Our Banner - Arlington Cursillo

OUR
The Newsletter of the Arlington Diocese Cursillo
February 2013
In This Issue . . .
IWeekend Teams! ......................2
Message from the Lay Director.
Useful Information......................2
I have been meditating on Matthew 9:35-38 recently. It seems appropriate as Lent
nears.
Cursillo Life—So Far!.................3
The Workers Are Few
35
“Jesus continued His tour of all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues, he
proclaimed the good news of God’s rein, and he cured every sickness and disease. 36 At
the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity. They were lying prostate from exhaustion, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples: “The harvest is good
but the laborers are scarce. 38 Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather the
harvest.”
Upcoming Events........................4
Secretariat
Lay Director
Phil Kiko, 703-553-0131
[email protected]
Spiritual Director
Fr. Tuck Grinnell, 703-527-5500
[email protected]
School of Leaders
Jean & Tom Noon, 703-341-6644
[email protected]
Pre-Cursillo
Paula Shipe, 703-455-5401
[email protected]
Team Selection
John & Toni Rausch, 703-455-3260
[email protected]
Weekend
Susan Trainor, 703-476-2891
[email protected]
One thing that struck me was that Jesus took the initiative. He didn’t expect people to
come to Him; He went to them. In years gone by, it was common to invite people to
church and see them respond to Christ. But today, fewer people find church appealing. We must go to them. It’s our time to capitalize for Christ! Cursillo provides the
perfect method: Make a friend, be a friend and bring that friend to Christ.
Jesus has promised us that there’s a plentiful harvest. The fruit is ripe for the taking.
The only problem is: “the laborers are scarce” (9:37). Work is hard and many people
don’t like to work. This leads to a shortage of laborers. Yet, God is looking for some
“laborers” who want to reap His harvest. Notice Jesus doesn’t call for priests, missionaries, evangelists, leaders, or experts; he calls for “laborers.”
As I contemplate how I can best serve God during Lent, I believe the perfect opportunity exists for me to focus on being a laborer for Jesus—to try to find people willing
to listen and invite them to Cursillo. By reaching out in my faith at work, I have been
heartened to find so many people who yearn for something more in their lives.
Fourth Day
Carol Poplin, 703-243-7621
[email protected]
We have two upcoming Cursillo weekends. Can we become the laborers of whom
Jesus speaks to bring people (the harvest) to Christ? What better way than to invite
them to these upcoming weekends so they may experience the joy of meeting Christ
through the Holy Spirit in a more personal way?
Treasurer
Felicia Rogers, 703-527-4128
[email protected]
As one Cursillista so wisely noted: “Little sparks of the Spirit keep us faithful as we
long and wait for a Pentecost-type fire of the Spirit to inflame us personally and communally. Come Holy Spirit!”
External Communications
Peter Trahan, 202-288-9535
[email protected]
In addition to bringing candidates to the weekends, we also need help on the kitchen
crew and palanca for the team. Check out the website for ways to help.
OUR BANNER Publisher
Jackie Garcia, 703-464-0809
[email protected]
De Colores!
Phil Kiko, Lay Director
Plan Ahead...Cursillo Weekends in 2013
Women’s Cursillo Weekends Men’s Cursillo Weekends
Mel Rigney, website
[email protected]
E-mail your feedback or change of
address for OUR BANNER to
[email protected]
136th, March 14–17, 2013, 126th, April 18–21, 2013
Missionhurst
Missionhurst
137th, September 19–22, 2013
San Damiano
127th, October 17–20, 2013
San Damiano
OUR
136th Women’s Closing
The Team of the Women’s 136th
Will take place on March 17th at Our Lady of Good
Council in Vienna.
Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/136th-womens-weekend
for updates!
About This Issue
We hope you enjoyed this issue of Our Banner. If you
subscribe by e-mail, you receive issues more than a
week earlier than via U.S. mail. We’d really appreciate
it if you would send your current e-mail address to Lyn
McGee [email protected]. Please let other Cursillistas
who might not have received this issue to send Lyn their
e-mail address as well. The newsletter also is available at
www.arlingtoncursillo.org, which is always your best
source for up-to-date information about our dynamic
community.
Bulletin Announcements
I have been asked for some suggested language for bulletin announcements for upcoming Cursillo weekends.
Below is one that was used in Fredericksburg:
From left to right (front row): Freddie Wall, Anne Biedscheid;
second row: Monica McBrady (with blue scarf), Laura Lyon,
Mary Lou Miller, Emelda August, Marylee Nicholas; third row:
Peggy Fargo (in red), Mary Ann Rozum, Sue Jones, Mary Fitch.
Not Pictured: Fr. Matthew DeForest
The Team of the Men’s 126th
How often do you think about your personal relationship
with God? Can you describe it or define it? Do you talk
about your relationship with God to your children?
COME TO CURSILLO AND BECOME
MORE AWARE OF YOURSELF AND GOD.
ASK...WHO ARE YOU JESUS? AND WHO AM I?
Woman’s Weekend—March 14–17
Men’s Weekend—April 18–21
COME AND SEE
Contact: [fill in as appropriate for your parish]
www.arlingtoncursillo.org
Useful Links:
Sparkplugs: Looking to reconnect with Cursillo in a
parish in your area? Want to find out more about this
lay Catholic movement? Contact the “spark plug” at a
parish near you. Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/grow/
sparkplug for more information.
Prayer requests: Submit prayer requests and read
other prayer requests from members of the cursillo. Visit
www.arlingtoncursillo.org/category/prayer-requests
Applications and Sponsorship Guidelines: Visit
www.arlingtoncursillo.org/secretariat/precursillo-2.
Submit your events: Want to share information about
an upcoming event? Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/
event-submission and we’ll post it on our website.
February 2013
From left to right (front row): Peter Roth, John Durkin,
Rob Doerschner; (standing) Jeff Wolfhope, Evan Godwin,
Greg Glaros, Dan Straub, Bob Ferguson, Bob Wear, Tony
DeChristofaro. Not Pictured: Fr. Paul Berghout, Rick
Gammache.
Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org for
updates, directions, and more!
Please pray for our team and candidates…and
consider talking with your family and friends about
saying “yes” to making the Weekend. You can get
an application at www.arlingtoncursillo.org/secretariat/precursillo-2/#application or contact Paula
Shipe at 703-455-5401 or arlingtonprecursillo@
gmail.com.
Page 2
arlington cursillo
Cursillo—Life So Far!
My daughter-in-law Mary began a blog a number of years ago
and titled it “McLeskeys—Life So Far.” I want to use that term
to describe my “Cursillo—Life So Far.”
My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans
for good and not for harm, plans to give you hope and a
future…”
In 1986, I had no favorite scripture, no Bible and no involvement with Catholicism, my religion of birth. But to the world, I
looked like a model Catholic. One day as I was driving to work
in December 1985, I was led to listen to the Gospel on Christian radio. As I listened, I was drawn in. This God whom I did
not know started making sense to me. He was calling me into
relationship with Him. If I only said “yes” I could receive his gift
of grace and redeeming love. I accepted that gift and began
to be transformed in dramatic, instantaneous ways (my lifelong
habit of profanity disappeared) and in progressive ways (I had
a growing desire to serve others). My life “so far” had been
completely different from my life after this conversion.
Three years later I was invited to make a Cursillo which I
accepted without hesitation. At Missionhurst, I recognized
the joy of living in Christian community. I joined my sponsor’s
group reunion which I have attended faithfully since 1981.
Group reunion and the Cursillo community have given me
the “horizontal” relationships to go with the personal “vertical”
Arlington Cursillo Needs
Your Prayers and Financial Support
Consider making a contribution of:
❑ $100 ❑ $75 ❑ $50 ❑ $25 ❑ Other _______________
________________________________________________
Your Name
________________________________________________
Address
________________________________________________
City
________________________________________________
State
Zip Code
________________________________________________
E-mail
Thank you and God Bless You
Return this form with a check made payable to Arlington Cursillo. Mail to:
Arlington Cursillo
1604 Suter St., Alexandria, VA 22314,
or visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/donate.
February 2013
Frank McLeskey
relationship with Jesus. Both are essential. There have been
many, many joys and gifts shared and enjoyed over the years.
The Cursillo method—piety, study, action—is locked into my
psyche as a reminder of how life should be guided and lived.
And I thank God for those in this community who take them
seriously and live them faithfully.
That is my “Cursillo—Life So Far.” Cursillo life resembles the
early Christian community of believers—living simply but importantly to get the word out about this Jesus who is the Life and
Light and Savior of the world.
Now in 2013, I am blessed to be facilitating the “spark plug”
program for Arlington Cursillo. Cursillistas have volunteered
to be the face of Cursillo in their parish. I am sure Paul and
Barnabas shared with their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem
how things were going with their evangelization of the Gentiles.
We can do the same—we have gifts to share! If you have not
yet offered to help with the “spark plug” program in your parish,
please do so! A list of the “spark plugs” in your parish is on the
website.
So these are some highlights of my “Cursillo—Life So Far!” I
can testify that it is far above anything I had experienced
previously in my life.
De Colores,
Frank McLeskey
“So we are
ambassadors for
Christ, as if God
were appealing
through us. We
implore you on
behalf of Christ,
be reconciled
to God. For our
sake he made
him to be sin who
did not know sin,
so that we might
become the righteousness of God in him. Working
together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the
grace of God in vain. For he says:
“In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I
helped you.”
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now
is the day of salvation.
— 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2
Page 3
Upcoming Events (Check our website for site location and directions.)
Regional Ultreya
January 26, 2013 6:45pm
Manassas, VA 20110
St. Raymond of Penafort Ultreya
March 15, 2013 7:30pm
Springfield, VA 22153
St. Raymond of Penafort Ultreya
February 15, 2013 7:30pm
Springfield, VA 22153
126th Arlington Men’s Cursillo Weekend
April 18, 2013 7:00pm
Arlington, VA 22207
School of Leaders, Northern VA
February 16, 2013 9:30am
Manassas, VA
St. Raymond of Penafort Ultreya
April 19, 2013 7:30pm
Springfield, VA 22153
St. Charles Ultreya
March 2, 2013 6:30pm
Arlington, VA
St. Charles Ultreya
April 27, 2013 6:30pm
Arlington, VA
SAVE THE DATE—
Lenten Evening of Reflection
Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/upcoming-events for
details.
Table Reunion and Orientation for New Cursillistas’
sponsored by School of Leaders
May 4, 2013 9:30am
Location not available— for more details as available
go to www.arlingtoncursillo.org/upcoming-events.
136th Arlington Women’s Cursillo Weekend
March 14, 2013 7:00pm
Arlington, VA 22207
SAVE THE DATE— Evening of Praise and Worship
May 15, 2013 7:00pm
Location not available— for more details as available
go to www.arlingtoncursillo.org/upcoming-events.
Have an event to submit? Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/event-submission on our website.
make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend....
Please Deliver by
February 28, 2013
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
MERRIFIELD, VA
Arlington Diocese Cursillo Community
OUR BANNER
3908 Malcolm Ct.
Annandale, 22003
PERMIT #103
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NON PROFIT ORG.