The 40 Year History of Cursillo in the Diocese of Peoria
In the beginning was a pilgrimage, a pilgrimage that began in Spain in 1948 when a group of Catholic men joined together seeking greater meaning and spirituality in their lives.  This pilgrimage reached around the world  to Peoria, in a movement called Cursillo.

The first pilgrimage was made on the island of Majorca to the Shrine of St. James in Compostela, a great pilgrimage center high atop a steep, rocky hill.  Often heard during the difficult climb were shouts of "Ultreya!  Ultreya!", a rallying cry, which in Spanish means, "Persevere! Continue on!”.  We rally together in our present-day Ultreyas to encourage each other and persevere in seeking deeper meaning and spirituality in our lives.

Soon after the first pilgrimage, the small group added others seeking spiritual renewal, and as they talked, prayed, and sought God together, the Cursillo movement came into being.  The first three-day weekend with fifteen clergy and lay Rollos, similar in basic structure to ours today, was held in 1949 in a monastery in Majorca.  In the years that followed, the love, joy, and renewal in the lives of the early pilgrims was shared with others and the seeds spread across lands and oceans.  Cursillos de Christiandad, Short Course in Christianity, is now an international movement with centers all over the world, including our own unique, ecumenical Cursillo movement in Central Illinois.

Just how did the seeds of Cursillo spread to the United States and Peoria?  Well, God does work in mysterious ways.  Cursillo first reached the United States at Waco, Texas, in 1957.  However, the Peoria seeds traveled from Mexico to San Angelo, Texas, to Kansas City to the small town of Manito before reaching Peoria.  Planter of the seeds was Fr. Fidelius Albrecht, an uncle of Bill Meyer of Manito.  Fr. Albrecht put on the first English-language Cursillos in San Angelo in 1961 and then in Kansas City where he had been assigned.

During visits to Manito, Fr. Albrecht persuaded Bill Meyer and others to attend a Cursillo in Kansas City.  Bill (now Deacon) Meyer recalls, "We came back different men, and it opened eyes all over the place."  Word spread rapidly in Manito and soon Joe Sondag and others, along with Bill, were making the long train ride to Kansas City to attend Cursillos and participate in weekends.  Manito Cursillistas grew to fifteen or sixteen and started a weekly "group reunion," meeting at St. Joseph's in Pekin to witness and pray.  Fr. Michael Coffey, of St. Joseph's, was helpful to them, but they felt the need for a spiritual director.

In the meantime, Cursillo was making its way to Peoria via another route (God was making doubly sure it got here).  In 1964, Fr. Lawrence Morrissey, head of the Catholic Social Service in Peoria, attended a Cursillo in Joliet and participated on a team there.  About that time he heard of the Manito Cursillista Group and met with them to talk about starting Cursillo in Peoria.

 

Fr. Morrissey then sought permission of Bishop John B. Franz to establish the movement in the diocese and approval was given, due in part to the enthusiasm and endorsement of Fr. Coffey.  A team was organized utilizing Cursillistas from the Joliet area along with Joe Sondag and two others from Manito, and plans were made for the first Cursillo in Peoria.

And so it came to pass on July 30, 1964, the first steps in the Cursillo pilgrimage in the Peoria Diocese were taken with Men's #1 at the Spalding Institute Gymnasium (Catholic Youth Center) in Peoria.  Cursillo in Christianity of the Peoria Diocese now celebrates the 40th anniversary of its beginning – fifty five years after that first Cursillo in Spain.

It was a precarious beginning with an inexperienced team leading the way.  As an example, some of the cots collapsed during the night partway through the weekend.  But the prayers and palanca worked; "it works, it always works."  A forty year growth testifies to the success of the first Cursillos, toddler pilgrims propelled by the Holy Spirit.

  Spalding Institute Gymnasium

But the early years were far from easy.  Finding teams and candidates was a major hurdle.  At first, as soon as you made a Cursillo, "If you could stand up, you were drafted for the next team."  People doubled up in jobs because there were so few Cursillistas to draw from, unlike the present lists of people waiting to be on teams.  Almost everyone, at first, was called on repeatedly to give rollos, serve as a "silent" table leader, now called auxiliary, work in the kitchen – whatever needed doing.  This resulted in a crash course in leadership training as some individuals repeated their roles several times.  John Farraher, rector of Men's #3, was rector at least three other times. Several early Cursillistas served as Rector(a)s more than once, some leading start-up Cursillos or spin-offs in other places.

As more and more men made Cursillos, more wives, as well as other women, became available as candidates, and the demand for a women's Cursillo grew. Six men's Cursillos had been held by the time plans were set for Women's #1, using a team mostly from Rockford.  The first women's Cursillo in Peoria was held in September 1965, at Bergan High School (now Notre Dame) in the face of much worry about what would happen at the weekend because "women are so terribly emotional."  Statistics are not available as to whether they ran out of Kleenex.

        Bergan High School

Once again, the Cursillistas were pressed into service as soon as they made their Cursillo.  Mary Beth Boyle made Women's #1 and was rectora of #2, and many others served on teams repeatedly.  Jeanette (Parky) Dodge, twice a rectora, remembers giving every lay talk except Ideal.  Everyone who could help pitched in to help in some way.

One problem in the early years was finding enough candidates, Cursillo being an unheard of, hard to pronounce, foreign word.  Application forms did not exist and recruiting was done by word of mouth, everyone talking it up with friends, relatives, and fellow parishioners, "cajoling, conning, begging," with some being persuaded at the last minute. Until Thursday night when the candidates showed up, no one knew how many there would be.

In contrast, the list of applicants grew so long during some years in the 1970's and 1980's that many candidates waited two years to make Cursillo.  By the end of the 1980's, the list was shorter and weekends in Peoria have been cut from eleven to nine per year.

In the early years candidates came from all over the diocese, near and far, but especially from the little town of Manito.  Joe Sondag recalls, "We were running up and down the road to Peoria with candidates every Cursillo.  Over the first 25 years, we had over 300 people go through Cursillo or TEC and touched most of the families in the parish."  And that's why little Manito is known as "Chicken City."

To facilitate recruitment, Cursillo also "took the show on the road" with weekends being held in different towns, wherever there were candidates.  Traffic was two-way with teams going out from Peoria and Cursillistas coming in to Peoria to participate in Cursillo functions, miles and miles of palanca.

With each succeeding Cursillo, many needs in addition to teams and candidates had to be provided for the weekend.  Since Cursillo had no "home," accommodations had to be found each time.  At first all the arrangements were made by Fr. Morrissey, who was not only a Spiritual Director, but team selector, kitchen coordinator, and business manager, along with other jobs.  Somehow it all got done under his outstanding leadership, and with the help of the Holy Spirit and hard work of the pioneer pilgrims.

As Cursillo grew in the 1960's with bigger classes and more weekends, the logistics and responsibilities of all the Cursillo functions mounted.  Someone was needed to help keep track of things and to provide lay leadership.  More and more, Charles Tuerk, Men's #5, took on responsibilities and began to provide lay leadership.  Charlie, who over the years has been the most enduring, familiar, and much-loved figure in our history, took on the job of "lay director" in 1966 before the title was even thought up.

Since Cursillo had no headquarters at that time, one of the things that Charlie did was to make room in his own office at the Catholic Cemetery Association in Peoria for Cursillo business, doing his own work and Cursillo work, and sharing his secretary, Pat Burnett, for chores such as getting out Cursillo News, now the Newsletter.

Among other things, Charlie took charge of the storage and transport of cots, pots and pans, and various things needed wherever the weekend was held.  Both men and women slept on old army cots set up in empty classrooms or wherever there was space.  Sounds of tearing canvas could sometimes be heard in the night.  Kitchen utensils also had to be carted around to some sites.  Big pots of soup were even hauled in from neighbors' houses occasionally.

   Immaculate Conception Convent

At the Immaculate Conception Convent on Heading Avenue, the cots were set up in rows in the gym for team members and candidates and the "Candlelight Ceremony" was held with cursillistas lining a hallway with their lit candles while the team and candidates walked through.

Most Cursillistas today would not recognize the Cursillo weekends of the old days, nor would many "old-timers" want to return to them.  There were the same fifteen Rollos, but talks were at least an hour long.  Mary Beth Boyle remembers them as "extremely long and often boring, sort of an endurance contest; the Sacraments talk was three hours long. Days were long but the Holy Spirit was present and the weekends worked.  Now we have critiquing of talks before the weekend and firm guidelines so that Rector(a)s do not turn the Cursillo into a personal creation."

Many of the good features of our Cursillo weekends that we now have did not exist in the beginning; one was the seventy-two-hour prayer vigil.  Memories do not agree on exactly when it became round-the-clock, but Hobe Albright, Men's #13, recalls that he was waiting alone in the chapel before giving his Rollo and "It was spooky.  I needed someone to be there to pray with me."  And so the practice began of bringing in kitchen workers who could be spared to pray for each Rollo.  Then other Cursillistas began to come to pray for the speakers during a Rollo, and sometimes the chapel was overflowing with men and women praying the rosary "palanca style," on their knees through the entire Rollo with arms outstretched.  The pioneer pilgrims were a hardy, spirit-filled group!  Sometime in the early 1970's, when there were more Cursillistas to draw on, the seventy-two-hour prayer vigil began.  In the reverent silence of the Palanca Chapel, day and night, a rosary of people slipping in and out at intervals, kneeling, praying, meditating, each Cursillista a bead in the seventy-two-hour cycle of prayer, provided a source of strength to team and candidates and to those who pray.

Another tremendous addition to the weekend was the Apostolic Hour, which did not exist for the first five or six years.  It evolved from the earlier custom that the Mass following the Sacraments talk on Saturday afternoon was attended by not only the candidates but also the kitchen workers, palanca people, and anyone else around.  Also they all stayed for the Agape meal, usually a spaghetti supper, and a songfest.  As time went on, this arrangement became chaotic and the Mass and Agape meal were restricted to the team and candidates only.  At about the same time, it became a custom of a group of Cursillistas to gather on Saturday night, sitting on the bleachers at Bergan, to pray, meditate, and witness. This was the beginning of the "Apostolic Hour."  Then, partly to placate the people who could no longer take part in the afternoon Mass, a Mass was added to the Apostolic Hour.

In June of 1971, according to most who remember, the candlelight walk came into being.  Bill Clarey, Men's #5, believed it was unique in our Cursillo, although it may have existed in a few other places.  However, it did not originate here.

Jim Walkowiak, rector of Men's #27, had heard of the use of candles in Wisconsin and suggested that they try it.  Bill Roth, Men's #8, recalls the scene at Bergan High.  "We gathered outdoors on the patio and formed two lines, everyone holding a candle, the candidates walked between us as the candles flickered in the summer breeze, some blowing out."  Perhaps not as impressive as a church full of candlelight and people singing the "Jesus Song," but the Holy Spirit was there, lighting up the hearts of the candidates.

Even the clausuras were different in the old days.  Closings were sometimes as late as 11 p.m.  There were often fewer people in the audience than the twenty to thirty candidates.  "Witnessing consisted of comments from the team or even the audience, plus a few remarks from candidates who were not too choked up to speak,” remembers Deacon Dick Jones, Men's #5.  An abrazzo line greeted the candidates as they came into the closing in those days, but the hugs and show of affection were hard for many to handle.  Now almost everyone exchanges the "abrazzo."  What would an Ultreya be without the hugging and kissing?

During the years following the resignation of Fr. Morrissey in 1968 and that of Fr. Joe Nickerson a year later, the movement suffered greatly from changes in spiritual direction and other problems.  Leadership was provided by Viatorian priests at Spalding for a time, but deviations from the basic structure and character of Cursillo led to controversy.  Some people left Cursillo, and it was at this time that Charlie Tuerk's faith and dedication were most vital to a struggling Cursillo.  Although disheartened and tempted to abandon the movement, he made a prayerful decision to stay, and stay he did.  His lay leadership, with the help of other persevering Cursillistas and the Holy Spirit kept things together through shaky years.

A board (secretariat) was formed at that time to provide authority and structure in what had become a very loose organization.  The first board included Harry Adams, Larry Bloom, Bill Clarey, Parky Dodge, Dick (Deacon) Jones, Dick Lindell, and Marg and Charlie Tuerk.  Then, in 1971, Charlie relates, "The Lord smiled on us and sent us Father Tom."

Fr. Tom Henseler had just returned from two years duty as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and was serving as a parish priest in Kewanee.  Bishop Franz, who was alarmed by the problems in Cursillo, appointed Father Tom Spiritual Director, with the mandate, "Change it or it will cease."  Father Tom had made his Cursillo, Men's #10, in 1966 at Bergan High, while serving as a parish priest at St. Patrick's in Peoria.  He remembers commuting between his conference table and his priestly duties at church, but in spite of the mixture of roles, "The weekend was a very moving experience.  The spirituality of the program and the numbers of lay people really touched me."

Father Tom’s leadership of Cursillo began in the summer of 1971 while he continued his duties in Kewanee, and he spent many long and late hours on the road.  In 1972 he was transferred to St. Thomas in Peoria, and a year later was chosen to establish the Diaconate program for the diocese.  He then began devoting full time to the growing Cursillo movement and the Diaconate program.

The Cursillo story in the years since Father Tom became Spiritual Director has been one of miraculous growth and spiritual strengthening of the Cursillo family in the diocese. Under Father Tom's direction, the movement returned to the original tenets and structure of Cursillo and problems were resolved.  At this time, the custom came into being for non-Roman Catholics at a Mass to approach the altar, during communion, with arms crossed on chest to receive a spiritual blessing.  This practice, suggested by an Episcopal priest from Bloomington, is now used at all Cursillo Masses and is recognized in many churches in the diocese.

From the beginning, Cursillo has been a movement of the Holy Spirit working in people of faith; pilgrims who have drawn others to experience the weekend that "turns lives around," that brings Jesus into their lives as never before.  And from 1971 on, Cursillo really came "alive in the Spirit" in Central Illinois.

One of the key factors in the success of our Cursillo is the ecumenical aspect of our movement.  The extent of the involvement of non-Roman Catholics in all levels of our program makes us unique in the United States, and our national reputation for the excellence of our program has grown.

According to early Cursillistas, no big decision was made to become ecumenical, it just happened without fanfare.  The first Protestants were four candidates at Women's #1, two of whom were wives of Catholic Cursillistas; all were accepted without comment.  The first Protestant man made Men's #9 in 1966 when no one could think of any reason why non-Romans should not be accepted.

In the ensuing years, non-Roman Catholic clergy and lay people have become an integral part of the movement contributing to the vitality of the Cursillo community and to their own churches as well.  More than 200 non-Roman clergy, including seven Episcopal bishops, have gone through Cursillo, according to former lay director Bill Clarey. "They found there was no proselytizing, and they went back to their churches enthused about ecumenism and Cursillo.  And then our ecumenical Cursillo really took off," Clarey added.  Many Cursillistas have found that being part of an ecumenical weekend has helped them understand other faiths and has given them a feeling of love toward people regardless of denominations.

       St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral

An exceptional ecumenical and spirit-filled Cursillo took place in 1971 at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Peoria.  Bishop Edward W. O'Rourke was part of the clergy team, and Episcopal Bishop Francis William Lickfield was a candidate.  At the closing, Bishop Lickfield, humbly dressed in his Cape Cod fishing clothes, got up and gave the homily.  The two bishops, Catholic and Episcopalian, movingly witnessed to our unity in Christ.

As our movement grew and the success of our program became known, the National Cursillo Organization applied pressure against our ecumenism, and in 1981 ruled we must stop being ecumenical or close down.  At this point Bishop O'Rourke, who was very supportive of our Cursillo, informed National Cursillo that Cursillo in the Diocese of Peoria would remain ecumenical.  We are no longer connected with the national organization but still adhere to the Cursillo manual and structure.

Bishop O'Rourke credited the growth and quality of Cursillo in the Peoria Diocese to our ecumenical unity in Christian ideals, bonded with the love and friendship that Cursillo creates, and the outstanding leadership of Father Tom. 

Evidence of the surge in growth of the movement became apparent in the mid-1970's with the establishment of our first two satellite centers:  Bloomington Area in 1975 and Northwest Area at Rock Island in 1976.

  St. Mary’s Cathedral

Prior to 1975 many Bloomington Area men and women had made Cursillos in Peoria and continued to participate with many trips back and forth. As their numbers grew, the time seemed ripe for the start of a new center in Bloomington.  Leaders from the area were given permission to use the century-old Holy Trinity Convent as the new center.  Much work was needed to get the three-story brick building ready before the first Cursillo.  The Lord answered many prayers during the frantic weeks of preparation.  Duane Weber relates, “He blessed us with just the right number of cots, dishes, curtains, and the helping hands needed to prepare for fifty-eight candidates.  In thanksgiving for answered prayers, one place in the dining room has always been reserved for our Lord and Master during our Cursillos.”

The first Bloomington Cursillo, #73, spirit-filled and pronounced “best ever” by Charlie Tuerk, was followed by the women's weekend, #78, in August 1975.  Since that time, the Bloomington Area movement, very ecumenical, continues to flourish and bear fruit throughout the Christian community.

The second satellite to open was the Northwest Area center in Rock Island in 1976. Prior to this, individual Cursillos had been held at various locations in Galesburg and Rock Island, and many Cursillistas had made weekends in Peoria.  Due to the efforts of the many pioneer pilgrims in the area, the Northwest center came into being, and the first two Cursillos took place at the Villa de Chantal in Rock Island in August and October.  Both the men's and women's weekends, #95 and #99, were so successful that plans began immediately for the year's Ultreyas and two Cursillos for the following summer.  In the twenty-five years since its beginning, Northwest Area has been an active and growing community of apostles for Christ. 

Further evidence of the growing impact of Cursillo in the diocese was the number of movements that grew out of Cursillo.  The first spin-off was a two-way trade.  Father Tom and a Peoria team traveled to Quincy to help start a Cursillo program there, and TEC people there helped start the TEC program here.  The first Quincy Cursillos were held late in 1974 and early 1975.  The Quincy program is ecumenical and still active after thirty years.  TEC began here in March 1973 with Fr. Placid Hatfield, OSB, as director for the first several years, followed by the leadership of Sr. Jacqueline Schroeder, OSF.

Cursillo and the Holy Spirit moved in quite a different direction with the next spin-off – the beginning of the prison ministry.  In 1976, Hobe Albright, Men's #13, attended the Clausura at a Cursillo put on by Iowa Cursillistas at the Ft. Madison State Prison.  Hobe was so touched by the miraculous workings of the Holy Spirit in men who were incarcerated "in terrible conditions" that he returned "on fire to do something for men behind bars."

At the same time an inquiry came from the Vienna Correctional Center in Southern Illinois about the possibility of a prison Cursillo there.  Father Tom, Charlie Tuerk, and Hobe went to Vienna to lay the groundwork for a Cursillo behind prison walls.  A few months later, in July, a team from the Peoria and Bloomington areas took off in an old bus for the first Illinois prison Cursillo and the beginning of a tremendous outreach to men and women behind bars, apostolic action at its best.

After the first "unbelievably spirit-filled weekend" at Vienna, a group of Cursillistas, who wanted to help prisoners being released from the prison system, established Faith, Hope, Love In Christ.  FHL Inc., with a small staff and advisory board, provides ministry in jails and prisons and operates the FHL House to provide a temporary home and help for men re-entering society.

The first Cursillo in a women's prison in Illinois was at Dwight.  To the incarcerated women there, Cursillo has been a God-send.  Weekends, held annually at first, were so popular that that they were increased to two each year.  The warden, a Cursillista, supports the program whole-heartedly and has brought about many improvements for the women.

Prison Cursillos were called Walk to Emmaus and, along with RECs (Residents Encounter Christ), were being held in a growing number of prisons.  Many Cursillistas, men and women, provided leadership and palanca for the weekends.  In return, many of the incarcerated reach out to do palanca for our weekends through fasting and prayer.

An amazing grace in our history is the way in which Cursillistas, filled with joy, zeal, and the Spirit, have taken the seeds of Cursillo and planted them elsewhere.  Another spin-off was the Methodist Cursillo under Rev. Bob Wood, which became the Upper Room movement, later transported to Nashville, Tenn., and other places. Other offshoots include an Anglican movement in Springfield and Walk to Emmaus programs in Springfield and Princeville.

In the mid-1970's the Cursillo movement began to mature, but not without growing pains.  Increasing numbers of candidates and weekends necessitated a more rigid structure and some feared loss of spontaneity and the Spirit.  The board grew and became the Secretariat with members having individual responsibilities such as team selection, Ultreya arrangements, newsletter, etc., and representatives from the Bloomington and Northwest Areas were added.  In 1983, the role of the Secretariat changed to that of the policy-making body for the entire diocesan movement, and steering committees were formed in each area to handle their separate operations.

Father Tom was proud of the excellence in leadership training in our program and credited the gifts and talents of the laity, plus the Holy Spirit, in allowing the lay directors and Secretariat to assume many of the responsibilities in administering a program the size of ours.

In 1976, Charlie Tuerk, ordained a deacon in the first Diaconate class, became the first Assistant Spiritual Director, and Bill Clarey, Men's #5, was persuaded to fill the gap as lay director.  Looking back, Bill sees his term as one of bringing about more business-like procedures and more communication to the growing community.  Financial affairs were brought under the Secretariat as budgets escalated, exceeding $100,000 by 1989, and finances continue to be an ongoing problem.

During the early years, no set fees for weekends were assessed and the candidates paid nothing until Sunday afternoons in a ritual called the "16th Rollo" or "Moment of Pay." An assistant had the duty of announcing the M.O.P. in an "amusing way" and donations were put in the hat by the candidates for the expenses of the weekend. On one occasion Parky Dodge appeared in a wet suit with mop and bucket to collect the "pay."  

A big problem in the 1980's, according to Father Tom, was the lack of clergy for teams and Masses, with fewer priests having time available away from parish duties.  Part of the problem has been resolved by adding deacons to the make-up of clergy on each of the teams.  The religious are also utilized along with non-Roman Catholic ministers, both men and women, and lay ministers, and all help on weekends to meet the heavier demands by candidates for counseling.

Accommodations and lack of a home to call its own had also been problematic.  Cursillos were held at twenty-one different sites during the first twenty-five years. Cursillo's first home of any duration was St. Mark’s near Bradley University.  Moving-in took place in 1973 to much excitement, and the hard work of getting the bedrooms ready for the first weekend began.  Reunion Groups and others pitched in and scrounged old beds and mattresses (the cots were gone, thanks be to God), and some painted walls and made curtains.

      St. Mark’s

Cursillo remained at St. Mark’s for about four years, but the space was too small to accommodate a class of more than thirty-five candidates, and waiting lists of applicants made larger quarters badly needed.

In 1976, when Fr. Mario Shaw established St. Augustine Manor in the former Proctor Endowment Home, Cursillo and TEC had the opportunity to utilize space in the building for all its needs.  For the first time, everything was centralized under one roof:  offices, bedrooms, a spacious conference room, our own dining room and kitchen, the palanca chapel, and the lovely old main chapel that has been a spiritual oasis for so many teams and Cursillistas.  In January, 1977, the first Cursillo at St. Augustine's was held; in spite of the biggest snowstorm in years, the men of #103 made "the best Cursillo ever."

    St. Augustine Manor

The St. Augustine era was one of continued growth and impact not only in the diocese, but far beyond.  In 1983, the pilgrim trail out of Peoria took a miraculous trans-Atlantic leap to Geneva, Switzerland.  When Cursillistas move to new places, they begin looking for a Cursillo group.  When Al and Bettsey Barhorst were transferred to Geneva in 1981, it took a lot of looking, but they found John and Kay Mallon (Peoria Cursillistas!), another couple, and Fr. Jack Lucas, S.J.  Their "group reunion" grew to ten and the dream was born to start Cursillo in Geneva.  Cursillistas know that anything is possible with the help of the Lord.

Father Tom was contacted about bringing a team to Geneva and, after receiving permission from Bishops on both sides of the ocean, plans got under way.  By the end of 1982, a team was being organized in Peoria while in Geneva the search began for candidates.  With lots of trust in the Holy Spirit, the dream became a reality in October of 1983 with Cursillos #1 and #2, men's and women's, the beginning of Cursillo in Switzerland.

In March of 1996, the pilgrim trail out of Peoria took another miraculous leap, this time across the Pacific Ocean to Hong Kong.  With the assistance of the Cursillo community, Walk To Emmaus M#1 and W#2 were taken to Hong Kong.  Further history was made in succeeding Cursillos with the establishment of co-educational weekends.  Due to a lack of English-speaking candidates and the transitory nature of the community, combined men's and women's weekends were held spring and fall, rather than four separate weekends.  In spite of cultural, national, and religious differences among the candidates and teams, the international group of pilgrims keeps growing with people from many countries making their Cursillo in Geneva and Hong Kong.

Another fruit of the harvest of Cursillo in our diocese has been the establishment of two more centers.  In the 1980's, the Northwest community spilled over eastward along Interstate 80 to reinforce Cursillistas in the LaSalle-Peru/Ottawa area in the formation of the Illinois Valley Area.  The first steering committee was appointed in 1984 and, as numbers of Cursillistas and interest grew, plans were begun for the first two Cursillos to be held in 1986.  Finally, after months of praying and hard work, preparations were complete. Marquette High School was converted into a Cursillo center only days after school ended. Northwest Area helped with expertise and loans of materials needed for the weekends. Cursillistas from all areas helped on the teams and gave support through entertainment and palanca.  On June 5, 1986, the men's weekend #286, with Fr. Duane Jack as Spiritual Director, was under way followed on June 19 by the women's #287, with Fr. Tom Henseler as Spiritual Director.

Following the success and joy of the first two weekends, plans were immediately under way for the following summer Cursillos.  Starting in 1987, weekends were held at St. Columbia’s School twice each year.  Thanks to the efforts of the Steering Committees and aided by such events as annual prayer retreats, nine Ultreyas a year, and other functions, Cursillo had become a reality for Illinois Valley with an active, faithful community.

The most recent offspring of Cursillo came into being in the Champaign/Urbana or Eastern Area.  Many Cursillistas in the area attended early Cursillos in Peoria, traveling the road they called "Palanca Pike" to participate in Cursillo functions in Peoria.  Later many became active in Bloomington Cursillo and were represented on their Steering Committee.  Group reunions began in the Eastern Area with Ultreyas held monthly in homes, and a newsletter was sent out.

As time passed, the Eastern community grew.  Joe Hacker states, "Joy and love abounded and our numbers grew with people from all around, Rantoul, Melvin, and Danville.  Monthly Ultreyas outgrew homes and were celebrated in churches of various denominations adding richness to our community."  In 1985 a Steering Committee was formed to organize an Eastern Area Cursillo.  With the support of Bloomington Area Cursillistas, Eastern held its first two Cursillos in July, 1988, a men's, #333, and a women's, #334, at the Holy Cross School and Church in Champaign. 

In June of 1989 a women's weekend, #350, was held at the Alpha Phi Sorority House in Champaign.  The success of the weekends has led to more applications and the community has become more active.

In February of 1991, the Peoria Area Steering Committee announced that the Peoria Area Cursillo would be moving from St. Augustine Manor to the Spalding Institute building.  After a Capital Fund Drive raised $800,000, the former Spalding High School building was remodeled to provide a larger facility to accommodate the Cursillo and TEC needs.  In September 1991, men’s #392 was the first Cursillo to be held in the Spalding Renewal Center, the new home of Cursillo and TEC.

In October of 1991, Deacon Dennis Woiwode and Sister Jacqueline Schroeder were named as Co-Spiritual Directors to replace Father Tom Henseler, who had served as the Spiritual Director of Cursillo for the Peoria Diocese for more than twenty years.

   Spalding Renewal Center

On September 5, 1995, the Cursillo community suffered a severe blow with the sudden death of Spiritual Director Deacon Dennis Woiwode.  Following the death of Deacon Woiwode, Sr. Jacque continued to serve as sole Spiritual Director until May 24, 1996, when Father Timothy Nolan was named Diocesan Director of Cursillo and TEC and the Spiritual Director of the Peoria Area Cursillo and TEC programs to replace Deacon Dennis Woiwode and Sister Jacqueline Schroeder.  In August 1996, Sister Janice Keenan was named the Assistant Spiritual Director.

In 1999, the Cursillo community suffered three more severe blows with the death of Assistant Spiritual Director Deacon Dennis Fahey on July 27, 1999, the death of Bishop Edward O’Rourke on September 29, 1999, and the death of “The Godfather of Cursillo” Assistant Spiritual Director Deacon Charlie Tuerk on October 19, 1999.  The one bright spot in 1999 was the effort of the Cursillo, Walk To Emmaus, and Via de Cristo communities to hold the first “Rainbow Celebration” on August 19th. 

Father Brian Brownsey was named as Diocesan Spiritual Director of Cursillo and TEC and the Spiritual Director of the Peoria Area Cursillo and TEC programs in June 2000 as a replacement for Father Timothy Nolan.  In June 2003, Deacon Bill Read was named the Peoria Area Cursillo and TEC Spiritual Director while Father Brian Brownsey remains the Diocesan Spiritual Director of Cursillo and TEC. 

Looking back, from the perspective of a forty-year history, our Cursillo community has much to be proud of.  From the early years through the shaky years and into the abundant harvest of the twenty years under Father Tom, the word "Cursillo" became known as something very special in Central Illinois, "a place where the action is at – spiritually."  A priest new to the Peoria area observed, "There is something in the Christian community here that I can feel, something that does not exist any place else I've been."

Bishop O'Rourke often commented that many of the most active workers in parishes are Cursillistas.  He felt that the thousands of Cursillistas in the Peoria Diocese, in churches of all faiths, have contributed immeasurably through prayer, service, and leadership to their churches and communities.

Father Tom stated, "The purpose of Cursillo is to impact our environment.  In our Cursillo we have teachers, farmers, housewives, policemen and judges, office workers, professional and non-professionals from all walks of life-Cursillistas impacting their environment as Christians, and that's our goal – to instill Christian values in the life around us."  As Cursillistas, we can be proud of our progress toward that goal. 

The history of Cursillo is a story of people who have found Jesus and a new relationship with God in their weekend walk, people who give succor to other pilgrims as they make their way along the often tortuous path, the palanca people who sign up for the endless list of jobs to be done each weekend, the musicians who help our spirits soar in song and worship, the reunion groups who support and care for each other, and all the people who pray.  Now over 30,000 strong, our Cursillo community, united ecumenically and alive in Christ, continues to draw men and women with the same spirit that drew the first Spanish pilgrims on their seventy-two-hour walk with Jesus. Many things have changed in forty years, but the miracles are the same. Whatever uncertainties lie ahead, the pilgrimage will go on, guided by the Holy Spirit.  From Spain to Peoria, rippling out again across land and seas, a living banner of pilgrims, together in Christ, beckoning each other on, ever-closer to our one God.