The history of the Cursillos in Christianity Movement in Korea is a shining testimony to how the Holy Spirit knows no boundaries when He finds willing hearts.
It was 1967 when a group of fourteen Filipino Cursillistas, filled with enthusiasm and apostolic love, boarded a plane bound for Seoul. They did not have great resources or structures, but they did have a deep conviction: that the Cursillo method could also ignite the fire of faith in Eastern lands.
That first Cursillo in English, held in May of that year, was a small seed, but one full of promise.
Just three years later, the movement had already flourished throughout the country. The joy of encountering Christ, experienced in community, had touched the hearts of many Koreans who discovered that being a Christian is an exciting adventure and that their lives—in family, work, and society—could be fertile ground for Grace.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the MCC became organized and took root in the local Church. Courses for men and women were created, teams were formed, and the structures that would make its sustained growth possible were woven together. What had begun in English was soon expressed in the Korean language, and the message of “Christ who counts on you” began to resonate with an Asian accent, but with the same Mallorcan fervor that gave it its origin.
The challenge was great: to adapt a movement born in the Hispanic world to the rich Korean culture, marked by respect, discipline, and inner search. However, the CCM knew how to insert itself with simplicity, offering the laity a concrete path of evangelization in their environments, just when Korean society was undergoing rapid transformation: modernization, urbanization, and a Church that was growing strongly.
Over the years, more than 200,000 Koreans have experienced the Cursillo. In 14 dioceses across the country, men and women have heard the call to be “leaven in the dough,” bringing the joy of the Gospel to their families, communities, and workplaces. The CCM has become a living presence in the Korean Church, a discreet but constant movement, faithful to the charism of its origins and open to the challenges of a changing world.
Today, almost six decades after that first weekend in Seoul, Korean cursillistas continue to repeat with force the same cry that has crossed continents and generations:
De Colores!
Because the Kingdom of God continues to grow wherever lay people, joyful and committed, make it possible for Christ to reign in hearts and environments.
