Cursillos In Christianity

Cursillo is a Spanish word which means short course in English. Thus the name Cursillo de Christianidad is a short course in Christianity. Or a short course in what is living a fundamental to being a Christian. Prior to Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul XII's message was to re-Christianize the world, as moral values had deteriorated. A group of young men responded and used the model of early Christian living and participated in the pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James at Campostela, Spain. The planning of pilgrimage included groups of young people, workshops, praying together, studying together, and working together. From this planning process evolved the structure of the Cursillo as we know it today. Bishop Juan Hervas of Mallorca and a dedicated young layman Eduardo Bonnin, were the two primary leaders of the first Cursillo in Christianity. The first Cursillo was held in 1949. Since then it has spread all over the world, having been introduced in 1957 in Waco, Texas USA by two airmen who had made their cursillos in Spain. The Cursillo was brought to Cebu, Philippines also by two airmen from the United States in 1963 and from there to Zamboanga. It was Bishop Gonzaga of Zamboanga who prepared the first rollos and since then the cursillos spread all over the Philippines. The Philippine National Secretariat published the new rollos in the leaders Manual in September 2001.
 The inception of the FCDO in 2016 was a result of the coming together of a group of Filipino cursillistas from Southern California. Spearheaded by a relentless leader Romy Uy, this movement was formed. It was founded to develop a community of Filipino language group in the diocese of Orange. Now it is a part of the other three groups, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.