Grouping School of Leaders January 9, 2016 at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cullman, AL 1 Diocese Of Birmingham Alabama

Leader’s Prayer †Lord grant that we may understand the necessity for depth in our Movement, rather than surface glory. Convince us of the truth that colorful programs do not constitute success. †My God, give us a spirit of self sacrifice so that we may offer everything for Your cause: our time, our abilities, our health and even our lives if necessary. Instill in us courage in our initiatives, good judgment in our choice of the right means, and that determination, which in spite of failures, assures victory. †Move away from us the tiny rivalries, sensitivities, discourtesies, pride, everything which distracts from You, everything which divides or discourages. 2

Leader’s Prayer con’t †Help us to maintain at a high level, a meaningful supernatural and mutual charity among ourselves, so that each one will seek by preference, the most humble task and will rejoice at the good performed by others, so that all our spirits, united in a common purpose, will have one single spirit, Yours Jesus, and that this spirit may let us see Your attractive goodness marked in all our faces, Your warm accents in all our words, and in our lives something superior to the world, something that proclaims Your Living Presence among us. Amen †Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron of the Americas, Pray for Us. †St. Paul, Patron of the Cursillo, Pray for Us. 3

SOL Agenda †Leader’s Prayer †Welcome and Introductions †Leader’s Group Reunion †Doctrinal Talk: Deacon Tim Vaughn – Year of Mercy †Technique Talk: Sally Smith - Energizing Your Fourth Day †Work of the Sections †Announcements †Closing Prayer †Chapel Visit (optional, but encouraged) 4

Introductions †Welcome New Babe Chicks from Men’s Team 133 †Welcome New Babe Chicks from Women’s Team 132 †Introduce New and ongoing Secretariat Members New: Sabine Wlodarski – Pre-Cursillo Chair Wayne Sovocool – Cursillo Chair Sarah Reese – Post Cursillo Chair Ongoing Members: Mark Bonucchi, Bill Dresher, Miguel Rodrigues, Sally Smith Lay Director, Treasurer, Secretary, SoL Chair 5

Leaders’ Group Reunion 6 Count off for Grouping and discuss (15 minutes)… - Share an opportunity for Apostolic Action (Evangelization) that you had during the Christmas holidays - Share your “Closest Moment to Jesus”

Doctrinal Talk – The Year of Mercy Deacon Tim Vaughn

Means to Energize Our Fourth Day Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? …… I will form a committee to help me with SOL …… I will attend my monthly Ultreya...…. I will pray to God and ask Him with whom I should “make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ.” ……. I will pray to God and ask Him if I should sponsor a candidate for a Cursillo Weekend ……. I will attend at least 4 School of Leaders meetings Do you realize that Group Reunion, Ultreya and School of Leaders meetings are part of the “Cursillo 4 th Day process”? 8

Means to Energize Our Fourth Day †The message presented during the Cursillo Weekend, was to live out our Fourth Day helping others live their lives with conviction, decision, and constancy. †Conviction (piety) – in directing our whole life to God, we establish an intimate relationship with Him, an open and personal friendship. †Decision (study) – putting our minds at the service of the truth or applying our minds to learn the truth. In essence, it is the process of learning to love and respond in faith to reach our potential as persons; fully human and fully Christian. Only by fulfilling our potential can we begin to understand God’s love for us, and begin to live in that love. 9

Means to Energize Our Fourth Day †Constancy (action) – is the perfection of piety, dedicating our very lives to God by aligning our will to His will, and then doing what we have been asked to do. †Action is responding to the command of Jesus written in John 13: Simply stated, Action is exercising the power to love just as Jesus has loved us. †Cursillo provides us with a method through which we learn to live the Gospel in the everyday circumstances of our lives. It is a roadmap for our lives as Christians – to live the Gospel as laity 10

Means to Energize Our Fourth Day †The beauty of the Cursillo Movement is that God sends us companions to journey with us, people whose paths would never have crossed ours had it not been for Cursillo, and yet they become so important to our journey that we wonder how we would make it without them. †Three enemies to keep from energizing your 4thDay 1. Ego (pride) 2. Laziness (lack of effort) 3. Conformity (accepting status quo) 11

Means to Energize Our Fourth Day †In conclusion, I leave you with a quote from Eduardo Bonnín. † Eduardo’s quote echoes the words of Mother Teresa after she visited Madrid. Mother Teresa shared with Eduardo, ”What a shame that in such a beautiful city people die without knowing that God loves them.” †to which Eduardo responded, ”Yes, it is a shame, but it is even worse when people LIVE without knowing that God loves them!” †Our job is to bring the Good News that God loves them. Source 1: Presented by Walter Benavides at the National Cursillo Encounter held at Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA – July 25, 2015 Source 2: LIVING OUR FOURTH DAY WITH CONVICTION, DECISION, AND CONSTANCY - National Cursillo Center Mailing – June

Work of the Sections – 30 minutes †“Work of the Sections” is the part of the SoL meeting when we discuss to identify, design, and help implement solutions to any issues within the three Cursillo sections--PreCursillo, Cursillo and PostCursillo “State of the Union” - Financial Report – Bill Dresher Ways to Increase Financial Stability Discussion – Mark Bonucchi Discussion of Revised Clausura – Wayne Sovocool (Time permitting) 13

SoL 2016 Schedule – 1 st Quarter 14 DateSoL Meeting LocationComment January 9Combined SOL at Sacred Heart in Cullman February 13Satellite – Birmingham Area Women’s Team # 134 Meeting after SOL February 20Satellite – Huntsville Area March 12Matthew Kelly speaking at Prince of Peace (Ticket - $38.00) Not a Cursillo Function March 19Satellite – Birmingham Area March 19Satellite – Huntsville Area Women’s Team # 134 Meeting after SOL April 9Combined SOL at Sacred Heart in Cullman Starts Second Quarter

Announcements †February 10 - Ash Wednesday †February 29 – Extra Day - Leap Year †March 27 – Easter (Alleluia !!) †April 14 – 17 - Women’s Cursillo Weekend # 134 – Make a friend and pray to sponsor a candidate – Do palanca (prayers and sacrifices) – Come to Clausura - Sunday, April 17 †April Next Regional Encounter - Jacksonville, FL †August 4 – 7 – Date reserved for a Cursillo Weekend 15 Go to for details

Closing Prayer †Dear Lord, we must have fraternal charity, or we can accomplish nothing for you. †In loving you, help us to have a genuine concern for one another, a generosity in sharing one another’s burdens, a gallantry in defending the reputation of our group, a sincere sympathy in sharing one another’s suffering and sorrows, and a joy in sharing their spiritual growth. †By this shall all men know that we are your Apostles. Amen. †[ OPTIONAL : Go to Church for Prayer and Go out to Lunch ] 16