cursillo

February 2010

Dear Cursillistas,

It is hard to believe, but the men's weekend is rapidly approaching! The weekend will be held April 22-25, 2010 at Camp Holiday Trails in Charlottesville, VA.

We have a great team of men that has been preparing with great dedication for the past month and a half. Our terrific and dedicated Rectora is Blessed Sacrament's own Roy Norville.

And our dear and amazing coordinators for the weekend are John & Rosie Haverkamp and Brian O'Rourke (St. Johns - Waynesboro).

A big thank you to these men as they prepare with hands and hearts for the weekend.  Please keep them in your prayers and lift them with palanca in the coming weeks as they continue their preparations. 

We invite you also to take part in the weekend by volunteering to help with preparing and serving meals, set up, break down or any of the other important behind-the-scenes tasks that go into making a weekend come together. If you are willing to help in any way, please contact John & Rosie Haverkamp (haverkam@gmail.com). The weekend cannot be successful without you!  Thank you for spreading Christ's love to others.

Also, if you can help financially to sponsor a candidate, please email Pete DeSmit (who is Cursillo treasurer) at desmitpa@jmu.edu, and he will tell you where you can send your check. In these challenging economic times we really do need to be able to break even on this weekend's expenses, so we very much appreciate (and need) any amount you can spare.  It's a great way to pass on the gift to others.  Thank you!

Now is the time to approach those men whom you believe would be interested in making their weekend. Tell them exactly what Cursillo has meant for you in your relationship with God. Often people feel like they do not have the time to make their weekend, but when they hear what a life-enhancing experience it has been for others, they often find a way to make room in their schedules. And remember that old Cursillo adage: talk to God about your friend before you talk to your friend about God. Translation: pray and discern as you decide whom to ask.

Applications for the weekend are available for download on the "Cursillo Application" page of the website: http://www.valleycursillo.com/Download.html.  They should be filled out completely (including the pastor's signature) and mailed to Fran at the address on the application.

Finally, a note to our women - we are beginning the planning stages for the next Women's Weekend to be held October 21-24, 2010 at Camp Overlook.  Please start thinking about whether God might be calling you to serve on team.  Being a team member can be a wonderful, spiritually enriching experience.  You do not need any special qualifications to be on team, other than being a practicing Catholic and having an open and willing heart.  Is God calling you?  If you are interested, please send us an email at ValleyCursillo@valleycursillo.com .

That's all the news for now - we are looking forward to a terrific women's weekend next month! 

Peace,
Fran and Marshall Slayton
Valley Cursillo Coordinators