Women’s Cursillo a time of personal encounter, growth in Christ

The beautiful and quiet rolling hills of Warren County belied the intense spiritual activity inside the Blue Army Shrine in Asbury, where eleven women from a variety of parishes gathered for a powerful three-day Cursillo experience April 11-14, connecting them to the teachings of the Church, her sacramental life and witnessing to Christ.

Cursillo has its roots in Spain and the 1940s, including Pope Pius XII’s exhortation to address the great number of fallen-away Christians, challenging Church leaders to help people return to their Christian values. In response, a group formed in 1941 and soon realized the need for education, which began with Cursillo de Christiandad, or Short Course in Christianity. Today it has grown into a vast international movement.

For three days, the women embarked on a journey of encounter with Christ and each other, seeking to promote a desire for a deeper, more profound relationship with God. This happened through a series of 15 talks, 10 from laity and five from clergy or religious, based on living what is fundamental to being Christian, group discussions, times of silence, opportunities for prayer, Confession, Mass and meditation all within a Eucharistic community.

The closing on Sunday afternoon, April 14, began as participants and other invitees gathered in the small chapel. Cursillo Rectora Regina DePrima summarized the experience, saying, “So, we just had to be our authentic selves, and our Lord was palpable.”

DePrima invited participants to offer testimonies about the weekend, with no shortage of volunteers wishing to speak about their experiences, and they did so with deep affection.

Marisa Tipton from Queen of Peace Parish, Branchville, Diocese of Paterson, spoke of the “nonstop love that overflowed everywhere, and the simplicity to just ‘be’.”

Eileen Walsh, also from Queen of Peace, shared her reticence to speak up to others with her beliefs about such critical issues as abortion, “but now I’m not timid,” she acknowledged. Fellow parishioner Patti Ehrhardt wanted to “thank my team, [and] Jesus,” saying, “I love you all.”

Claudette Gaspard, from St. Matthias Parish, Somerset, rose to thank her sponsor, Bill Grippo, who sponsored five women from the parish and who serves as diocesan coordinator for Metuchen Cursillo. In his letter of invitation to the women’s weekend, Grippo, explained, “The Cursillo Movement encourages small groups of Christians, baptized Catholics, to become apostolic leaders and witnesses in their normal everyday environment.”

During the weekend’s closing Grippo reminded participants and invited guests, “Cursillo is a mission and a movement.” Calling attention to the beautiful stone walls of the chapel which lends itself to prayer and reflection, he concluded with the exhortation that, “It is comfortable to stay in here, but the roughest part of Cursillo is when you go back outside these beautiful stone walls (and evangelize).”

In order to continue formation and keep enthusiasm and commitment strong for Cursillistas, those who have completed a Cursillo three-day weekend, DePrima encouraged the women to participate in what is known as The Fourth Day, which includes small, informal Reunion Groups, which meet locally, and a monthly meeting called an Ultreya, which meets throughout the Diocese.

DePrima gave special thanks to Dominican Sister of Peace Cathy Buchanan, who travelled from Connecticut to both serve as a speaker and assist with the Cursillo; Father John Primich, Metuchen Cursillo’s spiritual advisor, who gave a talk and celebrated Sacraments; Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Luke Mary Fletcher, Blue Army Shrine chaplain who celebrated Mass and gave a talk; Deacon Pete DePrima, who serves in St. James Parish, Basking Ridge, and gave two presentations, and Father Ron Jandernoa, pastor, St. Jude Parish, Blairstown, who also gave a presentation.

Special thanks also went to speakers Mary Wolfram, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Fords; Denyse Giannone, St. John Vianney Parish, Colonia; Linda Ambrosio, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Dunellen, and Ronnie Collingwood, Mary, Mother of God Parish, Hillsborough.

For more information about the Metuchen Cursillo Movement visit metcursillo.org

Mary Morrell, editor-in-chief, contributed to this story.