About 140 people from seven states attended the March Region VI Spring Encounter in Kansas City, Kansas. Eighteen English, Spanish and Vietnamese Cursillistas from the Twin Cities attended. Each of the three language groups had sessions in their respective language.

The topic of the Encounter was the new Cursillo Weekend Manual called The Step by Step Rector’s Guide. These new manuals will be printed and available sometime in the next two years. Then, it will be up to each Diocese to decide what adaptions they will make to their Cursillo weekends. The presenters attempted to convey why Eduardo planned the Cursillo weekend as he did. Below are a few of the highlights.

The Step by Step allocates a block of time for each Rollo, e.g., two hours. This includes the table discussion, chapel visit, work on the poster (yes after each Rollo) or take a break. After the Rollo is given, the members at each table decide what order of the tasks and how much of each is best for their table. This allows each table the freedom to progress at their own pace. This is similar to group reunions.

The rollistas do not dress up to give a Rollo. This is like Ultreya when an Ultreya member gives the witness. When it’s time for their rollo, the rollista gets up from their table and goes to the candidates’ chapel to receive a blessing from the entire Rollo team.

Eduardo’s Step by Step does not have individual palanca as part of the weekend. Eduardo’s reasoning was that receiving individual palanca can unduly influence candidates while they are encountering self and Christ. Any individual palanca is given to the candidates at the end of the weekend in what we call the Food for the Journey packet. General palanca (one letter to the weekend members) along with Palanca from around the world is part of the three day weekend on Friday.

Mañanitas are officially part of the weekends. “Mañanitas, if conducted properly, will encourage friendship and help build the bridge to the 4th Day. Mañanitas have been lived in Mallorca, Spain over 50 years and are part of the Step by Step Guide.” (From Day 3 of the Step by Step Workshop). Background: The Step by Step is the Rector’s Guide authored by Eduardo Bonnín and used in Mallorca. As stated by Eduardo in THIS IS THE WAY, “…every Cursillo weekend should offer those present as lively, simple, clear and true experience of the Christ of the Gospel as best as possible…. The encounter has to be between Christ and the person, face to face, one-on-one, and everything at the weekend Cursillo has to be focused on that one-on-one encounter.”

For the past two years, the U.S. Cursillo working group, with the assistance of the Cursillo leadership in Mallorca, has been reviewing and translating Eduardo’s notes for the Step by Step Rector’s Guide in preparation to introduce it to our Movement. The Step by Step Rector’s Guide consists of the Schedule of the Three Days and 16 Appendices that clarify and deepen the understanding of all that is pertinent to the Three Day Cursillo.

At the May 7th School of Leaders we will be a giving a presentation on this topic. Please join us!

DeColores!

Tom & Diane Repucci