SoL

Grouping

School of LeadersJuly 2014

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Diocese Of Birmingham Alabama

“A Cursillo Leader, therefore is a dedicated apostle; a person who puts all of his abilities in the service of Christ.”

SoL Agenda

† Leader’s Prayer† Leader’s Group Reunion† Doctrinal Talk † Technique Talk: Ornaments† Work of the Sections† Announcements† Discussion Items† Closing Prayer-Chapel visit

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SoL Leader’s Prayer

† Lord grant that we may understand the necessity for depth in our Movement, rather than surface glory. Convince us of the truth that colorful programs do not constitute success.

† My God, give us a spirit of self sacrifice so that we may offer everything for Your cause: our time, our abilities, our health and even our lives if necessary. Instill in us courage in our initiatives, good judgment in our choice of the right means, and that determination, which in spite of failures, assures victory.

† Move away from us the tiny rivalries, sensitivities, discourtesies, pride, everything which distracts from You, everything which divides or discourages.

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SoL Leader’s Prayer con’t

† Help us to maintain at a high level, a meaningful supernatural and mutual charity among ourselves, so that each one will seek by preference, the most humble task and will rejoice at the good performed by others, so that all our spirits, united in a common purpose, will have one single spirit, Yours Jesus, and that this spirit may let us see Your attractive goodness marked in all our faces, Your warm accents in all our words, and in our lives something superior to the world, something that proclaims Your Living Presence among us. Amen

† Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron of the Americas, Pray for Us.† St Paul, Patron of the Cursillo, Pray for Us.

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SoL

5Doctrinal Talk

SoL

6TECHNIQUE TALK

SoL The Tree of Cursillo

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If we compare the Cursillo Movement to a tree, we

are happy to see that it has grown, because an

evangelical seed sown in many hearts and cultivated

with prayer has given its fruit; but it also hurts to see

that in some places, no doubt with the best of

intentions, they have taken the tree of the Cursillos

for a Christmas tree and have been hanging lights

and decorations…their favorite brilliant ideas-and

have gradually been spoiling its clear and simple

profile.”Eduardo Bonin, My Spiritual Testament, Chapter 6

SoL The Tree of CursilloNational Cursillo Center Mailing Oct 10

† As Cursillo Leaders today…we continue to study the Foundational Charism of Cursillos of Christianity…[we] must ensure the movement does not deviate from its Divine Purpose.

† …if we allow deviations on our watch, the danger is that in the years to come the Movement will look just like the screwdriver that no longer serves its intended purpose and future generations, our replacements, won’t know or be able to carry out the intended purpose of the Cursillo.

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SoL Father Frank SalmaniWhom Shall I send, Discerning the Will of God

† Eduardo was led by the Holy Spirit & Cursillo is God’s gift to us-a Charism

† “To tamper with its essence is to interfere with the work of the Spirit”.

† Cursillistas try to reengineer the tree:– With good intentions– By those who are misinformed and do not understand the Charism

† “It seems that the temptation…is to make the movement into our image and likeness

† So we add ornaments to the tree, potentially preventing the tree from being seen

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SoL Essential and Non-Essentials

† Essentials (fundamentals) are things that define the very nature of the thing. It is permanent and changeless within it.

† Non-essentials (ornaments) are things that can be taken away and do not impact the very nature of the thing it is being taken away from.

† “Unity in essentials, diversity in non-essentials, charity in all.” --Eduardo Bonin

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SoL What is essential to Cursillo

† Informed, intimate relationship with the Person of Christ † The Three Encounters—God, Self and Others † Friendship (Personal Contact) † Authentic witness of life (Action)† Real Palanca (Piety)† Freedom of the person--no one should be forced to do what

they do not want to do—this includes participation in the non-essentials (Ornaments)

† A spirit of poverty and simplicity† The living conviction that the love of God, love of neighbor

and the love of the world is indeed possible to us precisely because God loves us.

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SoL Non-Essentials (Ornaments) in the Birmingham Movement

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Deviaton Status      Withhold nothing about the weekend from the candidates In progress      Palanca is prayer; Palanca bags are gifts and create an emotional high that is prematureo  Palanca team not a requirement; isn’t the world offering Palanca enough?      Eliminate anything that distracts from the candidate getting closer to Christ; keep weekend simple and focused      No banners or "Scripture theme"      Coats and ties for speakers takes rollistas out of the rollo room which is highly undesirable

131

      Raising speakers up through song is unnecessary; introductions should be held to a minimum

131

      Core team and those in rollo room come from SoL; okay for set up & Palanca not to be from SoL

Complete

      Team recommendation: Rector, Priest, 1 table leader per 5 candidates; assistant table leader only if new team member on first weekend; support personnel. Number of team members should be kept to a minimum necessary.

Teams are reducing over time

      Confirmed youth are encouraged to attend Cursillos, not as a separate group but as part of the regular weekend as soon as they are “mature enough to understand the message”

In progress

      There is no need for the spiritual advisor to review the service sheets

Minor issue

SoL Non-Essentials (Ornaments) in the Birmingham Movement

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Deviaton StatusItalian Night Dinner and SkitSunday Morning Wake-UpAdditional "decoration" or "props"--flowers, centerpieces, tablecloths, pictures, Bed signs, palanca bag signs, Pilgrim Guide coversTaking away the freedom of participants--collecting watches, phones, must stay in a particular area during breaks, etc. Not having members of same parish room together or be part of same table familyPlacemats/Team Members serving mealsPraying up/Praying down in Palanca chapel for RollistasNeed for Rollistas to have assigned Set Up "assistants"

One Table leader per table; exception being the training of a new Table Leader

130 had one table with 1 table leader; 131 had 2 tables with 1

table leader

SoL Process for addressing Non-Essentials

Currently…† The Secretariat has allowed a rector who is willing to choose

whether to eliminate some non-essentials (ornaments)† After a weekend, the results of eliminating the ornament have

been presented to the Secretariat and shared with the SOL After the CdC…† Identification and listing of Non-Essentials to be done by SOL† Prioritization of the Non-Essentials to be addressed developed

and recommended by SOL to the Secretariat† Procedures for eliminating Non-essentials (i.e. by SOL

recommendation and Secretariat vote; Rector choice; other means) developed and implemented by SOL and Secretariat

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SoL RecommendationsNational Cursillo Center Mailing Oct 10

† Cursillistas must understand and embrace the authentic identity and charism of the Movement

† We must remove the non-essentials (ornaments) from our Movement

† We must study the Movement to improve its effectiveness in our Diocese

† We must put more emphasis on the encounter with the person and the message of the weekend rather than the technique and style with which the weekend is conducted and presented

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SoL

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Work of the Sections

SoL Work of the Sections

† Work of the Sections is designed to be the opportunity for the members of the School of Leaders to identify, design, and help implement solutions to any issues within the three sections--PreCursillo, Cursillo and PostCursillo

† Work of the Sections is directed and conducted under the leadership and guidance of the current Secretariat member responsible for that section

† SOL members count off and distribute evenly between the 3 sections—unless they are actively serving on a particular committee within a particular section (i.e. Palanca committee members work with the Precursillo section, Communications committee members work with PostCursillo, etc…)

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SoL

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Announcement Items

SoL SoL 2014 Schedule

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Month (2014) SoL Meeting Location Comment

Jan Combined-Cullman-Sacred Heart

Feb/Mar Satellite – Hsv and B’Ham Quarter 1

Apr Combined-Cullman-Sacred Heart

May/Jun Satellite – Hsv and B’Ham Quarter 2

Jul Combined-Cullman-Sacred Heart

Aug/Sep Satellite – Hsv and B’Ham Quarter 3

Oct Combined-Cullman-Sacred Heart

Nov Day of Reflection (B’Ham) Quarter 4

Remote SoL 1st Thursday each Month; 1900Go to www.BhmCursillo.org for details

SoL Announcements

† The Cursillo de Cursillos (CdC) will be held Sept 25-28, 2014 at St Bernard’s Retreat

Center in Cullman. Cost is $225 per person. There are still a few slots, so contact

Christina Semmens, 256-603-0225, semcsem@aol.com as soon as possible if interested.

† Next SOL meeting will be COMBINED and held in Cullman on October 11, 2014 at

9:30am. Nominations for the Secretariat positions of SOL Chair, Cursillo Chair and

Secretary will be a part of the SOL. If interested, see the website for Secretariat position

qualifications and descriptions as well as Nomination Procedures.

† Next Cursillo Region VII Encounter, October 17-18, in Savannah, GA. Link to Registration

form and other info is on Region VII website, www.cursillo.org/region7

† Cursillo Day of Reflection, Sat., Nov 9th, 9am-4pm, Casa Maria Retreat House, Bham.

Topic is “Prayer as the Foundation for Evangelization.”

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SoL

21Discussion

SoL Discussion Items

† Is it time for a second satellite SoL to be established in Tuscaloosa

† Is it time to eliminate the Remote (dial in) School of Leaders?

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SoL Closing Prayer

† Dear Lord, we must have fraternal charity, or we can accomplish

nothing for you.

† In loving you, help us to have a genuine concern for one another, a

generosity in sharing one another’s burdens, a gallantry in defending

the reputation of our group, a sincere sympathy in sharing one

another’s suffering and sorrows, and a joy in sharing their spiritual

growth.

† By this shall all men know that we are your Apostles. Amen.

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SoL

24I Am Third

The Diocese of BirminghamSchool of Leaders