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On May 9, a wonderful group of women got together at Thomas Berry Place for Moments With God.  The morning program started with a prayer and a beautiful song called, “Keep Me In The Moment,” by Jeremy Camp. If you get a chance, I would recommend listening to it. 

Lisa Brogan followed the song with a talk on “What It Means to be Holy.” She asked us to write the names of three people who we thought were holy. She then asked how many of us wrote our own names. I don’t think anyone did! I know I didn’t. Lisa reminded us that through our baptism, we are all holy. Why do we see others as holy and not ourselves? It may be because we think we need to be perfect to be holy. That’s so far from the truth.

There are so moments during the day that we can call Holy Moments. Because of Lisa’s presentation, I was reminded that I come in contact with so many Holy Moments during the day. It just happened to me recently. I was holding my one year old grandson until he was relaxed enough to fall asleep.  As I held him in my arms, he looked at me with that sleepy smile and I thought, “THIS is a Holy Moment.” Thank you Lisa for reminding me of that.

Any moment can be a Holy Moment. All we have to do is stay connected to God. We need to make ourselves available to God, set aside our self interest and do what He is calling us to do.

Don’t let the devil keep you from believing you are holy. Watch for holy moments throughout your day.

After Lisa’s presentation, Theresa McHugh talked about praying with the Saints. She presented us with three saints and each saint’s favorite prayer. We learned more about St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Theresa of Avila. Theresa asked us to choose a prayer that spoke to us and pray with it. It was a wonderful experience. We were all grateful to be introduced to these three special saints.

Here are some of the comments from the women present:

“It was like a vitamin shot.”

“We never feel holy about ourselves, now I do.”

“This talk reinforced that beautiful people trying to get closer to God.”

“Its such a crazy world. Coming to Moments is a safe place. I can exhale. I didn’t know how much I needed it.”

“I have been feeling distant. This is the medicine I needed.”

NEXT MOMENTS WITH GOD WILL BE HELD AT STS. PETER AND PAUL IN MANORVILLE ON JUNE 20.

THE NEXT MOMENTS AT ST. BRIGID’S CHURCH IN WESTBURY WILL BE JULY 11.

 

NEW LIFE

I love all the seasons. Each one has a special meaning to me. Each spring I think of New Life.

When I was pregnant with our son, our fourth child, Sister Eileen Taylor would touch my pregnant

belly and say “New Life”. As I rode in the car taking Michael home from the hospital having this new

life in the back seat and seeing the buds forming on the trees, I could only think of New Life.

New life is a miracle in the birth of a child. It is also a wonder when we see new life forming on the

trees. So much growth happens underground during the wintertime. I feel like that is what happens

to me in the wintertime. So much is happening underneath the surface. Because of the cold

weather, I am in the house more and I use that time to pray and study scripture. Its an opportunity to

strengthen my friendship with Jesus. It’s a time to just sit and listen to the voice of God. It all adds up

to spiritual growth. Its all happening on the inside. When spring comes along, that growth shows in

my outward appearance. I feel more energized spiritually. I am more open to prayer opportunities. I

feel more connected to my God.

Jesus gives us new life when He calls us to follow Him. Jesus gives us opportunities to follow Him, to

be more Christlike. How do we do that? By studying scripture, by making prayer time a priority, by

taking part in Mass and receiving the Eucharist.

Don’t let your spiritual life become stagnant, find ways to give it New Life!

 

Our annual Cursillo Raffle Drawing was held at our Ultreya Gathering at Our Lady of Victory Parish Centre in Floral Park, NY, on June 2, 2026. Our Fourth Day speaker, Darcy Romano, pulled the winning tickets (and thanks to Nancy Massaro for giving us the beautiful brass raffle ticket drum). The winners were Dona Calia ($2,500.00), Debbie Nolan ($200.00) & Chris Healy ($100.00). Congratulations to our winners!
At the start of the day, we had over twenty left to sell. But all tickets were sold right before the drawing thanks to the supportive group that attended the Ultreya Gathering that night. This could not have been accomplished without the amazing work of Rich Grillo. Rich is the best promoter to the Cursillo Community, and his love and dedication to Cursillo is a gift to all of us. And he makes it so fun that you can’t help but want to be involved!
WE THANK ALL OF OUR CURSILLO COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTED THE RAFFLE! The money raised supports all we do (and plan to do) to keep Cursillo alive and thriving!

Lately, I find myself reflecting on my life and how it has changed. I’d be remiss if I did not acknowledge the role relationships have contributed to the ways in which my life has changed. Unfortunately, sometimes the busyness of life pulls me away from relishing the truth that the people God has placed around me are a blessing.
The Holy Trinity reminds me of this blessing. In the Trinity we see that love is not something God simply gives or feels; love is who God is. In self-giving and undeniable fellowship, the Holy Trinity exists and I am made in that image. You are made in that image. It humbles me to realize that if I’m made in God’s image, then I’m not designed to drift through life disconnected. I’m invited to receive love and practice it, the way the Trinity models it.
The invitation to receive and practice love comes in everyday relationships beginning with parents. The ones we’re still learning from, enjoying in new ways, or the ones we’re grieving.
Then there are siblings or cousins, aunts, uncles and other people with whom I have a shared history and experiences.
Marriage comes to mind too. Spousal relationships are more than shared routines because they serve as a daily invitation to reflect Christ through patience, presence, and faithfulness.
I am also reminded of our children and grandchildren. In stories told at the table, prayers whispered at bedtime, and simple moments shared across generations, legacy is being formed.
As I touch on these relationships, I realize that God has been working on me through them. Honoring my parents, son, and wider family has looked different in different seasons for me. There are moments when gratitude comes easily, and moments when it takes prayer to honor them with healthy boundaries, truthful conversations, and a soft heart. In prayer, I’ve learned that these relationships are imperfect and sometimes messy but always grace-filled and deeply rooted in love.
wo other kinds of relationships fill my life in undeniable ways: those with my chosen family (or friends) and those of my faith community. True friendship has reminded me of grace: it is steady, present, and willing to stay. It also challenged me with a hard question: am I offering the same kind of faithfulness that I’m grateful to receive?
And in my faith community, when I finally let a few trusted people in, I experienced something holy in the prayers that carried me, wisdom that steadied me, and the shared love for a God that doesn’t expect me to have it all together.
Perhaps because we are still celebrating Easter, I can’t help but reflect on the Apostles as they showed us what community looks like under pressure, grief, and in hope. This group of people, chosen by Jesus to learn, grow, love, and serve together, highlights what happens when we look both to and for God in our relationships. We need only look to the Bible to see the nature of the realness of what they shared. They misunderstood each other, they argued or clashed, they wrestled with fear and uncertainty. Yet they also show their dedication to not only Jesus but one another. I imagine in the years they spent together, there was a great exchange of forgiveness, patience, support, guidance, understanding and love. That is what moves me so much about them. The Apostles weren’t held together by perfect or effortless relationships; they were held together by Jesus.
In many ways, that’s what I have found in my Cursillo group: a faith community where we keep showing up, praying for one another, telling the truth, and being reminded (as many times as we need it) that God carries us, sustains us, and equips us for what is to come. Like the Apostles, we learn to walk together not because we have it all figured out, but because Christ is still forming us in love.
I invite you to pause and reflect on the ways in which God is inviting you deeper with Him. What relationships in your life require nurturing, attention and gratitude? In what ways are the relationships you have found in the Cursillo community reflecting God back to you?
My prayer is that we won’t rush past the people God is using to shape us. May we love with intention and remember we are not doing this alone. The same Jesus who held the Apostles together still holds us, too. May He continue to deepen your friendships, strengthen your family bonds, and renew your faith community so that your life continues to echo the Cursillo banner: De Colores.

May’s Ultreya Gathering at Our Lady of Victory Parish Center in Floral Park, NY, was highlighted by the Men’s Reunions: 6-Month for Men’s Cursillo #239 and 1-Year for Men’s Cursillo #238. Our guest speaker was Kevin Shanahan, who was part of both weekends. Kevin made his Cursillo a year ago and then was an Angel  on the next one. Kevin shared his life before Cursillo and, then, how it changed post Cursillo. Sharing challenging as well as tender moments gave the  Cursillistas much to think about as they shared in their groups. Hosting about 40 people in attendance, it was a beautiful and    spiritual evening. Thank you to those who attend these special evenings. Please consider joining us on the first Tuesday of the month (except in July and August) if you    haven’t yet had the Ultreya experience. It gives you a boost of what we experienced on our weekends. The comradery alone is amazing. DeColores!

 

Whether you’re just returning from your honeymoon, or have been married for fifty years, every couple wants their marriage to be a happy one. Luckily the Married Couples Retreat Weekend is all about happy marriages.
The weekend is filled with many wonderful moments. Team couples share about their successes and struggles from their own marriages through talks that are interesting, informative, and often very funny. Some suggestions from a variety of books on healthy marriage as well as scripture are offered throughout the weekend. There is private time to reflect with your spouse and time to share with other couples. There is even time to spend on the altar, just you, your spouse and God.
Our favorite time of the weekend is at mass when, along with all the other couples, we renew our wedding vows. This brings us closer and reminds us that we are living the sacrament of marriage. We come home from each retreat with a few more skills on how to communicate better, show our love more readily, and share more joy in knowing that not only did we choose each other, but God choose us for each other.
Come join us on a weekend to celebrate and share in the adventure of marriage. All married couples are welcome.

 

I kind of miss Lent.
Yes, that is an unusual way to begin a reflection on the Easter season, but I will explain why.
Lent is a time for penance. We are preparing ourselves for what is to come. An oversimplified description of Lent is to say we pray more, we receive the Sacraments, we eat less and we do good works for others. When you think of it, that really isn’t that difficult. We follow certain tasks and we are done. We know what is expected of us.
But Easter is a different story. After enduring a painful, awful, terrible agonizing death on the cross, Jesus rises from the dead. He is Risen! He conquers death and offers everlasting life. We are told that He died for US, his people. Once again, we can be comfortable with that.
The difficulty is believing that “Christ died for ME.” It’s that ME part that’s hard. Often, we doubt we are worthy of that love. I remember my first experience with that idea; I was on my high school Christian Awakening. I struggled and fought the entire weekend that if people knew who I really was they would know Christ could not love me. It took me awhile to believe I was lovable, and to this day I sometimes forget.
I have seen the same thoughts and doubts on every Cursillo weekend I have worked on over the years, starting with the college age program in the 1970s up to today on the Men’s Cursillo. I am sure they are just as evident on Women’s Cursillo. The idea that God loves us just the way we are, that Jesus died for me the individual. That is the difficult aspect of the Easter season. But if we allow ourselves to let God love us and be present in our daily lives, it can be something wonderful. To have someone on our side, someone we can lean on when we need to. A sense of belonging. If I accept God’s love for ME, that opens my world to the love of others.
It is as if we have our own personal resurrection. If we die to the darkness of the self-doubt of our specialness and worth and come into the light of God’s love and forgiveness, then we can have a life of hope and love and we can share God’s love with the people we encounter.
People who know me always hear me talking about service to others. That’s the message Jesus shared with his apostles before he ascended into heaven.
Can we accept that role now and see God in the people around us? Can we be open to what they need and try to help?
We say Amen to end prayers or petitions or blessings. The Oxford language defines the meaning of Amen as “So Be It.” The Hebrew bible defines it as agreement, certainty and faithfulness. At Mass on the Men’s Cursillo as we are offered the Body of Christ, we are challenged to not just say Amen but more deeply say, “I Believe.” For me I am saying that Jesus died for me, that Jesus loves me, that Jesus asks me to love and serve those in my life, whether it is easy or difficult, and that He will come again. This Easter season you have the same opportunity to say, “I Believe.”
So Be It.

With March recognized as Women’s History Month, our theme felt especially fitting and it definitely sparked some great conversation.
We were so blessed to have Darlene McGovern (Women’s Cursillo Spiritual and Moments with God team member) guide the morning with a powerful reflection on women of the Old Testament. With warmth and clarity, she drew us into the stories of Naomi, Ruth, and Hannah, all women whose loyalty and courage shone brightest in seasons of hardship and uncertainty. Darlene also spoke candidly about her own trials and how faith carried her through, giving witness to God at work in her life in all ways, at different times.
Reflecting on the journey of these women, including that of Darlene’s, small groups of women totaling 32, vibrantly discussed their own faith testimonies as they shared pieces of their journeys in the questions, the breakthroughs, and the quiet ways God has met them along the road. Within our small group discussion, I shared how like Hannah, I offered God my son and in doing so, opened myself to the ways in which God works through my son and the experience of my motherhood to draw me closer to Him as I navigated difficult questions and trials.
As the morning continued, we moved into our prayer experience portion of Moments with God. Our streak is still holding strong. Two years in and we have yet to repeat a prayer experience. Yay team!

This time around it was my turn to share a form of prayer. I focused on praying with music. In doing so, we took time listening to different kinds of music and then reflected on God’s message for us in each. We explored a hymn, instrumental music, Gregorian chanting, a contemporary Christian song, secular music and the joyfulness of worship and praise music. At some point, some of us got up and praised God as we sang and danced together.

By the end of the morning, the room felt lighter and charged with energy, enthusiasm, and the kind of encouragement that stays with you. It was a gathering where women celebrated and honored one another for who and where we are in our journeys with God. The room was grace-filled, and it was inspiring to be a witness to the Spirit’s presence in each of us during this time.

For those who do not know, our Moments with God team members are Chris Anest, Jo Anne Ayers, Lisa Brogan, Darlene McGovern, Theresa McHugh, Norma Scally, and Angie-Lee Vazquez. On a personal note, thank you, ladies, for your devotion to these mornings and to the rich ways in which you contribute to my faith journey. And a special thank you to Judi Kowalycz for her generosity in securing St. Anthony’s Hall, truly she is our “hostess with the mostess!”

If you were unable to join us in March, no worries! Our next Moments with God is scheduled for May 9, 2026 at the Thomas Berry Retreat House in Jamaica Estates, Queens. Hope to see you there!

 

             “Sometimes I think I just don’t know how to pray!” As a spiritual director, as an OCIA leader in my parish, and as an active participant and mentor in Alcoholics  Anonymous, I hear some version of this concern quite frequently. We all, it seems, struggle with prayer from time to time, dependent upon our life circumstances, our spiritual condition at the moment, or just the poking out of our human defects and sinfulness. We cycle through it. Hopefully, with help, we find a way forward. It is all part of the journey of faith.

But I am focused today on the HOW of my prayer. Not so much the nuts and bolts of different kinds of prayer, but more how to know which kind is appropriate in THIS moment. “Knowing how” sounds like a head exercise; but I need to drop it down to my heart. That’s where my truest communication with God happens. So how do I get there?

Opportunities for prayer are seemingly endless. We pray whenever we put ourselves in mind of God, raise our hearts and minds to Him, settle into an awareness of His presence. But when do I say an Our Father or a Hail Mary to connect my heart to His?  When does the familiarity of a rosary or Stations of the Cross serve me best? When do I go to Mass to be nourished by the Eucharist as part of my prayer, and gain strength from the community? When do I grab my Cursillo cross and, remembering the power of my chapel visits, reach with my whole heart for Christ crucified? When do I sit with him on my sofa and just chat? When do I quiet myself into meditation, allow myself to be guided there, or reach for silence? When do I sink into contemplation with no intention whatsoever? 

If you’re waiting for an answer I hate to disappoint you. I can only share my own  experience, which is that this choice is not one I can make in my head. All I can do is open myself to consciousness, and let God lead the way. If I am praying one way and my gut is saying “sometimes I think I don’t know how to pray,” maybe God is inviting me to something new. Look around. Breathe deeply. Follow any inspiration that strikes you. God is in all of it, and He will guide you where you need to go. The key is willingness – willingness to encounter Him in the moment, in the way you are being called, maybe even in a way that seems uncomfortable. If you know God is in the invitation, are you willing to say yes?

Prayer is one of the pillars of our Lenten practices. It is an opportunity to listen more closely for the prompting of the Spirit, and perhaps to stretch outside our comfort zones and experience prayer in new ways. But at its heart, prayer is simply a moment spent with God, feeling His embrace and letting Him carry us into deeper relationship with Him.  There’s no right or wrong, no need to figure it out in our heads. When I accept the grace He bestows, I have solved the puzzle of knowing how to pray. 

 

On February 28th the men and women of the Cursillo community came together for our Lenten Prayer Service at St. Anthony’s Hall of St. Bridgets Parish in Westbury, N.Y. Our theme this year was “Prepare Your Heart.” Lent is a time for pondering. It’s a time to turn inward a bit and examine yourself. It’s a season of contemplation, confession, repentance and spiritual growth.
We began with a continental breakfast and fellowship. Theresa McHugh did a wonderful job with all the videos and technical material. Our morning started with an opening prayer led by Ed Ayers, who also did the closing prayer.
Joanne Lauro, guided us through our program. She familiarized us with some of the timeless spiritual practices and the importance of saying “yes” to the opportunity to renew our relationship with God and prepare ourselves for the celebration of Holy Week.
Our first speaker was Judi Kowalczyk who spoke about the Ignatian Examen, an examination of conscience, which during Lent can have a meaningful experience of repentance and gratitude. She led us through it step by step and we had the opportunity to contemplate it in silence for ourselves.
I opened with a beautiful poem entitled, “The Harvest of God” by Macrina Wiederkeher, (that can be found on Page 4 of this newsletter for your enjoyment). I shared about being called by God to something more during Lent, suggesting fasting from some of our negative daily habits that can create more time for God and prayer. I posed the question: What habits in my life take up too much time by distracting me, numbing me, or keeping me from the things that matter most?
Pearce McDonnell asked us what our prayer life looked like during Lent and shared some touching stories about his life experiences extending mercy to others that led to his spiritual awakening and transformation. He reminded us that Christ has no hands but ours.
Theresa McHugh shared a moment by moment reflection with us on accompanying Jesus to the Cross, entitled “Walk with Me” asking us to walk with Jesus in His suffering during Holy Week, and asked us, “Do we look away from suffering or are we under the cross?”
There was much lively discussion and sharing from all who attended.