Cursillo (aka a short course in Christianity) is a movement/charism within our church that, through a specific method, and through God's grace is intended to; allow each person to recognize the essential realities of being a Christian and to take advantage of the uniqueness, originality, and creativity of that person. The format begins with a 3-day weekend (lasting from Thursday night to midday Sunday). This special “retreat” is filled with talks and reflections on what it means to be a Catholic Christian, personal spiritual growth through self-reflection and sharing, fellowship with like-minded Catholics and, of course, daily prayer and worship. Mass is celebrated daily. In the Sacramento Diocese we hold 2 weekends a year; one each for the men and women. We’d love to have more!! The weekends are supported by the generosity of priests and deacons who are there every step of the way.

This powerful weekend doesn’t end on Sunday but continues throughout the life of the “Cursillista” as described by the simple term “4th day” or the “rest of your life”. We strongly encourage all Cursillistas to attend a group/friendship reunion held weekly or monthly where the concept of Cursillo is maintained and demonstrated. The key focus of the group reunions is on PRAYER, STUDY and ACTION.

Cursillo has touched the life of millions of Catholics worldwide (3 million today) and has also been duplicated by other faiths and organizations such as Catholic High Schools (Kairos), a prison ministry, Marriage Encounter, ACTS and many others. It is more than a movement; it is a personal lifestyle and it challenges each of us to a greater commitment to our common faith.
 
The Cursillo Movement consists of proclaiming the best news of the best reality: that God, in Christ, loves us.  Communicated by the best means, which is friendship…make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ! In some ways, our purpose is to “evangelize” our own church…reignite the fire of those who need a jumpstart…
 
Cursillo first appeared in Spain in 1944 when the country, under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, became a quasi-theocracy.  A layman named Eduardo Bonnín participated in the early years of the "short courses" in Majorca Spain and helped develop the it to the point that it became an active renewal movement in the Church. In 1957, the movement spread to North America, when the first American Cursillo was held in Waco, Texas. In 1960 weekends were held for the first time in the eastern half of the USA. By 1981, almost all of the 160 dioceses in the United States had implemented an active Cursillo Movement. In the United States it is organized through a national office located in Jarrell, Texas.

The movement/charism is recognized by Pope Francis as member of the International Catholic Organizations of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome. It is widely known throughout the church as one of the most transformational movements in the church today. The last 6 popes have stood behind it through worldwide gatherings and Vatican support. The international organizing group is still headquartered in Spain.

There is a tradition that goes along with it…A story from the early days of the movement in Spain tells of an occasion where a group of men were returning from a Cursillo weekend when their bus broke down. They began to sing De Colores, a traditional folk song. The use of the song in Cursillo took hold, and has held up as the movement has spread outside the Spanish-speaking world and to other denominations. The use of a multi-colored rooster as a symbol for the Cursillo movement is believed to have originated from one of the verses of that song. Aside from the historical traditions, Cursillo is a simple, effective way to improve your walk with Christ through Piety, Study and Action.

The Cursillo is supported by the Roman Catholic Church. It is joined to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Sacramento diocese. We have a healthy and growing community in northern California and have several small worship groups who meet each week to grow in faith and service to our Lord and our church. More than 800 people are known to have been active in the Cursillo Movement in Sacramento, although that does not account for others who have relocated here.

The Diocesan Secretariat is the final organizational structure to be established in building a Movement in a diocese. It must be emphasized that the Cursillo Movement is not an organization, but it uses some organizational elements. The Secretariat gives life to the organizational form and accelerates the total work of the Movement in three phases of its methodology: the precursillo, 3-day weekend and post cursillo.

The Diocesan Secretariat is composed of clergy and laity, men and women. The whole Secretariat is entrusted by the Bishop with the responsibility of promoting, developing and directing the Cursillo Movement in a diocese. The authority entrusted to the Secretariat is to embrace, study, and promote the Charism of the Movement. The Lay Director should always be a lay person responsible for the organization and methodology of the Movement. The Spiritual Advisor, always a priest, deacon or vowed religious, is responsible for matters concerning doctrine and conscience. Other Secretariat members include the Chairperson for the School of Leaders, Precursillo, Cursillo, and Postcursillo sections and a Treasurer and Secretary. All Secretariat members have voice and vote. The members of the Secretariat come from the School of Leaders. Their selection places them in a position to be of greater service to the Movement.

As committed leaders, dedicated to promoting and living the Foundational Charism ourselves, we have understood that Cursillo is not something that we do; it is something that we live simply because to live Cursillo is to live the Gospel.The membership of the Secretariat should be sufficiently small to serve in a climate of Group Reunion.

The Cursillistas who serve the Movement in the Secretariats and Schools of Leaders can best be described as keepers of the flame of the vision of the Founder, keeping it burning brightly as a beacon for all those whose paths are illuminated by its light.