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Cursillo Movement > World expansion > in Asia-Pacific

carte d'Asie-Pacifique

 

 

The Cursillo Movement in Asia-Pacific

The Cursillo Movement has been introduced in Asia in 1963.

In 1990, the "Asia/Pacific Group" was knowned as the CM 4th International Group.(*)
At the height of the group there were 14 active member countries. At present there are nine official members in APG: Australia, CNMI (Saipan), Guam, Korea, Military Ctr. Japan, Oceania Korea, Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam in Diaspora. Philippine Cursillistas who reside in the USA (Region XI) are also a part of this group. Hawaii has joined the USA APG.

Highlights

    Philippines In 1963 the USA brought the Cursillo Movement to the PHILIPPINES and it was Filipino Cursillistas who played a very significant role in the spread of the movement into countries throughout the Pacific.

    Australia WALES, AUSTRALIA. Several Spanish speaking migrants who had been involved in the Cursillo Movement before migrating to Australia, conducted weekends for men and women in 1963 and 1964. However the USA provided a small team who were joined by Spanish Cursillistas who could speak English to conduct the first English speaking weekend in 1965. In 1993 leaders from Korea came to Sydney, Australia to conduct Korean speaking men’s and women’s 3 days,

    Sri Lanka The USA also brought Cursillo to SRI LANKA in 1964.

    Hawaii The CM in HAWAII began in 1965 when a few men were sent, with approval of the Bishop, to California to make a Cursillo. These were the people who brought Cursillo to Hawaii.

    Vietnam In 1965 Cursillo was introduced into VIETNAM by a group of Filipino Cursillistas who served in the allied forces in South Vietnam. The first few Cursillos’ were given in English to the Vietnamese government officials and military personnel in Saigon and the movement quickly spread throughout South Vietnam until 1975 when the communists took over South Vietnam. Since 1975 many Cursillistas were amongst the refugees who settled in different countries throughout the world. Vietnam in Diaspora established a Cursillo Movement in Canada 1977, America 1981, Australia 1992, and France 1993. Vietnam in the Diaspora was granted official membership of the Asia Pacific Group in 1992.

    Korea In 1967 the CM was introduced into KOREA by Filipino Cursillistas. 14 of them flew to Seoul in May, and conducted the first weekend in English. Within 3 years CM had spread out across the country.

    Taiwan 1968 the first weekends were held in TAIWAN and were introduced by a team of Filipino Cursillistas. Cursllistas from Taiwan have taken Chinese speaking Cursillo to the United States and weekends have been conducted in Los Angeles amd San Francisco.

    Japan 1968 the first Cursillo weekends were held in JAPAN, with a team from the USA. This was the first Cursillo in the world given through interpreters because neither the priest nor the team knew Japanese.

    Thailand Cursillo weekends were also held in THAILAND
    Guam and on GUAM for the first time in 1968.

    The Cursillo Movement began in 1970 in HONG KONG, with a Cursillo in English, the second in Spanish and one in Chinese. Now they are all in Chinese.

    Singapore The movement was established in SINGAPORE in 1971 and in 1988 a team of Cursillistas from Australia traveled to Singapore in an effort to re-establish the movement, however there were many difficulties and little is known of what has happened to the Singapore movement at this time.

    Northern Mariana Island - Saipan - CNMI A group from Guam visited Saipan to explore the possibility of extending the movement in the CNMI (Commonwealth of the NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS). SAIPAN sent 4 men and 4 women to Guam to attend a Cursillo weekend in October 1992. The first Cursillo weekends were held in Saipan in 1993.

    India INDIA has been a member of AP Group, but contact has been lost and no details regarding history are available

    American Samoa In 2009, a team from Australia came to AMERICAN SAMOA to conduct the first two Cursillo for Men (24th-27th Sep 2009) and Women (29th Sep-2nd Oct 2009).

    Overview of the current situation (to be completed)
    COUNTRIES
    # of
    dioceses
    First
    Cursillo
    # of
    Cursillos
    # of
    cursillistas
    Australia 31 1963 990 17,222
    Korea 14 1967 1,449 62,354
    Guam ? 1968 ? ?
    Hawaii 3 1965 ? ?
    Hong Kong (China) ? 1970 ? ?
    India ? ? ? ?
    Japan ? 1968 ? ?
    Macau (China) ? ? ? ?
    Polynesia Fr. 2 1995 ? ?
    Philippines 72 1963 700 140,000
    Saipan ? 1993 ? ?
    Samoa 1 2009 2 ?
    Singapore 1 1971 55 953
    Sri Lanka 9 1964 178 2,672
    Taiwan 8 1968 180 7,500
    Thailand ? 1968 ? ?
    Viêt-nam ? 1965 ? ?

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    Main Source: OMCC Monthly Newsletter, February 2010
    For more information,see: Cursillo Worldwide Directory - Catholic Cursillos in Asia
    (*) The 19th Asia Pacific Cursillo Encounter took place at Sydney in 2006. Excellent account of this meeting with videos and mp3 recording. See: 19th Asia Pacific Cursillo Encounter Online Videos