Welcome to Cursillo in the Diocese of Southern Queensland, 2024.

Dear Cursillistas,

In my April Jottings, the first item mentioned was the search for a MW#83 Lay Director which was unsuccessful. Then, on April 15, our Secretariat meeting discussed this in depth. Bishop Cam and I had a conversation prior to this meeting regarding the 2024 Weekend and, as it was mid-April without a Lay Director, Secretariat agreed that this year’s Weekend will not occur, however there are exciting times ahead. The 2025 MW#83 weekend is booked and will be held at Glendalough. Secretariat is pleased to announce that the Lay Director is Ann Martin-Victor, who you all know well.

Bishop Cam has endorsed Cursillo Southern Queensland having a ‘fallow’ year in 2024. The farming practice of leaving a field “fallow” every 7 years has substantial future benefits. Nutrients in the soil are depleted year by year as we ask more of the soil. Tilling and topping up the soil, without seeding the field, allows the field to rest and gain momentum and becoming more fertile again.

In Cursillo vocabulary, we are using the term to compare with our Cursillo Weekends. Cursillo in our Diocese is 40 years old next year. It has continued though this period with very few changes. But times have changed around us.

Differences in family style of living from the mid 80’s, the cost of living, the financial pressure on families, the aging of our church population, have all changed the goalposts. Finding venues to cater for our current Cursillo program, along with the availability of Lay Directors to run the Weekends have led us to this point. It is time for a Cursillo “Fallow Year” to inject some of the new ideas that have been with us for a while and revitalize the benefits that Cursillo can deliver to every Parish and Candidate. During this time, we intend to make an even stronger foundation sustaining and growing Cursillo into the future.

Jottings also mentioned the Secretariat planning day at All Saints. Booval on April 20. This planning day has commenced an action plan for the future of Cursillo in Southern Queensland. For the past 12 months, Cursillistas have been encouraged to give their thoughts and feedback. A special meeting was held last September prior to the Clausura for all to attend and discuss issues for our future. Secretariat thanks those who have replied in person and via email. Your opinions are gratefully received and valued. Secretariat is holding a follow up Planning Day in June to continue discussions.

 

During the National Secretariat Meeting in Sunbury, Victoria last October, all dioceses were encouraged to ‘tweak’ their approach to weekends, including timing and content. The theme of “What’s Important and What’s Not?” encouraged delegates to discuss positive changes to meet the needs of their Cursillistas. Delegates will report back in October at the 2024 meeting in Newcastle. Our fallow year, where we will reframe aspects of Cursillo will feature prominently in our report to that meeting. Once again, I encourage you to look at Cursillo National’s website to gain the whole picture and an understanding of active dioceses in Australia and other places. The link is: https://www.cursillo-australia.org

Meeting this huge challenge and to make Cursillo more accessible needs a step in faith, a big step. One of the preferred options is for our weekends to be shorter. Bishop Cam was keen for this to occur, especially as numerous possible candidates cannot take two working days off to attend. Historically, the first 11 Men’s and the first 6 Women’s were 2-day weekends. From 1987 to 1992, weekends vacillated between 2 days and 3 days then settling down to 3-day weekends. Looking at the first 28 weekends, 21 out of 28 Men’s were 2 days and 22 out of 35 were Women’s. Women also had 7 extra weekends, numbered with an A (21A, 22A, etc).

Consequently, MW #83 in 2025 is going to be a trial 2-day weekend (from late Friday to Sunday evening) and with consideration for our northern Cursillistas, the venue has changed to Glendalough in the Sunshine Coast. The dates for this weekend have come forward to August 22-24, 2025. New candidates will not be affected by the change as they know no other format and we will ensure that the authenticity of Cursillo is maintained. MW#83 will be innovative and we know that God has this in control. There are already a number of candidates waiting to attend.

Meanwhile, the biennial Pilgrimage (May 4-6) “Journey in Faith” is imminent with Cursillistas in cars and caravans venturing into the beautiful countryside, visiting our friends in Esk, Warwick and Boonah-Harrisville. 53 Cursillistas are meeting at St Matthew’s Grovely early this Saturday.

Please consider attending one or more of the 3 planned Ultreyas mentioned in Jottings, this year. Another parish is considering the opportunity of holding one. The Diocesan Ultreya 2024 will be at St Matthew’s Sherwood on November 2. Next year’s 40th Diocesan Ultreya will be held in St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane on November 8 and we look forward to filling that magnificent venue with a huge celebration of Cursillo in Southern Queensland.

Let’s continue to pray for Cursillo in our diocese and for acceptance of the trial 2-day weekend next year.

Onwards and Upwards!

Marg Carr (W33, 1993). Diocesan Lay Director of Cursillo Southern Queensland.