Cursillo – The Via Fidelis & Catechesis

by | May 23, 2026 | Catechesis

De Colores!

“Our Hearts Are Restless Until They Rest In You”

— Saint Augustine, Confessions (Book 1, Chapter 1)

Following Christ

Today, as I write this on Memorial Day Weekend — a day that we honor the ultimate sacrifice of so many who have gone before us — it is also the last day of the Easter season. Tomorrow we celebrate the great Feast of Pentecost. Come, Holy Spirit! This morning’s Mass readings draw our attention to the earthly end of the two great Apostles, Peter and Paul. In Acts, Paul is in Rome awaiting trial. In the closing scene of John’s Gospel, Peter stands on the seashore with the risen Jesus. Yesterday, Jesus had asked Peter three times if he loved Him and, each time, entrusted him with a mission: “Feed My lambs,” “Tend My sheep,” and “Feed My sheep.” Jesus also foretold the death Peter would suffer for His sake. Then, today, when Peter turned his attention to John, Jesus told him not to worry about what would happen to another, but simply this: “You follow Me.”

Like Peter and the other Apostles, we too are called to follow Christ. This reflection is the first in what will become a series on the Cursillo Movement and on our Lord’s invitation: “Follow Me.”

Via Fidelis and Catechesis

Bishop Jacques has invited us to join him on a five-year spiritual pilgrimage: Via Fidelis, “the Way of Faith.” Some of you may already be participating in this journey in your parish; others may be hearing about it for the first time. This year’s focus is Catechesis, which raises an important question for us as Cursillistas: What does that call mean for us?

Catechesis is the Church’s essential work of religious formation: the instruction of children, converts, and adults in Christian doctrine and faith. Derived from Greek roots meaning “to echo down” or “to instruct by word of mouth,” catechesis is the systematic handing on of the faith so that believers may grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Catechism

I grew up with the Baltimore Catechism. My early years in Catholic grade school in New Jersey were pre–Vatican II, and I still remember its question-and-answer format and its initial, memorable focus on God and our purpose in life. One version of the Catechism begins:

  1. Who made us? God made us.
  2. Who is God? God is the Supreme Being, infinitely perfect, who made all things and keeps them in existence.
  3. Why did God make us? God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven.
  4. What must we do to gain the happiness of heaven? To gain the happiness of heaven, we must know, love, and serve God in this world.
  5. From whom do we learn to know, love, and serve God? We learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the Catholic Church.

Let’s focus on the three essential “musts”: knowing, loving, and serving God in this world. For Cursillistas, this should sound familiar. It mirrors the three-legged stool of our friendship with God: Piety (loving), Study (knowing), and Apostolic Action (serving). David McCullough is often credited with saying, “You can’t love what you don’t know.” Applied to our faith, our movement, and to Catechesis, the point is clear: we must learn our faith more deeply, grow in love of God and neighbor, and let that love lead us to action. When knowledge deepens love, love naturally bears fruit in service, evangelization, and the work of leading others to Christ.

With that in mind, it may be helpful to look more closely at the background of Via Fidelis and how it relates to Cursillo.

Background and Connection to Cursillo

Diocese of Charleston: Via Fidelis (The Way of Faith)

The Via Fidelis journey is a five-year diocesan initiative introduced by Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune at Easter in 2025. Bishop Jacques explained:

“Each of us must be committed to learn more deeply what we believe as followers of the Lord Jesus and as members of His Church. It is through growing in knowledge that we can deepen our love and pursuit of God’s will in our lives. As a remedy to the hurt in our world and as an opportunity for us to draw closer and walk with the Lord Jesus, we recommit ourselves to the Lord Jesus and will make a five-year Via Fidelis together.”

  • Year 1 (2025): Proclaim the Faith — Evangelization
  • Year 2 (2026): Understand the Faith — Catechesis
  • Year 3 (2027): Celebrate the Faith — Sacraments
  • Year 4 (2028): Serve the Faith — Service
  • Year 5 (2029): Share the Faith — Mission

Cursillo

Our movement, Cursillo de Cristiandad (“short course in Christianity”), begins with a mountaintop experience centered on three encounters: with self, with Christ, and with others. It is deeply catechetical, offering a solid foundation in Catholic doctrine, the sacraments, and Sacred Scripture, while also fostering personal conversion, apostolic commitment, and ongoing growth in Christian community through group reunions, Ultreya, and the School of Leaders. Its purpose is to help us live our Christian vocation fully and to strengthen us to share our faith in daily life so that others may come to Christ.

So what is the connection between Via Fidelis, Cursillo, and this year’s emphasis on catechesis? At heart, each calls us to know Christ more deeply, love Him more fully, and serve Him more faithfully.

What’s Next?

To begin exploring this year’s focus, here are a few resources — with more to come in the reflections ahead:

De Colores!

— Dennis Mahoney, Diocese of Charleston