The Leaders School of The Cursillo Movement

Of The Savannah Diocese

Savannah, Georgia

PRECURSILLO--SESSION #2 Selection of key persons,

As previously discussed, Pre-Cursillo consists of four primary functions:

1. Selection of the environment,
2. Selection of key persons,
3. Preparation of the candidate,
4. The invitation to live the three days.

The previous lesson focused on Pre-Cursillo – The selection of the environment.

This segment will focus on Pre-Cursillo – Selection of key persons.

Pre-Cursillo consists of searching out, selecting and preparing candidates with a view toward maximum evangelical effectiveness. (Fundamentals book P. 91 / # 200 , P. 92 / 204, 205). To often we have seen candidate invitations extended because "we need just one more person to have a weekend". To often we have seen a person make a Cursillo weekend because "it will be good for you" or "it will help strengthen your faith". To often we have seen a person attend a weekend because "she will enjoy it so much".

The Cursillo weekend is a ‘Short Course’ in Christianity. It’s purpose is to re-introduce people to the Christian mission -- to the idea that we need to leaven our environments with the gospel message. The weekend is intended to teach them the need for and give them rudimentary tools to accomplish the task of evangelization. It is intended to provide them with a method and long term support for this task. It is not a retreat or weekend of unbroken praise or prayer. It is not therapy or a counseling session. As such, there are criteria we should consider when searching for candidates.

How many of us have overheard things on or after a weekend that meet this description:

• "She is a good person and should be here."
• "She hasn’t been on a retreat in a long time. She will enjoy this."
• "He seems to be grasping the message. He’s retired and it’s his turn to slow down – he’s not as active as he used to be and therefore doesn’t get out much anymore so I thought it would be good for him."
• "She really doesn’t seem to want to be here."
• "He seems to be pre-occupied."
• "All of the candidates seem to have gotten the message on the weekend, but I haven’t seen so-and so at Ultreya or Friendship group reunion. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen his sponsor either."

This situation exposes our need to re-examine what or who a candidate should be.

What or whom we are seeking: (Leaders Manual P. 76)

1. We are seeking people (key persons) who have the potential to become the vertebrae or backbone of their environment. These people tend to be the guideposts and touch stones for their peers. These people know what needs to be done and are looked at with respect by others.
2. We seek people (key persons) who may already be active in an existing community or a community they will potentially belong to either by position of appointment, election, or selection due to skill or personality.
3. Candidates (key persons) must be prepared to understand the three days, live, and accept the message. This means they must already have a strong sense of purpose and have a keen sense of what is right and wrong. These people must be able to assimilate the message of the gospels and live a life of Christian example for others.
4. Candidates (key persons) must have willingness and desire to become and remain involved, active, supportive and helpful toward others with fellowship and common interests. The individual is to form the community.

The search for candidates: (Fundamentals P. 95 / # 218)

1. We look for people who will become agents for change. We look for people who are facilitators, people who can influence others and who will look for opportunities and move in them.
2. We look for people who while becoming more Christian himself, will go about christianizing his social group. Ideally, bringing his social group to a realization of the truth of the gospels and the Christian way of life.
3. We look for people who have a positive attitude, people who don’t dwell on the difficult or negative, but rather who display a degree of enthusiasm.
4. We look for people who have a concern for their neighbors. We look for people who want their spouses, families, friends and neighbors to be at least as spiritually prosperous as they themselves are.
5. We look for people who have a longing to be of service to his community (even if he is not now active in the church).

Who is eligible? (Fundamentals P. 96)

People of any social class are eligible provided they are following:

1. People who are able to receive the sacraments. They therefore must be Catholic. They must be a catholic in good standing with the church.
2. They must be stable. They must be settled and have demonstrated commitment in their jobs and family.
3. They must be mature. They must demonstrate they are adults with a capacity to recognize time and need for respect, solemnity, piety, compassion, and forgiveness.
4. They must be free and responsible. They should not be encumbered by the desire to please others when making decisions. Rather, they should be willing to take responsibility seriously and live up to commitments they make.
5. capable of grasping the gospel message and committing to it,
6. wish to discover their gifts and put them at the service of the community,

To be effective at evangelical leavening of selected environments – people with the following characteristics are typically excellent candidates:

1. have a depth of personality,
2. ability to make decisions,
3. a capacity to act freely,
4. a capacity for loving,
5. people who are actually or potentially leaders within various levels of society,
6. can impact others with their decisions,
7. move others with their opinions,
8. give impetus to others by their actions,
9. people who have a dynamic dis-satisfaction for the way things are – they are dis-contented,
10. have an aptitude for living in and living for community,
11. people who are capable of becoming salt, light and leaven – facilitating the penetration of environments by the gospel,
12. in solidarity with others,
13. are generous,
14. Care about others and the world.

(Nov. 1996 National Meeting "Called and Gifted for the 3^rd Millenium" P. 17)

15. Those who constitute the living nerve of opinion, influence and prestige,
16. Those whose decisions count,
17. Whose opinions carry weight,
18. People who use their abilities to achieve what is worthwhile.

Not everyone has the personality, ability, or capacity to become a Cursillista. Further, there are other ministries of the church that provide specific counseling to address these problems. Cursillo provides no training for and cannot adequately address or solve the following problems:

(Fundamentals P. 97 / # 227)

1. Those who could not benefit from it.
2. Those who have problems which Cursillo cannot provide a solution.
   This could include people recently separated or divorced, or whose spouse, close family member or child recently died.
3. People with deep drinking, drug or other moral problems.
4. People with deep psychological or other emotional abnormalities. This could include people with eating disorders, severe depression, severe mood swings, chronic insomnia, etc.
5. People with an irregular state of life, which cannot at present, be rectified. Such as:

Any time we see a candidate express a desire to leave a Cursillo weekend prematurely because it isn’t what they thought it would be, it represents a situation where the sponsor probably didn’t know the person well enough.