreya will commence at 7:30 PM, this Saturday, Oct 6 in the Parish Center. Please come and bring a friend (and a snack).

2. Time Variance! The 125th Women's Cursillo is October 11 at Village of Mt Zion. It will begin Thursday at6pm,an hour earlier than usual. Click here for directions.

3. From the Women's Team: No More Carbs, Puhlease! We have a carload of food left over from the Men's Weekend: chips, Doritos, pretzels, crackers, nuts, power bars...all CARBS. Even though we have a very full house of candidates, we women already have enough carbs. While we don't wish to be ungrateful, we would love a "healthier variety of snacks".

4. Correction: Alina Otal was omitted from the list of the 125th Women's Team in His Banner. Alina IS on the team. Please adjust your palanca accordingly. Also, the list of candidates is refreshed daily on our website.

5. The palanca clock is ticking at
   http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/w125/w125palancaClock.asp Sign up for an hour of prayer to support the weekend.

6. Saturday & Sunday, October 13 & 14. Because Village of Mt Zion is far away, some Cursillistas will travel to Woodstock on Saturday and sleep over for mañanita (7 am Sunday). Most generously, Mark & Diane Labadie [(540) 436-3357], and John & Nan Alcott [(540) 459-2514], are opening their homes; each can accept 1 couple and 2 singles. Also, hotel rooms are available at the Budget Host Inn , Comfort Inn , and Holiday Inn Express [(540) 459-5000]. It has been rumored that a self-inflicted "wine & cheese" soiree will erupt with what you bring at around 5:30pm at the Budget Host Inn, prior to the evening pursuit of lecuisine de vallée.

   1. Breakfast after mañanita! The Knights of Columbus will begin serving breakfast Sunday at 8 am at St John Bosco. Pancakes. Sausage. Bacon. Free will offering. Yum.

   2. The Closing will begin at 3:30 pm Sunday and will include Mass; a reception will follow immediately. Please bring substantial food to share for the reception. We need community assistance to clean and straighten the retreat center, too; please help so that everyone will have left Mt. Zion by 6:00 PM.

7. In August 2008, we've scheduled a Women's Cursillo at the Dominican Retreat House in McLean. The cost per person will be more than $250, a substantial increase over our costs at other venues. However: these costs are more in line with what retreats normally cost these days; the place is air conditioned; it is "centrally located"; it is handicapped accessible; and, it gives the opportunity to Cursillistas who can't serve on Team (for whatever reason) to literally serve the Cursillo by serving meals!

   1. Looking at all this, the Secretariat has decided to subsidize the cost differential as an experiment. If things work well, we are considering scheduling subsequent Cursillos there. If you feel moved to contribute to the subsidy, please send a check made out to Arlington Cursillo to Matt Caputo, 13220 Memory Ln, Fairfax, VA 22033. All monies will go into our general fund.

   2. Retreat costs in general are increasing, so we can expect that the cost of our Cursillos elsewhere will rise as well.

   3. The details of "food teams" hasn't been worked out yet, so please pray that we get this right, and keep it in mind as a chance to volunteer, later.

8. The procedures required to get us onto the Combined Federal Campaign list to accept donations via payroll deduction were changed by OPM on the last day for filing an application. The procedures are now too arduous to waste our time on, so we're dropping this effort. We'll continue to accept donations in our usual fashion: envelopes to the Treasurer; and, of course, anything that falls from the sky. J

9. This email is being sent via a ListServer, technology that is new to me, so there may be some kinks along the way. Ultimately, I hope it will make life easier for the next Lay Director. Let me know if you "experience technical difficulties". Additional info below shows you how to control your subscription to the list by email.

De Colores!

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Grace+Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
peternroth@yahoo.com
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #24 - current events update
Thursday September 6, 2007

Dear Friends – a few more morsels of information abut this busy weekend…

1. Men’s Cursillo – Sept 6. That’s today! A couple of open slots on our Palanca clock page for you night owls. Click here to check... Mañanita at 7 am, Closing at 3 pm (no mass). Drive with care…

2. Rector+Angel Workshop If you’ve ever even had the slightest glimmer about being a Rector or Angel, or being on team, please join us at our School of Leaders on September 8 at Missionhurst(!). We will begin with Mass at 9 am, and the Workshop will begin at 10 am.

This session is, as are all Schools of Leaders, open to all Cursillistas.

While we usually complete our Schools of Leaders in 2 hours, questions and discussion may cause us to run over. So, you might want to bring a bag lunch.

 De Colores!
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #24 - current events
Saturday August 25, 2007

Dear Friends -

1. Rejoice with me, for we hath swept the diocese and found the button machine and the big blue cooler!

2. Men’s Cursillo – Sep 6. Bring ‘em.

3. Kathy Adams needs help. There’s a lot of work involved in the Weekend Committee. Key to this is the word ‘Committee’ – it is ridiculous for us to expect one person to do everything. Which is where we come in: this message will go to about 500 of us – surely there’s a couple of us who can step up and help? Kathy’ll tell us the work she’s identified. Each job is small, and takes little time by itself, but there are many of them. Those of us who’ve been on Team especially need to bring our experience to bear. Drop a dime to Kathy’s cell phone: (703) 402-9551, or, email her at seasonsofgrace@gmail.com

4. Rector+Angel Workshop I cordially invite you to our School of Leaders on September 8, which will begin at 10 am at Missionhurst(!) and will be a Rector+Angel Workshop. If you are interested in seeing what the Rector + Angel are doing during team formation, and during the Cursillo, please come.

This session is, as are all Schools of Leaders, open to all Cursillistas. While we usually complete our Schools of Leaders in 2 hours, questions and discussion may cause us to run over. So, you might want to bring a bag lunch and hang out for a while in those surroundings holding so many dear Cursillo memories.

5. New rules from OPM - to be included in Combined Federal Campaign, organizations under the Catholic Church group exemption must appear in the national Catholic Directory. They are making no exceptions. To secure this in 2008, we need to get Cursillo listed in the Arlington Diocese section of the Catholic directory as well. We press on…

6. Writers: Chicken Soup For The Catholic Soul is looking for 1,000 word stories here. Write from your heart and soul about your life experience as a Catholic. Specifically, consider writing from your ministry within Cursillo. Think about how an appropriate story about your Weekend, group reunion, parish or diocesan Ultreya, or other Cursillo memory could help bring others to Christ – and our movement.

To improve your chances of success with this project, be aware that the Chicken Soup series looks for stories with a beginning, middle, and end. Typically, the subject (you) has a problem or challenge at the beginning, has an "ah-ha" moment, and resolves the problem/learns the lesson by the end in a way that is humorous or moving. The ending must be satisfying to the reader and bring a chuckle to the lips or a tear to the eye. Submission deadline is November 30, 2007.

 

De Colores!
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #23: We have room / Cleanup
Friday August 3, 2007

Dear Friends –

1. As we draw closer to the weekend dates for the Men's 115th Cursillo (6-9 Sep 07), we still have openings for candidates. The current total of signups is updated regularly on the website; the maximum number of candidates for this Cursillo is 23. Please think about your friends who would make good candidates. Talk to these friends about Cursillo, and about the opportunity to bring these friends closer to Christ. You might use the article on page 4 of the August 16 issue of the Arlington Herald as a conversation starter (thanks to Trudy Dervan and Melanie Rigney for setting that up!)

2. Clean up – we need volunteers to stay a few minutes after the end of the Reception at our Cursillo Closings. Why? Because we aren’t being hosted by an Ultreya! We’re using a rented facility, and clean-up is part of the rent. Be prepared to take the leftovers of what you bring to the Reception, home with you. [Yeah, this is a repeat announcement, but to quote St Peter: “Therefore, I will always remind you of these things, even though you already know them and are established in the truth you have.” 2 P 1:12]

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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #22: His Banner, news of the moment
Friday August 3, 2007

Dear Friends –
 

1. Attached is our latest issue of His Banner, one of the most powerful I’ve seen to date. Hope you enjoy it!

2. The Men’s 115th Cursillo begins September 6! The Palanca prayer clock is open at the team webpage here. Please continue to pray for the team and the new Cursillistas. And speaking of new Cursillistas, please get applications to Jack Finnerty, 4531 Andes Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 promptly, so they can be processed in a timely manner. Click here to download applications in Word format.

3. Ultreya!!! On Saturday, August 11, 2007, St. John Neumann Community will host the Diocese Ultreya. The festivities start at 7:30 PM and we hope as many of you that can come will be there at the Parish Center on Lawyers Road in Reston. Spouses and others are certainly most welcomed. Hope you are having a splendid summer. De Colores, Don Hudenburg

4. Do you have meeting/event planning experience?  Or perhaps desire such experience? We could use you on the Weekend Committee. Pick one (or more): finding weekend locations; negotiating contracts; and helping us get organized at the place! Email Kathy Adams at seasonsofgrace@gmail.com to stick your toe in the water.

5. We’re looking for: the button machine, the thing we use to make the ID buttons for our weekends. Also, the big blue cooler is “missing”. If you have either item, or you know where it is, please email Kathy Adams at seasonsofgrace@gmail.com as soon as possible.

6. Clean up – here’s the deal: we need volunteers to stay a few minutes after the end of the Reception at our Cursillo Closings. Why? Because we aren’t being hosted by an Ultreya! We’re using a rented facility, and clean-up is part of the rent. The more, the merrier. And, please take the leftovers of what you bring to the Reception, home with you. Thank you for your support.

 De Colores!
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #21 Needs, and His Banner attached
Sunday, June 24, 2007

Dear Friends –

1. Judy Hamilton, the chair of our Weekend Committee, has her hands full, including: helping her father-in-law in Florida who had a stroke; her aunt died last week; and her mother had a stroke this past Friday. Please pray for her and her family. Notes of support to Judy at 8291 Glade Bank Drive, Manassas, VA 20111-5229.

2. Our Weekend Committee – Judy Hamilton is our chair of this committee, but as noted above, she must devote her attention to family matters for the indefinite future.
   To support our two teams beginning their formations NOW, we need to get this committee going NOW. We need Cursillistas to staff this committee and divide up the work. Therefore, if you can serve, please meet with me at 7:30 pm Thursday June 28 at my house, 13146 Maltese Lane, Fairfax, Virginia 22033.
   The work includes: storing our materiel (somewhere); taking inventory; shopping; replenishing what’s missing; arranging for locations at which to hold Cursillos; and others, as required. You may think you need a college degree in Cursillo and twenty years experience to do this job, but I haven’t ever served on this committee myself, so we’re all of us doing OTJ training,
   If you can’t make this Thursday’s meeting, email or call me at 703-283-4603 so we can include you in the committee communications.

3. Callie M. Terrell in concert - 4:00 p.m. Sunday, July 1, 2007, at Our Lady Queen of Peace, 2700 19th St, Arlington, VA 22204. Reception following. Free Will Offering. Further info: Mrs. Beverly Thornton 703.668.9341

4. Upcoming Cursillos – at our Secretariat meeting last week, we finalized our schedule for Cursillos through 2008:

Sep 6, 2007 – Men’s 115th Cursillo – The St Joseph Seminary

Oct 11, 2007 – Women’s 125th Cursillo – Village of Mt Zion

Mar 27, 2008 – Women’s 126th Cursillo – Village of Mt Zion

Apr 24, 2008 – Men’s 116th Cursillo – The St Joseph Seminary

Aug 21, 2008 – Women’s 127th Cursillo – Dominican Retreat House

Oct 23, 2008 – Men’s 117th Cursillo – The St Joseph Seminary

5. His Banner for June-July 2007 is available on our website here. Enjoy!

6. Have a blessed summer! See ya ’round the diocese.

--

Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #20 New Chairs for Post Cursillo and Weekend Committees
Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Dear Friends –

1. Freddie Wall has assumed the chair of PostCursillo committee and Judy Hamilton has assumed the chair of the Weekend committee. Please welcome and support to these generous women!

2. Retreat For Those Facing Serious Illness

   1. This coming weekend, May 25-27, a number of our brothers and sisters who live with the challenge of serious illness will be making a retreat similar to a Cursillo.  This retreat ministry has been operated for many years by Arlington Diocese cursillistas and others called to this ministry, at the Dominican Retreat House, 7103 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22101.

   2. Our community traditionally tries to provide substantial support for these weekends, and this one will be no exception.  The team has requested written palanca (addressed to Friend in Christ), palanca in the form of snacks and drinks, prayers, and your presence at the 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning serenade.

   3. Further information may be found on our website.

3. By the way, our web site has been having some ups and downs lately. Our host has realized there is a problem, and they’re working on it, so we should be back to normal Real Soon.

4. Men’s 125th Cursillo team is being called. Prayer for this effort is most welcome!

5. Fr. Leonard J. Tuozzolo, C.S.Sp., Cursillista, and Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace, checked into Virginia Hospital Center Monday May 21st (yesterday) for a mitrovalve operation today. He will recuperate five days in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit on the First Floor. Since he does not want to go to a nursing home the first ten days he is released, we have designed two sign-up rosters: one is for Company, the other is for Meals. If you want to combine a Company and a Meals visit, you must sign up on both forms. Fr. Tuz loves company and dining with friends, so the two rosters offer us all an opportunity to provide nourishment as we keep Tuz company and help restore his health!

6. Our Lady of Fatima Traveling Statue:

a.       Arrives 7 pm Thurs May 31 Cathedral. I plan to attend this prayer meeting. You are welcome to join me.

b.      The statue will be traveling to various parishes in the diocese through October. Cursillo is a movement rather than a parish-based organization. As such, I encourage you to participate as your devotion leads in your parish.

3. The visit of the statue will conclude with the Arlington Diocese Pilgrimage, Saturday Oct 13, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Pilgrimage occurs during the Women’s 125th Cursillo, and is an opportunity to offer palanca therefor.

Christ is counting on us!
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #19 - Women's 124th Cursillo + Weekend Committee
Sunday, April 22, 2007 

Dear Friends – 

1. Weekend Committee rebuilding kickoff meeting at 7:30 pm Monday, April 30, (the day after the Women’s 124th Cursillo) at my home, 13146 Maltese Lane, Fairfax, Virginia 22033. Phone 703-378-6838. If you’ve been waiting to be asked to help Cursillo: help!
2. Women’s 124^th Cursillo will begin at 7 pm April 26 at The St Joseph Center, 1200 Varnum Street NE, Washington, DC 20017. There will be a brief prayer service for sponsors (in the chapel) as the weekend begins.
3. Palanca! For the Women’s 124^th Cursillo

a)     I’m Lovable Buttons. We’d like to share your buttons from previous Cursillos, to begin a “tradition” (thanks to Phil Russell for this idea). If you have one or more buttons you’d like to share, bring or send them with your palanca notes so they can be distributed to the Cursillistas.

b)     Snacks: Please bring/send water, diet and regular soft drinks, healthy chips, cookies, fruit, and veggies for munching during the weekend. Last weekend, we almost ran out of food and drink at noon Saturday!

c)      Sacrifices Continue to pray for the team and our Cursillistas-to-be. Bring/send them a love note to let them know you’re praying and sacrificing for them.

d)     List of team, candidates, and prayer clock is at http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/w124/w124.htm. As of 7 pm today, we have 21 candidates. Keep your eye on the site for the latest details.

4. Mañanita Sunday, April 29, at 7:00 a.m. Gather at 6:45 a.m. in front of the seminary on the 13^th street side. One of the Team will meet us and escort us to the Mañanita area.
5. Women’s 124^th Cursillo CLOSING & RECEPTION 3 pm April 29. NO MASS. Please be seated by 2:45 pm to begin celebrating at 3 pm. Follow the signs! Parking available on the local streets, as well as on the property in front and on the right side (13th Street side). Please bring heavy hors d'oeuvres and beverages to share.
6. Women’s 124^th Cursillo CLEANUP. Yeah, there’s always cleanup. When it’s time to clean up, let’s all consider this detail as a call to “wash each other’s feet”. And so that there’s no food wasted, please plan to take something home with you.

 ---
Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

 

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PNRGram #18: Men's 114th
Thursday, March 15, 2007

Dear Friends –

1.    Men’s 114th Cursillo will begin at 7 pm March 29 at The St Joseph Center, 1200 Varnum Street NE, Washington, DC 20017. There will be a brief prayer service for sponsors as the weekend begins.

Please have all applications to Jack Finnerty by March 21. At present we have 14 candidates, and room for 5 more.

2.    Palanca! For the Men’s 114th Cursillo: if you’d like to volunteer for a) or b) below, contact Joe Aponte at 703-527-8831 or aponteja@cox.net as soon as possible:
        a) Team Dinner Those of us who like to cook! We need dinner for the 12-man team at 5 pm March 29 to be served at The St Joseph Center.

        b) Saturday Party March 31 Those of us who are sneaky: set up around 7:00 PM, party scheduled for 8:40.

        c) Snacks Sponsors and others please bring/send healthy chips, cookies, fruit, veggies for munching during the weekend.

        d) Sacrifices Continue to pray for the team and our Cursillistas-to-be. Bring/send them a love note to let them know you’re praying and sacrificing for them.

        e) List of team, candidates, and prayer clock is at
http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillossubweb/m114/114th_men.htm

3.    Men’s 114th Cursillo Closing April 1 (Palm Sunday). NO MASS. Please be seated by 2:45 pm to begin celebrating at 3 pm. If you follow the signs you will not need to climb steps. Parking available on the local streets, as well as on the property in front and on the right side (13th Street side). Please bring heavy hors d'oeuvres and beverages to share. AND: Please be ready to take home with you that which is not eaten or drunk! Bishop Loverde plans to join us – y’all come!

4.    Someone at St Louis parish? – Kathy Shenkla (10:30 Sunday choir) would like to make a Cursillo. If you can welcome Kathy into your Group Reunion, and would like to sponsor her, please contact Jack Finnerty at jfinnerty@cox.net 

5.    Scheduling of Events – if you are planning “a Cursillo event” such as an Ultreya, or Reunion of Leaders, or whatever, please inform the communications committee at least two weeks prior to the date so we can announce it in the Arlington Catholic Herald, and on our website calendar. Email to tpharlow@aol.com.
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #17 - beginning a New Year 2007

Dear Friends -                          

 1.      Happy New Year! In 2007, I’m looking forward to continuing our great adventure of bringing others to Christ! “…and I feel that I must be continually thanking God for you, brothers and sisters whom the Lord loves, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctifying Spirit and by faith in the truth.” [2 Th 2:13] !

2.      114th Men’s Cursillo – Team formation begins Jan 22. Please pray for the team; for details, click here.  to go to the team website and send some epalanca. The Precursillo committee is in the process of confirming applications. It’s just about the right time to start the paperwork for your male friends, pals, chums, buddies, chaps, beaux, husbands, colleagues, boyfriends, and confederates – check your environment! Printable applications are available here at the bottom of the Sponsor’s page.

3.      114th Men’s Cursillo – will be held March 29 – April 1, 2007 (Palm Sunday weekend) at The St Joseph Center in DC. Bishop Loverde will join us at the Closing!

4.      One-Day Retreat – Friday, February 23, 9am ~ 4pm. Yes, that’s a Friday. Our Spiritual Director, Fr. Mike Hann, has graciously invited us to Missionhurst for the day, “us” meaning “all Cursillistas.” We’re still planning the day; come ready to share your gifts a la 1 Cor 14:26.  So far, we know that lunch is on Mike (we’re ordering in)!  We need a count for lunch, so email me with the size of your party by Feb 21: peternroth@yahoo.com.

5.      St John Bosco – begins our Valley Reunion of Leaders this Friday Jan 19, 2007 at 7:30 pm in the St Francis room. Please remember them with your palanca. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop in!

6.      The Cursillo® Manual – National Cursillo has published the long-awaited (and even larger) replacement for Big Red, the large book we used to use in our team formations. My reading of it turned into a technical review which I shared with the other dioceses in Region 2. My cover letter on it is on the page below. Links on that page will take you to more details, and some other useful stuff in Microsoft® Word and Excel format.

7.      Ultreya Leaders – please email the dates and times of your meetings to Trudy Dervan <tpharlow@aol.com> so we can publish them on our site and in the Arlington Herald.

Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
1 Th 5:17

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Revised Weekend Manual
Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Dear Friends –

I hope Jesus is blessing the start of your New Year!

Since our last Region 2 encounter, I have engaged The Cursillo® Manual. The authors deserve much praise and many thanks for their great effort to serve God and our Movement by producing it.

The new manual supersedes and replaces The Cursillo® Movement’s 3-Day Manual (what we called “Big Red”), and all other previous American editions. The changes of interest to Arlington Cursillo:

    a. The name of the Group Reunion and Ultreya talk is changed back to Total Security.
    b. The Cursillista After The Cursillo talk, which Big Red had removed from the weekend proper and scheduled at the Closing, is reinserted into the talk lineup immediately preceding Total Security.
This will make our weekends slightly longer, and could make our Closings shorter.

Hence, for us, The Cursillo® Manual changes nothing Essential* to our weekends, but does change something Important. Accidentals will of course continue to differ from place to place.

Re the attachments:
    1. Notes on The Cursillo® Manual. The Cursillo® Manual is a formidable document! At 282 pages, it’s 80 pages larger than Big Red, and approximately ¾ the size of the New Testament. Nonetheless, we’ve agreed to use it in place of Big Red, so I needed to read it myself, per Colossians 4:4. Although my notes introduce even more text to the equation (egads), they specify some of the areas that need clarification, and some that can be eliminated.
My notes are in the form that I use to review technical reports. The aim of such a review is to ensure that a document makes sense and is correct, so it isn’t your typical Washington Post book review. While there are general comments, you’ll need The Cursillo® Manual to make sense of notes tied to specific paragraphs.
Rectors may find my notes useful as they work through formation and The Cursillo® Manual with their Teams.
Team members need be concerned primarily with those sections related to their talks.

    2. Weekend Schedule.xls The schedule of the weekend as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, brought up to date to agree with The Cursillo® Manual. All of the Talks are now in the weekend proper, in the correct sequence. This spreadsheet format allows easy modification to suit the site and circumstances. A Round Robin schedule is on the ‘Team’ tab as an aid to scheduling Group Reunions and Prayer Partners.

    3. Habits of the Highly Effective Talk Writer is an anonymously authored document that has been floating around Arlington Cursillo for years. It would be a useful replacement for one of the blank pages of The Cursillo® Manual.

    4. Cursillo Meditations and Talks was developed by Deacon Jack Ligon, and summarizes the weekend in two pages. This is an “old” document – titles and placement of Talks on the weekend were changed occasionally over time. It has been updated so that it agrees with The Cursillo® Manual, and is now pretty much the same as it was twenty five years ago(!). It could be used to replace two of the blank pages in The Cursillo® Manual.

*The Essential, The Important, And The Accidental Elements In The Cursillo Movement, by Eduardo Bonnin at The National Encounter, 1971. Available at BonninsEssential.doc

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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #13a - additional crucial info

… and the date is...

July 15 for both Ultreyas.

PNRGram #12  #13- Pick One!

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

Jesus calls us to piety, study and action to spread his friendship to people and the world. However, he also recognizes that we need to refresh our battery and recharge it to continue. Not only that, we need to teach new Cursillistas about the important supports that our movement has with Group Reunion, Parish Ultreya and Diocesan Ultreya.

If we are to “go fourth” into our Fourth Day, sometimes the work is hard. Jesus and his disciples often went down to the sea to rest and recharge their batteries. At other times, he went to the mountains.

Before you head out on vacation, pick one! Join us at a parish Ultreya at either of the following:

7:30 pm in The Upper Room at St Mary of Sorrows, 5222 Sideburn Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032
6:15 pm in Room 103 at St Charles Borromeo, 3304 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

De Colores!

Tony DeCristofaro, PostCursillo Committee
Arlington Cursillo
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org

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PNRGram #12: Operation Table Move = Truck Palanca

Dear Friends – 

Your chance for some Truck Palanca!

 We need a few volunteers and a truck/van to move the six 5-foot diameter Cursillo tables from Missionhurst to the Village of Mt Zion. The tables are to arrive in time for the Women’s 122^nd Cursillo (no later than 4 pm June 22).

 Time estimate:

 Total Truck Palanca time estimate: 6 hours.

 Cursillo pays for your fuel and lunch.

 Day and time to be coordinated by Mark Jones. Please contact Mark at  Mark.Jones3@hqda.army.mil or (703) 282-1361 as soon as possible to volunteer.
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Grace + Peace
Peter N Roth, Lay Director
Arlington Cursillo
http://arlingtoncursillo.org