Juan Kelman Núñez Castillo.
Vocal of communication and piety of the National Secretariat of the Dominican Republic.
My name is Juan Kelman Nunez and I lived the wonderful experience of Cursillo de Cristiandad from September 13-16, 2007, where I found happiness, faith, love and hope in a difficult moment of my life. I am writing to you in the name of Christ to share some thoughts about youth in the Cursillo Movement. I am currently serving in the National Secretariat of the Dominican Republic as a spokesperson for communication and piety; and I wish to encourage you to be protagonists and not spectators of the future in the Christian life.
Pope Francis has exhorted young people to get involved in the creation of a more just society, to believe that they are protagonists of evangelization and to give themselves to others with concrete love. The Cursillo Movement was born in the 1940s as a response to pastoral passivity and a search for new forms of evangelization. With a dynamic and triumphant approach to Christianity, it seeks to bring the message of love to all, especially to the most needy and distant. However, today we face the challenge of the lack of young people in the MCC.
It is necessary to incorporate young people into the Cursillo Movement to ensure its future and growth; they are the key to revolutionize the movement and bring the gospel message to new generations. The current worldwide challenge of the Cursillo Movement is focused on attracting young people, forming leaders who are witnesses to the faith and keeping them committed; helping them to be happy for life. With the strength and enthusiasm of youth, CQI can continue to be a light in a world full of darkness.
In reasoning the importance of youth in Cursillos in Christianity and in order to address such a proposal, the starting point is Jesus Christ as the way forward and our reflection on the response of the Cursillo Movement to young people. There is a need for a revolution of consciousness rather than simply an evolution of the movement. There are different paradigms in youth, from being seen as unprepared, problem-causing youth; it is a priority to get to the point of considering them as potential transformers.
The difficulties faced by young people in their environments are many, hence the importance of recognizing, identifying and allowing the active participation of youth in society and in the Church. The Latin American Episcopal Conferences have addressed the issue of youth in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the importance of listening, approaching and discerning with young people. There is an urgent need to bet on youth as a driving force and allow them to lead projects that promote a culture of peace, the defense of human life and the planet. The figure of Mary of Nazareth helps us as an example of commitment and trust in God to face the challenge of young people in the service structures of the Cursillo Movement.
The attitudes of Jesus can be applied in the three stages of the CCC method, which teaches us to approach with humility to accompany those who need us, to be silent and listen to discern, to intervene at the right moment with intelligence, to wait without making demands, to dialogue propositionally with receptive listening, to leave in freedom without imposing, to remain available and sensitive, and to be present in the community to lead to the Father.
Youth have been called by God to be protagonists in creation, living with creativity, personality and autonomy the protagonism of missionary discipleship. Young people represent the youth of the Holy Spirit, manifesting gifts such as audacity, dynamism, friendship, solidarity, love, among others; forming an essential part of the Church and participating as such in the construction of a better world.
In today’s times, young people are looking for meaning in authentic and open communities, and the Church must be welcoming and merciful in responding to their needs. It is important for young people to be protagonists, not only by imitating their elders, but also by taking responsibility for their mission and vocation. The Church must accompany young people in their quest for holiness and bring the light of faith to difficult places. To reach out to young people, it is necessary to use means such as multimedia, experiences and encounters, art and beauty, worship and witness.
Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation highlights the importance of young people as protagonists of the future and encourages the Church to be receptive and open to their input. The Bull of Convocation of the Jubilee Year 2025 highlights the need to give hope to young people, who are the joy and hope of the Church and the world. It is essential that the Cursillo Movement focus on young people, who need encouragement and accompaniment in their search for an ideal that gives meaning to their pilgrim life.
During his visit to Venice in April 2024, Pope Francis encouraged young people to get up, open their hearts to God and walk with hope. He stressed the importance of getting up and walking, referring to the need to get out of comfort and give of themselves to others. It is essential for young people to get up and go, bringing the light of the Gospel to every corner of the world.
The role of the leader in the framework of youth in the three times of the method is crucial. It is important to reflect on how to approach the youth in the pre-cursillo, what level of understanding and admiration the future young cursillistas reach and if there is a place in the Cursillo for them. The friendliness and sincerity of the leaders also play an important role in enlightening the young cursillistas. The way the members of a School of Leaders live together with the young people is fundamental, how to work in a synodal way to improve the commitment with the young people. Deepening possible changes in behavior, motivation and attitude is essential.
Don Bosco serves as an example of how to look at young people with the eyes of God and create a loving community with them. Significant is the attitude of the veterans and the dynamism in the Ultreyas, since young people need to feel valued and welcomed in the Cursillo Movement, encouraging their participation in Ultreyas, Group Reunion and valuing the gifts they can bring.
The Schools of Leaders, the engine of the Cursillos of Christianity Movement, need to be adapted to make them more attractive to young people and integrate them properly into the structures of service, valuing their specific formation that we must offer them. It is crucial to be open to new proposals and be prepared to welcome young people.
The survey of youth vocations in various dioceses reveals strengths such as prayer, the dedication of young people and the support of the community. Let us compare young people as the glucose, which gives us the energy to carry out each of our daily actions, because they must be inserted in the experiences of our dear and beloved Cursillo Movement as protagonists and not spectators of the future. It is essential to communicate a living Christ and to bring energy, charisma, humility and optimism to the projects of the CCM. Following the example of St. John Paul II; we encourage the leaders of the Cursillo Movement not to be afraid to speak of Christ to the young people of today and to look at them with the heart, to be facilitators of Grace by involving the new generations in the mission of the Church.
The leaders have the challenge to assume concrete commitments and apply strategies to achieve young cursillistas as protagonists and not spectators of the future.
For Christ more, more and more.
