Phong trào Cursillo Việt Úc - Mùa bội thu
24 Jan 2025 By The Record
By Sr Chau Ho OP
The first two weekends of January marked a busy time for the Vietnamese Cursillo Movement in Australia, as its leadership team and members in Perth hosted two three-day retreats (short courses) for 125 participants at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre, Middle Swan, WA.
During the first retreat, held from 2 to 5 January, 49 men registered to renew their faith and immerse themselves in a program of self-reflection, spiritual learning, silence, prayer, meditation and daily Masses.
On Sunday 5 January, the participants were honoured by a visit from Geraldton Bishop Michael Morrissey, who presided at the Mass that was concelebrated by the Chaplain of the Vietnamese Cursillo National, Fr Francis Xavier Viet Phuong Vu; the Chaplain of Perth’s Movement, Fr Michael Hong Pham; and other priests serving as Spiritual Directors.
In his homily, Bishop Morrissey praised the participants and volunteers for their commitment to Christ and to the mission of evangelisation.
“You are the holy people of God—you, the laity, not us, religious and priests, because of your witness in daily life in the world,” Bishop Morrissey emphasised.
Bishop Morrissey also expressed gratitude to the Perth branch of the Cursillo Movement, which in 2021 raised funds to support his Diocese following the devastation caused by Cyclone Seroja.
The second retreat, from 9 to 12 January, welcomed 76 women aged 19 to 82 from across Australia, representing every state except Darwin and Tasmania.
More than 150 volunteers travelled to Perth to assist with liturgy, teaching, administration and catering, exemplifying one of the values of the Cursillo Movement: service in charity.
During this retreat, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe led Mass on Saturday, afterwards joining with clergy and religious in serving breakfast to the participants, which typified “services to others”, another core value of the Cursillo movement.
In his homily, Archbishop Costelloe reflected on two significant figures of the Christmas season: St John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Archbishop Costelloe described Mary’s faith journey as a progression from being “frightened” to “confused” to “totally committed” to God’s will, as demonstrated by her “Yes” to the angel.
Archbishop Costelloe invited the congregation to draw inspiration from Mary.
“St John declared that God had to grow bigger, and he, smaller. To ‘be smaller’ means stepping away from self-centredness, allowing God to become the centre of our lives,” Archbishop Costelloe shared.
Cursillo Chaplain Fr Michael Hong Pham expressed gratitude to Archbishop Costelloe on behalf of the congregation.
“Your Grace, thank you for visiting us today. You are our shepherd, and we are your flock,” he said.
Cursillo is a Church-led movement that helps individuals discover themselves, their relationship with Christ, and their connections with others.
The word “Cursillo”, meaning “short course” in Spanish, describes the retreat structure, which spans from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon.
Participants engage in themed talks each day, focussing on self-discovery, God, and others, along with communal prayer and Mass.
After 33 years of establishment in Australia, the Vietnamese branch of the Cursillo Movement has grown to include 3,000 members.
Cảm ơn Sr Châu đã làm bài phóng sự. Cảm ơn Chú Giới Chụp hình rất đẹp.
https://therecord.com.au/news/local/vietnamese-cursillo-celebrates-fruitful-harvest/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIPIPdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbDvRbMZXM6xqMQvBvyVFrwlC3EYAbdaoEsmbeHnE8wSE0LF22o2VoOGag_aem_XMp0BSFiQN6mZ90EKHejdQ