A Note From Father Rob

Twenty-nine years ago, in 1996, my wife Betsy and I went on a three-day spiritual retreat at our diocesan church camp, Camp McDowell. The retreat had a funny name; it was called Cursillo, which means ‘short course’ in Spanish. We weren’t sure what to expect, but many of our church friends encouraged us to go. I took along a novel, in case it turned out to be boring. I never cracked the book open.

Since then, Betsy and I have served on the staffs of numerous Cursillos, as have many of the members of St. James. Cursillo has opened the eyes of thousands of Alabama Episcopalians to a new understanding of faith and their personal relationships with God. For some, it can be a life-altering experience.

I tell you all this because, though we thought we had served on our last Cursillo staff, God had other ideas. This October, Alabama Cursillo will hold its 238th retreat, and Betsy Iler will be the Lay Rector, or leader of our retreat. Also on staff from St. James will be Billy Barrett, Martha Tucker, Mark Tucker and myself. We will serve alongside other staff members from all around the diocese, from Huntsville to Auburn and from Scottsboro to Jasper. We do this because we believe in the program and want to share our own experiences with other Alabama Episcopalians.

If you have never been to a Cursillo retreat but would like to one day do so, this might be your time! The diocese is taking applications right now for the October event, and we would love to have you join us. So, won’t you consider taking a spiritual journey alongside some of your fellow St. James members and others from across the diocese? Applications will be on ‘the table’ in our parish hall this Sunday. I promise you won’t find it boring.

Peace, Rob+