"Cursillo" originated in the 1940s on the Spanish island of Majorca
as a method of reviving Christian commitment. It was called Cursillo
de Christiandad. In Spanish, "Cursillo" means "short course". So, it
was a short course in Christianity.
It was established by the Roman Catholic tradition and spread rapidly to
the rest of Spain, other European countries, South America and, in the
1960s, to the United States. Today, Cursillo is active worldwide, has
spread to many Christian denominations, and is known by many names.
The first Minnesota Cursillo was held in 1972. Initially an Episcopal
movement in this state, Cursillo in Minnesota is now active in the Episcopal,
Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and ecumenical communities.
One ecumenical Cursillo, United Cursillo, held its first
weekend in May of 1981. In June of 1997, the name was changed to Unidos
en Cristo (United in Christ).
And, so, Unidos en Cristo remains alive and active today.
While there are subtle differences in the weekend formats of the various
cursillo movements, most follow quite closely to the orginal format because
it is effective at helping people understand and experience God's
grace in a tangible and transforming way.