STATE ULTREYA ARTICLE

Read all about the State Ultreya held on September 25 by the Spanish-speaking Trenton Cursillo community. The article appeared in the October 13th issue of The Monitor.

WELCOME NEW CURSILLISTAS

We welcome our newest cursillistas from Trenton 121 "Hearts on Fire"

Clarke Bowers/Melissa Banahan and Brick Ultreya
Buddy Goss/Dowd
John Kauppinen/Bayshore Ultreya
Walter Jennings/Dowd
Lou Lastrina/Garrett
Noel Terranova/DiStefano
Thomas Tucker/Ivanko

OCTOBER SCHOOL OF LEADERS IS COMING by Ronnie Martella, Assistant Lay Director

Fellow Cursillistas,

School of Leaders returned in September with a good crowd and two great speakers. We began our study of Pope Paul’s encyclical “On Evangelization in the Modern World”. Sister Simon started us off speaking about Pope Paul and Vatican II talking about ‘new responses to new questions’ and how Pope John Paul II went beyond that to call us to a New Evangelization. Sister reminded us that evangelization is when we accept God’s word, live in service and by our witness invite others to that life. It is a way of life, not a program in which no one is excluded and as ‘everyday evangelizers’ we are charged verbalize Christ in our lives and celebrate the story of God’s healing and renewal.

Frans Tholenaar gave the technique talk on pre-Cursillo, not the section but the way of living that makes it possible to be vertebrae-the backbone in the world. We are members of the community of saints and we shouldn’t take that lightly. Pre-Cursillo involves the selection of people that are in need of evangelization. It is not just a good time, there is a commitment involved. Frans challenged us to think in a new way, to “fish outside the fishbowl”-when studying the environments in which we find ourselves-the square meter around us. Many people we might not consider as candidates might deserve a first, or perhaps, a second look.

At the National Encounter in San Antonio this summer, we were reminded again and again of the value and importance of personal contact. Let’s look with new eyes at those around us-and allow the Holy Spirit to show us the people God has put in our path, the people with whom the saying “make a friend, be a friend and bring that friend to Christ” comes to life!

Some of those people have lived the last few weekends. How about reaching out an inviting some babe chicks to October School of Leaders. Come and see with new eyes, be open to new ways of looking at evangelization, share your walk with new and experienced Cursillistas, be reminded of how it is to be with community-only you can bring your gift and experience-come, be new-make us all better!

Hope to see you there!  Ronnie

Friday, October 7  School of Leaders @ Epiphany Parish Hall, Brick, NJ @ 8PM 

NOTE FROM OUR LAY DIRECTOR, MARY ANN DOWD

Editor's Note: The following remarks were made by Mary Ann Dowd at the Closing Mass for the Women of Trenton 120. Mary Ann started by introducing our newest cursillistas:

Annette Asaro, Missy Banahan, Patricia Cartier, May Catuogno, Terri D'Andrea, Mary Jane Lanuto, Millie Linett, Eileen Martin, Maritza Gonzalez Navarro, Theresa Pawlikowski, Dottie Raponkus, Francine Severini and Jean Tierney

Mary Ann continued:

As you have undoubtedly heard, The Cursillo in Christianity has a history which is very colorful (DeColores!) and steeped in tradition. You can read all about it on this website under the "Short Course" tab. Especially recommended: The Charism of the Movement and My Spiritual Testament by Eduardo Bonnin. As Father Ed has reminded us, the Cursillos teach first and foremost the fundamentals of Christianity and in our Catholic Cursillos, we are always and everywhere under the authority of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. As a matter of fact, the two books; "Fundamentals of Christianity" and the "Fundamentals of Cursillo" are, in essence, the same book! This is why so many priests and bishops have lived their weekends along with us and in the same manner as you have lived it these past three days.

In Eduardo Bonnin's Spiritual Tetatment (this book is so titled because he regarded the Cursillo as his most important possession to be passed down to future generations) we read the following:

"The idea that entered our soul when we were 20-years old was not a figment of our imagination--or some whim of our youth, nor was it an exultation of the time ---but rather--a plan of the Spirit of God."

My dear sisters, what you have received this weekend was not a dream-- or a figment of your imagination nor was it some whim of your youth or old age or an exultation of our time, but rather once again an outpouring of the Holy Spirit --a plan of the Spirit of God.

This Plan has been unfolding for 120 weekends in Trenton but not only in Trenton-- all over the world in every language. Only God could have weaved such a beautiful tapestry of love.

This "idea" which the first pilgrims received is the very same Charism that each of us received when we lived our Cursillo....they carried the same Pilgrim's Guide each of you received and listened to the same rollos....the same for me 18 years ago, for Father Jay over 40 years ago and all of you this weekend Trenton #120--because God only gives one way ---perfectly and for all time.

When the original pilgrims returned from their triumphant pilgrimage with over 70,000 pilgrims in a State of Grace, after having been personally addressed by Pope Pius XII upon their arrival, they asked this question: "We have gone to Santiago to become saints, now what?"

Now what indeed?! and so you see...each of you has returned from living your Cursillo with this same question on your lips....now what?-- and the answer of Sunday afternoon is always the same: Our Beloved Jesus answers it for us: ultreya! Don't let the light go out. Think of this: Eduardo Bonnin kept the light burning for over 70 years into his 90s.

Don't let the light go out - Christ is counting on you - DeColores!

KEEP THE LIGHT BURNING - A MESSAGE FROM MARY ANN DOWD

Beloved Cursillistas,

Trenton #120 has now returned from their pilgrimage. Their journey once again becomes part of the history of our movement.  But their fourth day journey is just beginning......when the first pilgrims returned from their triumphant journey to Santiago de Compostela this is the question they asked themselves:  "We have gone to Santiago to become saints....now what?  Now what indeed?!  The Light that was lit in the souls of the first cursillistas so many years ago, is now your Light to keep burning.  This is both a great joy and an awesome responsibility.  Jesus felt we were up for it....He called each of us by name....He is counting on you.  Ultreya!!!

Forever DeColores!

Mary Ann xo