Cursillo's history traces soul journey

When we moved to Albany from Rochester in 1972, our friends told us that God was sending us to begin Cursillo in the Albany Diocese. Little did we know how prophetic those words were.

We made friends with several couples who had made a Marriage Encounter, and formed a prayer and Scripture-sharing group with them.

At Christmas, we were invited to the Marriage Encounter party, where we were introduced to Jane and Larry Fountain. They, too, had experienced Cursillo and said they had been praying that the Holy Spirit would send someone to discuss beginning Cursillo in Albany. We began to meet at their home with several others who had experienced Cursillo in other dioceses.

When we asked permission from Bishop Edwin B. Broderick to start Cursillo, he told us that we needed a priest as our spiritual director before we could go forward. We sent letters to all of the priests in the Diocese. Many were interested, but none had the time to take on the responsibility.

One evening, we prayed that God would send us someone right away. That very evening, Rev. George Mailloux called with the answer to our prayers. He had been away and had been praying to find a Cursillo group in Albany. When he opened his mail, he read our request.

God had answered our prayers, so we could schedule our first men's and women's weekends at St. Joseph's Center in Valatie in 1973.

Leaders sent by the Holy Spirit added to our numbers as we used the Cursillo method to call forth the fire of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus on the Church at Albany. We developed a leaders' school to teach the Cursillo way to evangelize, lead and light the way for the new fire of Pentecost to fill our parishes and nourish faithful Catholic.

Cursillo is like a mother in ways, giving life and helping to form us in the light of Christ. No matter where we go or what we do, we give thanks for the gifts of love and zeal that nourished us through the Cursillo, and gave us the grace to spread the good news of God's love.

Cursillo is more than a great weekend retreat; it is a time to hear the plan that God has for each of us, It has also become a launching pad for many of us to various ministries in our parishes.

Cursillo is a world-wide Catholic movement dedicated to furthering Christianity. The three-day weekend event is meant to bring Catholics closer to Christ. Those attending listen to and discuss talks on Christian living, given by priests, religious and lay people.

(The authors are members of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany. Deacon Beckman is assigned there and at St. Peter's Hospital. The 2006 women's weekend will be held at the Dominican Retreat and Conference Center in Niskayuna, Oct. 19-22. Contact Joe Thouin at 233-7119 or [email protected]. The men's retreat is pending. The Cursillo website is www.cursillo.org/albany.)

(10/5/06)