History of Via de Cristo The movement originated as "Cursillo" in the late
1940's in the Spanish Catholic church and moved to the United States in the late
1950's. It began in the Lutheran church when lay people and clergy attended a
Catholic Cursillo in 1971 in Florida and Iowa. The first Lutheran
sponsored weekends were held in 1972 and have now been held
in over 25 states and some foreign countries. Via de Cristo is the Lutheran
expression of this method which is currently being used in many denominations
including: Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian and Reformed churches.
Purpose of Via de Cristo Via de Cristo is based on the fundamentals of Christianity,
concentrating on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. The focus is not on
Via de Cristo itself, but on the local church. The objective of the movement is
to inspire, challenge and equip local church members for Christian action in
their homes, churches and communities.
What Happens on a Via de Cristo Weekend? A Via de Cristo weekend is three days in length, beginning on
Thursday evening and ending the following Sunday evening. The participants live,
study, worship and commune together daily. Fourteen talks are given, nine by lay
people and five by clergy. Following each talk, small round table discussions
focus on the main points of the talk and a poster is done. The talks, in an
overlapping fashion, present the Christian life, based on the person and
teachings of Jesus Christ. The titles of these talks indicate their content:
Ideal, Piety, Study, Sacraments, Action, Obstacles to Grace, Leaders,
Environment, Life in Grace, Christian Community, and Total Security. Via de
Cristo gives those attending a living understanding of basic Christian truths.
There is music and singing, food and fellowship, a time for laughter and for
prayer.
What Happens after the weekend? You may attend Via de Cristo only ONCE in your life, but you
are asked to build on it for the rest of your life. After you have attended a
Via de Cristo weekend you are considered a Fourth Dayer (meaning the rest of
your life), and you are encouraged to 1) Expand your inner spiritual life
through study and church participation, 2) Become more active witnesses for
Christ in your daily life. Via de Cristo also offers two ongoing means of
perseverance: 1) Renewal Groups, small groups of men or women who meet regularly
to study, pray, share and help one another in their quest for spiritual
development, 2) Ultreya, gatherings of the local church Via de Cristo community
for encouragement and fellowship.
Who Should Attend a Via de Cristo Weekend? Via de Cristo is intended for lay people from every walk of
life, for pastors, for people who live strong and active lives in Christ, and
also for those who seek to be renewed and strengthened in their relationship
with Christ and the people around them. Via de Cristo weekends are usually
paired, with men attending the first weekend, and women attending the second
weekend. Via de Cristo is open to married couples, and single men and women. In
Minnesota, members of a congregation may attend a Via de Cristo weekend after
their pastor, accompanied by one or two lay people, has attended a weekend.
Summary Keep an open mind and heart in making your decision to attend
Via de Cristo. Many of those who have attended also wondered whether they should
go. Now that they have attended, they want to share this wonderful gift from
God. Please understand that their experience attending Via de Cristo was unique,
and all the conversations in the world will not become a substitute for your
weekend. You need to experience a weekend yourself to obtain it's full and life
enriching value.