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Sponsorship Guidelines

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

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.

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The Fundamental Ideas of the Ideas of the Cursillo Movement, the basic book of the worldwide Cursillo Movement, says:

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"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."

 

Before sponsoring, consider the following information.

Guidelines & Information

A good sponsor is a witness. 

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You are actively attending Group Reunion, Ultreyas, and Cursillo activities (such as Closings) to grow in Christ with the community.

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You are expressing the Gospel messages through actions and words within your environments.

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You prayerfully select candidates who will lead in the transformation of their environments to Christ.

How to be a "good sponsor"

Whom to sponsor

Cursillo is a movement of the Catholic Church for Catholics only.

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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 them persevere in their efforts to live as Christians in the best possible way.

It is not:

  • just a weekend experience

  • a typical retreat

  • group therapy for emotional problems*

  • a cure-all for personal problems.*

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*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.

What the Cursillo is NOT

How to Sponsor?

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

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.

Co-Sponsoring is Encouraged

Supporting Your 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.

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

  • Send Palanca so they know you are supporting them through prayer and sacrifice offered for their Cursilliso

  • Attend the Cursillo Closing on Sunday evening

  • Provide transportation home for your Cursillista

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.

Applications

The application is in two parts: 

  1. Your candidate completes his or her part of the application and submits it to the Pre-Cursillo Chair.

  2. You complete the Sponsor part by downloading the document linked below.

 

To submit the Sponsorship Application, email the PDF to  laydirector@arlingtoncursillo.org  (preferred method) or mail your document to the address listed on the bottom of the application.  DO NOT send emails to Precursillo at this time.

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