Onward! 2012 A Newsletter for the 4 th Day of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, Cursillo Community EDITION Special Interest Articles Mardi Gras! Newcomer s Perspective Christmas With the Nuns Mardi Gras! By Cristina Galeano On Saturday night, February 18 th, we had our 2 nd annual Carnival Mardi Gras. It was held at Queen of the Apostles auditorium in Avoca, thanks to the generosity of Fr. Phil, their pastor. Mardi Gras translated means fat Tuesday, but let me tell you, it didn t need to be Tuesday to enjoy the food, the music or the company! This event is held to fund the Cursillo weekend for candidates and/or team members that can t afford it. The moment you walked in you felt the love. The place was decorated with tons of balloons in purple, gold and green. There were Mardi Gras masks on the tables and decorations everywhere. It really was very nice to look at and must ve been quite a lot of work to pull off. There were quite a few baskets available for a tricky tray. There was a 50/50 raffle available. Four of the baskets were won by a very lucky Joan Carter and on top of that, she won the 50/50 raffle too!!! The food was really good, from ziti and meatballs to some pot roast or chicken. It was BYOB but there was soda, coffee and tea available. There were very decadent desserts as well, which happen to be my favorite part! Music was provided by Waterstreet, comprised of two very talented gentlemen. One of which is married to our own Donna Valenti. I m sure she was very proud. They sounded really good and got almost everybody at one time or another up out of their seat and moving to the beat. That was not all. We also had, are you ready? A king and queen! That s right we had royalty. Joe Alinoski (continued on page 3) A Newcomer s Perspective by Mike Troy Individual Highlights Founder s Message 2 Annual Retreat 2 Christmas with the Sisters 4 Fasting for Liberty 4 Upcoming Events 6 I am a person who understands that he is on the path of the Lord. I go to daily mass, morning prayers, and try to be faithful to the church s teachings. But when I heard about Cursillo, I was reluctant to go. I figured it would be a good experience, but I did not think it would be a great one. I am so busy, and didn t think I could fit something in if it was only a little valuable. But I am so glad I trusted the call to join in the Cursillo experience. The spiritual talks and fellowship awakened in me something I realized was missing from my pilgrimage. I needed to be part of a bigger community of faithful men who are open to the Lord s will. Now I look forward to the biweekly meetings, and can see how much was missing in my life. After participating in Cursillo, I find that I have a clearer way of communicating my experience of the Lord to others. I always did evangelize, but only occasionally in those situations that begged for spiritual connection. In Cursillo, the mission to evangelize is presented as something we are called and obligated to do. So, I am stepping out into people s lives a little more. Although I am not usually obtaining immediate results, I am fulfilled by knowing that I am working with and for the Lord. As Jesus said, The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. I am coming to realize how true this is. I recently heard a startling statistic that about 16% of baptized Christians go to church weekly in the United States. If this is even close to being true, the harvest is very plentiful. Participating in Cursillo strengthens my ability to share what I am learning through the Lord and holds me accountable for it. There are times when I don t feel like reaching out (continued on page 5)
2 What is Fundamental for Being Christian? By Eduardo Bonnin and Francisco Forteza Eduardo Bonnin May 4,1917 Feb 6, 2008 Life must be lived, one cannot stand still, you must either move towards or flee from it. 1. THE DIFFICULTY IN DEFINING IT WHAT IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR BEING CHRISTIAN? Because of its radical simplicity it is very difficult, if not impossible, to define and describe it, but perhaps it is much more difficult to update it because since Christ became a man, He demonstrated it explicitly with His life, He asserted it with His death and he endorsed it with His resurrection, and thus He made the message of God the Father quite clear to men to all persons of all time - that He (the Father) loves us all in Christ. This is the reality that underlies all other realities. 2. IT IS MADE KNOWN THROUGH WITNESSING Compared to what this reality means when it is believed and lived out by man, all other realities fade and become relative. And, if this reality becomes a power in our daily life, and is allowed to govern it, and becomes its guiding principle, all other realities will not merely pale in comparison, but will be prioritized in the order of their actual value. Then, the values that man values, valued from an always new perspective Annual Retreat by Joe Adcroft On February 4, 2012 all were welcome to a mini retreat at Queen of the Apostles Parish in Avoca, PA. The retreat was an opportunity for attendees to gain some spiritual formation, attend Mass, and witness the installation of Secretariat officers, Rectors and Rectoras. Following the installation Mass, members of the Secretariat, as well as the Evangelical perspective will become meaningful, and thus we will gradually acquire a consistently fresh view of life and of things, which gives life an enthusiasm, vigor and elation, that will make us see things as we may suppose God sees them. This means that we learn to calculate and assess the successes and failures we find in our life, using a scale that never fluctuates; the scale that will be used on Judgment Day. 3. LIFE MUST BE LIVED Life must be lived, one cannot stand still, you must either move towards or flee from it. Life flows and its flow takes place in a changing world. Everything changes, things, ideas, events, structures, men/women. Only WHAT IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR BEING CHRISTIAN always has the full compelling force of what is simple. It is the good and fruitful seed that when it falls on good soil - the heart of man - and is accepted by him, the Kingdom of God, which Christ in the Gospel said is in each of us, is born within our hearts. All the slips and mistakes of Christians from every age have always been caused by the stubborn determination of wanting to have the former Rector and Rectoras, shared some valuable instruction with incoming Rectors and Rectoras during a working lunch. The day started out with a presentation by Father Ed Buchheit. Father shared from the book On the Way to Jesus Christ, by Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). He spoke with us about Kingdom of God somewhere other than within us where it really is, - a stubborn determination that is often even mandated. When this has been the case, when we have tried in vain to locate it and look for it elsewhere, the one who lost out has always been the man, for whom Christian things do not include the essential platform of being human. This often leads to fanaticism, moralism, ritualism, exclusive spirituality or aggressive proselytism. All these empty searches for the Kingdom, besides causing confusion, tend to disconnect the plain and ordinary person from his or her environment. WHAT IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR BEING CHRISTIAN can only be incarnated, manifested, made visible, expressed, transmitted and expanded through the human being. 4. THE HUMAN PERSON IS THE VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH, WHAT IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR BEING CHRISTIAN IS EXPRESSED...... to read all 10 points and the rest of this article by our founder of the Cursillo movement, please go to: www.natl-cursillo.org December 2011 National Newsletter The Temptations of Jesus. He talked about how we are infected by the germ of all temptation, to set God aside, so that he seems to be a secondary concern when compared with all the urgent priorities of our lives. Jesus Himself was able to dismiss each of the three temptations, presented by the (continued on page 3)
3 Mardis Gras (continued from page 1) was crowned king and Mary Kay Jones was the lucky Queen. They even received crowns to wear. I thought that was a really nice touch. The two people most responsible for overseeing the whole thing were Joe and Marjorie Adcroft. They are an amazing couple with beautiful spirits. I can t even begin to imagine how much went into getting an event like this accomplished. They had help from a lot of different people but they are the glue that holds it together and they did an amazing job. Everything was beautiful. I have to say that what struck me the most and above all, is the love and warmth I always feel at anything Cursillo related. This was no different. The Holy Spirit was present and moving in the crowd as everyone enjoyed each other s company. It was such a pleasant and fun evening. It is truly a community grounded in the Spirit of Jesus. I hope that everyone has a beautiful lent with our Lord and that next year, we can do it again!! May God s peace be with you always..a word on fasting. Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom of heaven, but he has few bearers of His Cross. Many desire His consolation, but few desire His tribulation. He finds many comrades in eating and drinking, but He finds few hands who will be with Him in His abstinence and fasting...but those who love Jesus purely for Himself, and not for their own profit or convenience, bless Him as heartily in temptation and tribulation and in all other adversities as they do in time of consolation. And if He never sent them consolation, they would still bless and praise Him. ~ Thomas à Kempis Annual Retreat continued devil. In the first temptation, turning stones to bread, the devil tempted Jesus by saying, If thou be the Son of God command these stones be made bread. But Jesus refused responding, It is written that Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We learned that thru sin if we follow our own wants, and in turn we put our worldly needs before the word of God, then in the end we will only receive stones instead of the true bread, which is Christ the living bread of life. In the second temptation the devil takes Jesus to the Holy City and places him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you and On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, Again it is written, Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Father Ed prompted us to reflect on how we fall into the devils trap, and test God ourselves to see if He passes our own quality control. We can place ourselves above him and say prove yourself to our satisfaction, but in Psalm 91 we are assured of Gods protection, I will protect those who know my name. In the third temptation the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to him, All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Jesus responded Away with you Satan for it is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him. The third temptation had to do with man lusting for the things of the world, instead of loving God our Father. This is a common temptation. But with God, there is a way to accomplish His plan for your life, and it calls for absolute devotion and obedience to Him. But Satan always tempts us with many things that are not good for us spiritually. We are advised to always put Christ first. Make sure we have our priorities in the proper order. We should always choose Jesus over everything. By doing so we will receive the help of his angels to come and minister to us. Following Father Ed s talk there was an Apostolic commitment service, where those in attendance rededicated themselves to Christ. During the commitment service along with the Litany of Forgiveness, Praise and Thanksgiving, and Prayers of Petition, we consecrated ourselves to Christ our Lord. For those of you not in attendance, you can do the same by reciting the following: Christ our Lord! Behold us, here before You, worshipping You. We realize that You have (continued on page 5)
4 Christmas with the Sisters By Sharon Beggs Once again, we were fortunate to enjoy fellowship with our favorite sisters, the dear Passionist nuns of St. Gabriel s Monastery. It was a beautiful afternoon celebration of Christmas in January, and many, MANY cursillistas were able to join in thanking them for everything they do for our beloved Cursillo movement. We were happy that Santa and Mrs. Claus were able to make another appearance this year, and soooo thankful for all the gifts given to the sisters. Of course Santa and Mrs. Clause could not have done it without Rudolf and Clarice, his red-nosed wife! Thank you to all of the cursillistas who helped to make this year s Christmas celebration bigger than ever! The nuns received beautiful baskets filled with food, and with wine and cheese, and baskets of personal care items. We were blessed by generous cursillistas to be able to give each and every nun a $75 gift card, as well as a book of stamps and stationary. The food was phenomenal and a good time was had by all. If words could describe the love that was shared in that room, I would write em. But how can you put this tremendous grace into words? Trust me, it was all love and blessing upon blessing for all who came together that day. With grateful hearts, the sisters sang us a sweet song of blessing, and Sr. Teresita treated us to her lovely rendition of Ave Maria! Sr. Collette was on hand to accompany us with the harmonica and a lot of laughs were shared. It was great to see so many people come out to share with the sisters who nourish us with their prayers and hospitality, year after year. Let s keep this Christmas feeling in our hearts until we meet again. Fasting for Religious Liberty: An Excerpt from the PA Bishops Letter Religious liberty does not belong to the Democrats or Republicans, it belongs to all Americans Our freedom and liberty must be preserved. And in this effort, we must remain steadfast. Throughout history, Catholics in times of need have turned to God through prayer and fasting, as these practices allow us to grow closer to the Lord, inspire us to do His will and invoke His protection in answer to our prayers. Recognizing the efficacy of prayer and fasting as well as the challenges we face in overcoming the recent attack on our religious freedom, we, the Bishops of Pennsylvania, request that all Catholics dedicate the regular Lenten Friday practice of prayer and abstinence as well as the additional practice of fasting on Friday, March 30, to the preservation of religious liberty. On that day, offer your sacrifice for the cause of religious liberty, that the Church may be granted the basic right to practice what she preaches, and for our political leaders, that their eyes may be opened to the rights of all Americans, including those of faith. We will join with the over 3 million Catholics in Pennsylvania to mark this day of prayer, fasting and abstinence for religious liberty. www.pacatholic.org
5 Annual Retreat (continued from page 3) We come before you today to rededicate ourselves to You. We want to be Yours, Lord; We consecrate ourselves to You. chosen us to be apostles of Your Kingdom. We come before You today to rededicate ourselves to You. We want to be Yours, Lord; we consecrate ourselves to You. We want to live a conscious and growing life of grace. Give us the courage and confidence to bear whatever cross You may send. Even though many around us are unaware, indifferent or even hostile, we will follow You, You, who are the way, the truth A Newcomer s Perspective (continued from page 1) to those who might not be interested in what I have to say, but when I do, even if I am totally rejected, I still feel deep joy. Recently, I was speaking to a friend who was disenchanted with his job. He was wondering why he was doing a job that did not promote much human good, and at the same time his paycheck drove him to obtain more and bigger things. He was feeling empty and unfulfilled. I told him that through evangelization, prayer, and fellowship, joy comes to me in a way that can t compare to anything else. My career seems altogether secondary to my mission for the Lord. My friend did not respond directly to my statements, but I am sure that it will have an effect. The Holy Spirit can work with that seed. I frequently encounter people who are bitter because of what life has thrown their way. Sometimes they get hostile and can present a good argument. I see their hostility as a call for love, an admission that they and the life. Lord, make us better apostles. Teach us to deepen our prayer life. Guide our minds and hearts as we attempt to preach the Gospel both by word and example. Grant that the example of our lives may lead all persons to seek You and to encounter You in the sacramental life of the Church. Let us work for the conversion of the world even if it costs our lives. What a beautiful, need something they are not getting. They challenge and inspire me to truly walk my talk. Attending the biweekly meetings reminds me of this mission and gives me support to stay true to it. The hunger for a relationship with our Lord is so evident at Cursillo; everyone is openly communicating their want, need, and hope in the Lord. The testimony of the leaders lets us know that there are men who are not afraid to display strong faith. At times I feel weak and lazy. I shrink from my obligations and mission. Being able to share my experiences with others at meetings and hear their stories is such a joy. It lifts my spirit up. When I hear their stories of spiritual growth, I m motivated to a new level of relationship with them and with the Lord. I believe that my life and the life of the church are always in need of reform. We drift off course and others drift away. God can use us to combat movements that draw us spiritual day this mini retreat was. I strongly urge those of you unable to attend this year, to try to make the necessary arrangements to attend the mini retreat next year. You and Jesus will be glad you did. away from Him. I feel that I can change hearts through love (not forcefully) and by faithfully following the Holy Spirit s will and plan for us. I think reform is about reducing my pride. Attracting people to a deeper experience of faith is about setting myself on fire with faith. When I am in line with His plan, doing His work, I can sense a boiling up of my spirit that energizes me, almost puts words in my mouth. My mind is opened, and I become super aware and confident, knowing that the Lord will work through me. I must thank all involved in Cursillo who make this process possible, who helped me be more aware of where the path of the Lord is and more invigorated to follow that path.
6 Scranton Cursillo ATTN: Donna Valenti 106 Exeter Avenue West Pittston, PA 18643 Phone (570) 885-5432 E-mail D_romo251@hotmail.com Go therefore, and Be Messengers of JOY! ~ Pope John Paul II Join Togeth er With Your Brothers & Sisters From All Over The Country! Region 2 Spring Encounter, April 27-29, Vineland, NJ National Encounter, Cincinnati, OH July 2012 Upcoming Events! 60 th Women s Cursillo: March 22 25, 2012 Cindy Hogan, Rectora 54 th Men s Cursillo: April 19 April 22, 2012 Tony O Reilly, Rector 61 st Women s Cursillo: October 4 7, 2012 Donna Caputo, Rectora About Our Movement Cursillo (pronounced cur-seeyo) is Spanish for little course, specifically in the teachings of Jesus. The goal of the Cursillo Movement is to make Christ the prime influence in society. Cursillo is often described as a retreat. While there is quiet time and reflection, there is more discussion among peers than in most retreats. SCRANTON CURSILLO ATTN: DONNA VALENTI 106 EXETER AVENUE WEST PITTSTON, PA 18643-2440 School of Leaders April 13, 2012 Our Lady of Apostle, Avoca May 19, 2012 Oblates of St Joseph, Pittston June 16, 2012 St. Gabriel s, Clarks Summit Perhaps, it is best described as an experience of living in Christian community. The Cursillo Movement is worldwide. It began in Spain in the mid-1940s and came to the United States in the 1960s. All local dioceses in the US are affiliated with the worldwide Cursillo through the Ultreyas: April 11 th Queen of Apostles, Avoca (after 7:00 p.m. Mass) April 29, 2012 St. Vincent s, Dingman s Ferry Grouping Group Reunions are happening weekly, all over the Diocese. FMI, please come to School of Leaders. or Ultreya. National Cursillo Secretariat in Dallas, Texas. The Cursillo weekend in the Diocese of Scranton begins Thursday evening and ends Sunday evening, and is conducted by a team of priests and lay people. Weekends are held at St. Gabriel's Retreat Center, in Clarks Summit. Region 2 Fall Encounter, October 19-21, Vineland, NJ Contact Donna V for Info CURSILLISTA NAME STREET ADDRESS ADDRESS 2 CITY, ST ZIP CODE We re on the Web! See us at: ScrantonCursillo.homestead. com