Lay Director's Report to 1995 AGM

<--Previous Article | -^-Back to Go Fourth Index | -->Next Article

Index

Jump to the start of a section:

Growth

Chester Anglican Cursillo was 7 years old in April 1995. We have sent greetings to Southwell Cursillo who are celebrating their 10th Anniversary today. We will soon be starting to plan for our own. Checking through all the Weekend Palanca lists I have counted 188 people who have been on a Weekend from this Diocese and about 28 Cursillistas from other dioceses and of course there are those who live in this diocese and have made their Cursillo in other dioceses.

Back to index

Weekends

There have been two weekends since last May---October at Foxhill and in April at Savio House, Bollington. Our policy will be to continue to follow this pattern, that is to hold weekends during the weekend of Easter II held at Savio House and the half-term weekend at the end of October held at Foxhill. The last two weekends produced 28 new Cursillistas, the same number as last year, in fact. We are helping the Bradford Steering Committee by encouraging people from their diocese to come to us. Although we are a movement led by laity we do work hand in hand with our clergy friends and we need their support, and unlike last year, have not been able to encourage any of the priests from this diocese to a Weekend. We hope this will change after we have a display at the clergy conference in Swanwick.

We continue to welcome new staff members and as we now hold only 2 weekends a year we are still finding it difficult to invite Cursillistas from other dioceses to join the team whilst we still have so many people on the waiting list.

We already have two bookings for Foxhill in October this year. This seems to be the favoured venue so we pray that Foxhill will be full again this time.

Our Fourth Day Officer, Pat Riley, has held regular meetings with the Lay Rectors again this year and much has been achieved at these meetings. Communications between Ultreyas is now much improved with her encouragement, and we continue to consolidate our Fourth Day.

It was a great joy to meet so many of you at our Diocesan Lay Conference and much interest was shown in our display. Apart from the Clergy Conference, we hope to have the display at the Bishop's Course day at Tirley Garth, Tarporley, on Saturday 17th June, when Bishop Michael Langrish will be speaking. [The display was there---Ed.]

Back to index

Sponsorship

The Secretariat continue to consider the implications of sponsorship. Wake up and the Clausura continue to be well attended. We continue to help both participants and staff with the cost of the weekend, and this has been at a higher level this year. This is reflected in the accounts. My vision is that ALL participants should receive the cost of the Weekend as a gift with our love, asking for donations at the end of the weekend from those who can afford it. This can only be realised when we have enough funds to cover it and we thank all those who make a regular contribution through their Ultreya or by a covenant.

Back to index

The Servant Community

Cursillistas who have been on a Leaders' Workshop have been learning more about this and I hope that the new Secretariat will spend some time in putting this into place. We are all very busy people and have jobs in our own parishes, but if Cursillo in Chester is to "Go Fourth" then we must be willing to take some responsibility for making it grow. We are all part of the "Pre-Cursillo" group by discerning and encouraging others to experience what has had such an influence on our own lives.

Back to index

Secretariat

We're still in a period of change and there's more to come. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Joan Snape, our Secretary, and Janet Critchley, our Training Officer (now known as Weekend Coordinator), who are now retiring after going the "extra mile." At the November meeting, Sally Mullock was elected as Secretary to the Secretariat and Alison Crozier as Weekend Coordinator. [See next article concerning Weekend Coordinator---Ed.]

Keith Craddock, our Treasurer, and Gerry Tickner, our Go Fourth Editor, are also retiring after much appreciated hard work. There are going to be four new faces on the Secretariat this time.

We are particularly pleased that Glenys Dakin will be able to join us for the Eucharist today. Unfortunately she hasn't been able to function as UK and Overseas Palanca Secretary during her illness, but I'm sure she'll soon be back on the job. Our thanks to Sylvia Craddock for filling in for Glenys---a heavy load as those of you who've been on a Weekend will be aware. I'm sure you were impressed by the number of posters received from overseas, and we respond by sending posters to all of them from Chester. Sylvia will tell you the incredible number she has sent out recently.

Thank you to our Pre-Cursillo Officer, Muriel Joslin, who has organised the purchase of display boards. If anyone would like to mount a display in their church, please ask her about it. She has also had the leaflets re-printed and organised publicity through the diocesan mailing. She holds the stock of the leaflets so please ask her for a supply. Pam Hanson is our Development and Publicity Officer and organises the notices in the Chester Diocesan News.

Back to index

Cursillo In The UK

This year's UK Ultreya will be held again at BLACKBURN CATHEDRAL on Saturday, 23rd September. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you're one of the party, some of us will be on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on that day, so we'll miss that gathering, but I hope that there will be a good number representing Chester in Blackburn. We hope that Iain Whitlam will arrange the transport again.

It is very encouraging to attend the British Anglican Cursillo Council events, including the UK Ultreya. The Chester representatives at their meetings are Fr. Simon, Iain Whitlam and myself. These meetings are still held in Wilmslow so Chester Diocese is still the centre of the BACC universe. If you would like to meet Cursillistas from other dioceses, perhaps you would consider offering your services to help with the making and serving of coffee at the start of the meeting. The next meeting is on November 4th. Please let me know if you would like to help.

We are still being encouraged by BACC to ensure that as far as possible all members of Secretariat should have been on a CLW. The first regional Workshop was hosted by Chester last June and was very successful. Six of our cursillistas attended that, but on subsequent occasions we have only two places allocated to us. The next Workshop will be held at Offa House, Coventry during the weekend 8th to 10th December, and will be hosted by Coventry Diocese. The two places allocated to us will be offered to new members of the Secretariat in the first place. If you would like to go, and are not on the Secretariat, please let me know and I'll put you on the waiting list. BACC pages keeps us up to date with the UK news, it is now edited by Trevor King, so please make sure you get a copy from your Lay Rector.

Back to index

Barbara Hood
Diosesan Lay Director of Cursillo Chester.

(This is a slightly edited version of the full report given at the Diocesan Ultreya on 13th May, 1995)

Back to Chester Anglican Cursillo Home Page

These pages are maintained by Geoff Riley.
If you have any queries or comments about the Chester Cursillo pages, please feel free to email cursillo@arcturus\.geoffandcarole.co.uk.

Copyright © 1995 Chester Anglican Cursillo
Affiliated with the British Anglican Cursillo
Cursillo® Registered U.S. Patent Office