EAST NEW YORK — Bishop Robert Brennan’s first time celebrating Mass for the local chapter of the Cursillo Movement included an unexpected, joyous moment when Julieta Vázquez surprised her husband, Jose Toribio, by arranging a renewal of their wedding vows.
Bishop Brennan presided as the couple reaffirmed their vows, calling it a powerful moment.
“It was a blessing,” he said. “Marriage vows lived faithfully. It’s not always easy, but working those things out is a great sign, a sign of God’s love, and an encouragement to other people in the parishes and to young people in general.”
The moment happened during the Sept. 21 Mass at St. Michael-St. Malachy Parish.
The Cursillo Movement has shaped Catholic life in Brooklyn and Queens for more than 50 years. Founded in Spain in the 1940s, Cursillo, Spanish for “short course,” brings participants through an intensive weekend retreat designed to deepen their relationship with Christ. Cursillo is a worldwide movement recognized by the Holy See and coordinated internationally by the World Organization of the Cursillo Movement.
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The diocese’s chapter has held more than 700 weekends for men and women over the years, and it continues to grow.
While Bishop Brennan has accompanied the movement during its annual Ultreya, a retreat day held each spring at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, this was his first time celebrating Mass for them.
Afterward, he underscored the importance of the movement’s witness.
“It’s basically about encountering Jesus Christ,” Bishop Brennan told The Tablet. “People stay connected to the groups, they deepen their encounter with Christ, and then they try to encourage others.”
Father Pedro Angucho, who has led the diocesan Cursillo movement for the past year, said the group’s purpose is clear.
“The mission of the movement is to bring Christ very close to people who need Christ — to bring the good news,” said Father Angucho, who is pastor of St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach. “We go to different families, one at a time. We knock on the door and begin to be friends, and then we explain what it means, and we invite them to make the Cursillo.”
Bishop Brennan added that the fruits of Cursillo are evident in its members’ faith.
“When you see the numbers of people who made Cursillos, you see the fruits it’s bearing in their lives,” he said. “They’re out there as leaven, helping others to experience that same love of Jesus.”
