A brief history of Cursillo in the Scottish Episcopal Church

Originating in Majorca in the late 1940s among Catholic ex-soldiers, the Movement took root in mainland Spain in the 1950s, and was associated at first with the pilgrimage to the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostela. In the 1960s it spread to Spanish-speakers in Mexico, South America and the USA, where in 1961 the first English-speaking Catholic Cursillo was held.

Small groups of men got together for regular prayer, study and reflection on their lives, making a personal pilgrimage of re-commitment. This led to the more formal structure of a three day course, not for academic study, but for exposure to talks and discussions led by fellow-Christians, laypeople and clergy, and to an experience of small-scale Christian community of prayer and sacrament. The Cursillo, the three day course, was designed as an introduction to a renewed Christian life as part of frequently meeting small Reunion Groups, and monthly meetings of Groups in the local area, also for prayer, study and action.

In the USA, Cursillo was gifted by the Roman Catholic Church to the Episcopal Church in 1972, in Dallas, Texas. The programme was licensed under copyright to protect it from change or omission and to keep the three day weekend "authentic". Under the same terms it was brought in 1981 to the Dioceses of Bangor in North Wales, and Gloucester in England.

Cursillo was gifted to the Diocese of Edinburgh in 1988 by Bangor, thanks mainly to the initiative of the Revd Timm Engh (who had recently come from North Carolina to Melrose) and Bishop Richard Holloway (who authorised the Movement in the Diocese and took part as a participant). The first weekends were held at the original Whitchester Christian Centre near Duns, and all since Summer 1991 have been held at St Mary's Mission & Renewal Centre at Kinnoull, Perth.

From the Diocese of Edinburgh, Cursillo spread to the Dioceses of Brechin, Glasgow & Galloway, Aberdeen, Argyll & the Isles, and Moray, with each of their bishops participating and authorising the work. Because of the distances involved Cursillo in Scotland was reorganised on a provincial rather than diocesan basis, with a single Secretariat or committee of management. It is led by a Provincial Lay Director and a Provincial Spiritual Director. The Rt Revd Dr Idris Jones, Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway (a previous Provincial Spiritual Director) represents Cursillo in the Scottish College of Bishops.

In 1994 Scotland and Blackburn gifted Cursillo to the Diocese of Carlisle, and leaders from Scotland and England gifted Cursillo to the Tamil-speaking Diocese of Tiruneveli in South India in 1997. Plans have been made to gift Cursillo to the Diocese of Durham in Autumn 2003. Cursillo in Scotland is affiliated to the British Anglican Cursillo Council, as are Cursillos in the majority of English and Welsh dioceses.

From 1988 to 2002, some 700 members of the Scottish Episcopal Church have attended Cursillo weekends. A high proportion of these are active in Reunion Groups and monthly meetings, and take a leadership role in their congregations, local community and workplace.

No membership subscriptions are levied, but current expenses, especially the cost of the residential weekends, are paid for in advance by the voluntary contributions of active members of the local meetings.