As I promised in my last letter to you, here is the reasoning and break out of the fee increase we have made in order to support our normal candidate weekends.

ECDV has not raised the weekend fees for over five years. As all of us know who manage a household budget or work budget, nothing has stayed the same over the past five years. Costs at all of our retreat centers have risen dramatically and your movement has essentially subsidized the cost of the weekends from an ever-diminishing cash reserve. Bottom line, we have been bleeding financially quite badly and can no longer sustain such spending without a major overhaul of the fees charged to put on a weekend.

With that in mind, the secretariat has raised the weekend fees $100 per person with the following breakout of fees:
Candidate fee: up from $25 to $50
Application fee: up from $25 to $50
Weekend fee: up from $125 to $175
Total new fee: $275

Team fees reflect a similar increase:
Weekend fee: up from $150 to $225

While I can hear the collective intake of breath as you view these larger numbers, let’s try to put these numbers into perspective. For $275 a candidate gets three nights lodging; eight meals; snacks all day long; three days of education; spiritual strengthening and renewal; encouragement and empowerment; take-home materials for study and further use; music; Christ-centered love and fellowship; and entertainment. I defy anyone to come up with three days with all of this at even close to $275 for the whole weekend anywhere in Virginia. While the cost benefit to the candidates is obvious, we all know that team service provides all of the same benefits plus a renewal of our commitment to Christ and Cursillo.

The Secretariat has agreed to continue the policy of providing a modest scholarship for those who can not fully meet the financial obligations of a weekend. That policy provides for a 1/3 subsidy or $75 with the remaining 2/3 coming from any combination of the candidate, their parish, Ultreya, Group, or sponsor.

In closing, let me share with you some of what happened on the Secretariat retreat 13-14 February. Bishop Jones met with us on Friday evening to share his vision and prayers for our upcoming year of service to you. This was followed by team building for the members of the Secretariat which ran into Saturday morning. On Saturday, we shared the Eucharist and looked at what lies ahead for this coming year. We are committed to the Community Weekend in April (16-18th) and the very real possibility of restarting a newsletter. I think I can speak for the rest of the members of the Secretariat when I say that we are excited and already moving on together as a team. One of the parting comments I got was that it is a pity that we couldn’t be forming a team for a weekend right now because we all seemed to bond so quickly and closely. In actuality, we are a team. We are a team formed to serve you this coming year.

Planning for the Community weekend is moving along and you will be hearing much more about it in the coming couple of weeks as we nail down the final cost figures (far less that a normal weekend) and gather the speakers and panel members. Look for good education, fellowship and lots of free time to contemplate, talk amongst each other, and enjoy early spring in Virginia. I am hoping to have applications available online at the website http://www.cursillo.thediocese.net/ within the week or at least ready to email. As before, please feel free to copy this letter for those who do not have email access and/or post it at your parish.

I am continually awed by the depth of faith and service of the Cursillo Community here in Virginia and I am honored to be your Lay Director.