SECRETARIAT
NEWSLETTER
April, 2015
Volume 4, Issue 1
Pilgrims
Cursillo #148
1
Important Dates
Team
Cursillo #148
2
Convocfation
Lay Rectors
3
Secretariat Presi-
dent’s Message
Cursillo #148
Responsibilities
3
Stations of the
Cross
Note from Father
Thomas
Secretariat Roster
4
Diocesan Ultreya
Note from
5
Time for Joy
Editor
6
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Special points of
interest:
• Secretariat Roster
• Cursillo #148
• Important Dates
• Letter from Thomas+
Diocese of
Western Louisiana
CURSILLO #148 PILGRIMS
Jenny Wilson, Ascension, Lafayette
Mark Wilson, Ascension, Lafayette
Paula Lieberman, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Keith Jeselink, St. Thomas, Monroe
Sam Kincade, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Misty Belgard, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Beth Saltzman, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Cherie DeHart, St. Paul’s, Abbeville
Celina McCoy, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Scott McCoy, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Rachel David, St. Paul’s, Shreveport
James David, St. Paul’s, Shreveport
David Furr, St. Thomas, Monroe
Denise Rau, Good Shepherd, Lake Charles
Julia Battle, Epiphany, Opelousas
Jarrett Reeves, St. Alban’s, Monroe
Phyllis Ramares, St. Michael’s, Pineville
SECRETARIAT NEWSLETTER
Page 2
MUSIC FEST
January 30, 2016
Location:
Camp Hardtner
CURSILLO
#149
Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2015
Location:
Camp Hardtner
DIOCESAN
ULTREYA
September 5, 2015
Location:
Camp Hardtner
CURSILLO #148
TEAM
Richard Fincher, Lay Rector, St. Thomas, Monroe
Father George Gennuso, Head Spiritual Director, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Susan Wright, Head Cha Cha, St. Paul’s, Shreveport
Ed Ryland, Head Music Director, St. Thomas, Monroe
Mother Dawnell Stodghill, Spiritual Director, St. Thomas, Monroe
Cathie Fincher, St. Thomas, Monroe
Pat Ryland, St. Thomas, Monroe
Pam Childress, St. Michael’s, Pineville
Sandra Edwards, Holy Trinity, Sulphur
Matt Edwards, Holy Trinity, Sulphur
Roger Boynton, St. Paul’s, Abbeville
Alice Sagrera, St. Paul’s, Abbeville
Ellen McAdon, Good Shepherd, Lake Charles
Karen Nash, Christ Memorial, Mansfield
Jerry Nash, Christ Memorial, Mansfield
Quinten Dronet, St. Barnabas, Lafayette
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1
ACADIANA -
Tammy Carpenter
ALEXANDRIA—
Loulie Middleton
LAKE CHARLES—
Debbie Waters [email protected]
And
Anita Luff [email protected]
MONROE—
Mark Snellgrove [email protected]
SHREVEPORT -
Shetwan Roberison [email protected]
From Our Secretariat President
YOUR CONVOCATION LAY RECTORS—
ULTREYA
CURSILLO #148 WEEKEND
Page 3
LAY RECTOR Monroe
AGAPE Monroe
RECEPTION Acadiana
MUSIC/CLEAN UP Shreveport & Alexandria
ALTAR Lake Charles
Lent is a time when I reflect on my fourth day commitments. Am I grouping? Am I involved in some sort of Bible
study? Do I have action in my daily routine? I definitely fall short, but continue to strive to include all the elements of Cursillo
that we learned about. I think of my dear friends I group with often and how we don’t group often enough. I don’t know
about you, but the accountability they bring helps to keep me on track. Life throws us many curves that interfere with our
commitments. I hope and pray you all are active or working on being active in your fourth day.
On another note, Cursillo #148, the best ever, is just around the corner. Get out there and find someone to spon-
sor!! Pray for God to place it on someone’s heart to have an interest in going and that He will lead you to them. I recently had
a co-worker go to a Methodist Cursillo. Her husband was raised Catholic and they both attend a Baptist church now. They
were welcomed and loved and had a wonderful experience. She came back to work on fire and excited! She has now spon-
sored another co-worker and her husband to go. Find that fire you had when you came back from your Cursillo and sponsor
someone! DeColores!
In Christ’s Love,
Ashley
Please feel free to contact your Lay Rector with ques-tions, ideas and/or
concerns. They are elected by your con-
vocations to help and lead you in your
4th day journey.
SECRETARIAT NEWSLETTER
Page 4
Each convocation will walk the Stations of the Cross at their designated churches
on the evening of Thursday, April 9th, which is the same time the
Pilgrims of Cursillo #148 will be experiencing the stations.
A Note from Father Thomas—
CURSILLO SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR Dear Friends,
These first few months since my appointment as the Diocesan Spiritual Director have been marked by evidences of God's grace and goodness to The Cursillo Movement. There is no doubt that small, tight-knit staff of the secretariat has experi-enced a rapid personnel change recently, all as a result of the comings and goings of everyday life. We are grateful for the contribution from those who have left us, especially Mtr. Morgan MacIntire. As I fill her shoes and settle into this new assign-
ment, I intend to work in enhancing what my predecessors had started and that is, making disciples for Christ.
When Cursillo began years ago, our mission has always included "seeing local churches strengthened," and to that end, the fourth day has always been the backbone of this movement. Thanks to those of you who have been faithful to this end. In that regard, we need to adhere to the calling of our Bishop to be a missional church. The Cursillo Movement stands in a better position to spearhead and assist the diocese in achieving this goal. I would like to call upon all of you to join hands
with CVI (Congregation Vitality Institute) and our Bishop as we seek to bring Christ in our neighborhoods.
As your Spiritual Director, I am very intentional on relationship. Without a good working relationship and teamwork, our efforts are likely to achieve nothing. Yes, we have rules and regulations that govern the secretariat, but these are in place to remind us of the importance of our love, relationship and respect for the Christ in us. In other words, before we pull out the rules and regulations to resolve a conflict, which inevitably must occur because we are frail, let us make sure that “we recognize and love the image of Christ in one another”. Having done that, then we will be in a better position to guide one
another in love.
As I join the ranks on the secretariat, I am encouraged by Peter’s prayer that “the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish us” (1Pet.5:10). May the Grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Thomas+
YOUR REPRESENTATIVES—THE SECRETARIAT
Officers and Representatives:
Father Thomas Nsubuga, Spiritual
Director
Ashley Rothermel, President.
Lisa Lewis, Treasurer
Barbara Alexander,
Ex-Officio, Secretary
Melinda Zolzer, Registrar
Curtis Shelton, Cursillo Music Director
Acadiana :Tammy Carpenter
and Daniel LeBoeuf
Monroe :
Mark Snellgrove and Brent Taunton
Lake Charles:
Harris Rowzie and Matt Edwards
Alexandria:
Ashley Rothermel and Rick Harrington
Shreveport:
James Lewis and Curtis Shelton
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 Page 5
DIOCESAN ULTREYA —
SEPTEMBER 5, 2015
Your Secretariat is in the process of planning this event to be
held
September 5, 2015 at Camp Hardtner. More details to follow.
A few thoughts about following Jesus...
One of those great Cursillo songs goes “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turn-ing back.” The song makes the notion of following Jesus seem easy, just up and follow. During Lent, in order to do just that, I have dedicated more time every evening to studying scripture and reading great works of Christianity. I am currently reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Disci-pleship. Bonhoeffer explains what Jesus means when he proclaims any who would follow him must “take up his cross.” We often equate “taking up a cross” to labor, to suffering. What Jesus also means is to accept, without verbal or physical response, humiliation and shame. By taking up a cross, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, open to ridicule and spite, and, despite all of this, to continue to submit to the will of God. We often focus on the pain and suffering of Christ upon the cross; we overlook or ignore the emotional trauma of being made a figure for disdain without cause or even reason.
As a school administrator, I often deal with students who believe all disrespect or insult must be handled with fists. If I am insulted, fighting is the only proper response—even most parents are nonplussed when I point out fighting should be the last option on a school campus. We aren’t wired to be humble, to accept insults, to be disrespected without doing anything beyond asking God to forgive those who trespass against us. As Bonhoeffer argues, The Cost of Discipleship is a conscious choice costing more than we realize.
Take a few moments every day to ask yourself if you are choosing to follow Jesus and are willing to persevere no matter what being on the cross yields. Decolores.
Daniel LeBoeuf
SECRETARIAT NEWSLETTER
Page 6
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the
age.” [Matthew 28:19-20]
As we embark upon this charge, may we always be mindful that through the Cursillo movement within the Diocese of
Western Louisiana, our purpose is to encourage and sustain members of the Church in the fulfillment of their Baptismal
Covenant. This ministry, which is called to build up the Body of Christ, has been entrusted to us by Christ and empowered
and given authority through the Bishop.
The Episcopal Church Women will sponsor their annual spring retreat, a Time for Joy, on April 17-19, 2015 at Camp Hardtner.
The Joy weekend is for women and promises to be fun, relaxing and filled with fellowship along with opportunities that stress the importance of slowing down, enjoying life, and sharing a personal relationship with God.
Time for Joy was conceived by Bishop Hargrove several years ago as a time for young women to be away from the demands of work and family and as a time to renew or revive their relationship with Jesus Christ. Bishop Owensby is an important part of the weekend, and he allocates quality time to the women in attendance.
The central concept of the Time for Joy (Jesus, Others, Yourself) weekend centers on provid-ing young women with a time to get away from the pressures of an overly-busy life. Once at Camp Hardtner, the message of taking time for oneself and making time for a relationship with God is emphasized.
The weekend is joyful and carefree. It is a “stop and smell the roses” type of weekend. Each woman will experience God’s love and healing in different ways.
Applications are sent to each parish in the diocese, with the request that they send one or two women who will benefit from a weekend away to be nurtured and given the message that life is our gift from God and that HE means for us to enjoy it.
For more information please don’t hesitate to email: Sharon George, Chair-man, [email protected] or Paula McLean, Co-chairman, [email protected].
TIME FOR JOY
ECW’S “TIME FOR JOY” WILL BE HELD
APRIL 17-19, 2015
AT CAMP HARDTNER
DIOCESE OF
WESTERN LOUISIANA
Your input is encouraged. Please submit corrections, changes or additions to Barbara Alexander
by e-mail using the address listed below…..
Phone: 337-298-2026 [email protected]
Special Note
The Secretariat Annual
Fundraiser
Music Fest 2015
Cleared almost
$2,000.00!
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