Nearly 40 women take part in the three-day Cursillo formation program last fall at St. John the Baptist, Plymouth. (Photo by Leah Fassbender)
While 80-degree temperatures gave Wisconsin residents a last taste of summer in early October, 39 women spent the weekend inside St. John the Baptist Parish in Plymouth, praying and developing their faith through the three-day Cursillo in Christianity formation program.
At the end, those completing the course joined approximately 200 men and women in southeastern Wisconsin who already belong to this international lay-led Catholic movement.
Cursillo (Kur-see-oh), Spanish for “short course,” was developed in Spain in the 1940s to bring Catholics to a deeper understanding of their faith and a more intimate relationship with Christ. The movement spread to the United States in 1957 and today is active in 63 countries.
After years of dormancy in the Milwaukee archdiocese, the English-language version was revitalized last year under the leadership of Lay Director Matt O’Connor, parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas, Elkhart Lake.
Since then, 64 lay Catholics have completed the program, with the Oct. 3-5 event marking the first English-language women’s weekend held in the archdiocese in more than 20 years.
“We began the program here in Milwaukee as an extension of Green Bay, but I felt God’s call to expand the effort by building our own program,” O’Connor said. “Our organizational vision is to transform thousands of Catholics within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to a deeper, more personal relationship with Jesus.”
O’Connor and a group of 10 leaders, plus Spiritual Director Fr. Tom DeVries, Associate Pastor at Holy Trinity in Newburg, comprise the Milwaukee Archdiocese Secretariat of the national Cursillo program.
“Cursillo was a transformative experience when I did it in New Jersey, and in fact a catalyst to begin my discernment for ordination to the priesthood,” Fr. DeVries said. “I knew first-hand what Cursillo could do in the life of individuals, and I was happy to be part of the effort to bring it back to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.”
More than 20 laypeople, deacons and priests supported the weekend. Nikki Schneider of St. Michael, Kewaskum, served as rector.
“I signed up for my Cursillo weekend reluctantly, after prompting from my husband,” Schneider said. “However, during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, I had an amazing experience feeling God’s love for me personally for the first time. I came out of the experience changed, and I wanted other women to experience this grace too.”
Schneider and her team began planning earlier this year, tapping into the expertise of Green Bay leaders. Planning included formation and content preparation, clergy invitations and lots of prayers “that the Lord would send the women who needed this experience,” she said.
Cursillo includes celebration of the sacraments, talks by clergy and laypeople, discussions and reflection time. “We hosted women from all walks of life, and hundreds of Catholics in the worldwide Cursillo movement prayed for its success.”
At its conclusion, participants shared the impact it had. “As a cradle Catholic, I was going through the motions and lacked understanding of the beauty and depth of the Catholic Church,” said Mary Jo Jetzer, from St. Thomas Aquinas, Elkhart Lake. “The weekend was life changing and a real turning point for me. The Holy Spirit ignited a burning desire in my heart to get to work on building God’s kingdom!”
After the initial weekend, members meet regularly in small groups to share their growing faith and challenge each other to live their faith in their communities and workplaces.
“You are welcomed into a family of people, people who can lift you up when you are dry spiritually,” Schneider said. “I’ve been through other programs, but nothing has helped me deepen my love for the Lord like Cursillo.”
O’Connor shares a similar sentiment. “I knew my Catholic faith intellectually but not in my heart. In small groups, you learn where others see God, maybe someplace you haven’t even considered. It spurs you to say, ‘I want to learn more.’”
“Many of us never learned that the goal was to have a personal relationship with Jesus,” O’Connor said. “I encourage people to bring an open heart.”
The next Cursillo weekends will be held at Schoenstatt Retreat Center in Waukesha. The men’s weekend will be Feb. 26 to March 1, 2026, and the women’s weekend will be March 19-22, 2026.
Learn more at milwcursillo.com or contact Lay Director Matt O’Connor at mattoconnor@milwcursillo.com.
