HOME PAGE FOR HEART OF ILLINOIS VIA DE CRISTO
Welcome to information for Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo! This web site contains most of what you would need to understand the following:
 | What is Via de Cristo? |
| Who should attend a Via de Cristo? |
| Who will be at Via de Cristo? |
| What happens on a Via de Cristo weekend? |
| What about after the weekend? |
| Benefits of attending a Via de Cristo |
| More about Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo |
Here at this web site you will have access to our upcoming events, weekend registration forms and sponsor guidelines, a downloadable PowerPoint presentation about Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ), directions to the next ultreya, links to other Via de Cristo web sites, and much more.
Please feel free to contact us through any of the
secretariat (the leadership board) members, by selecting the Contact Us
link.
WHAT IS VIA DE CRISTO? Via de Cristo (pronounced
Bee-ya day Kreesto) means “Way of Christ” in Spanish. It was developed by Lutherans and based on the Cursillo® methodology, which originated in the 1940's with the Roman Catholics. It is a short course about Jesus and our Christian faith.
Via de Cristo is a weekend of Christian Community Living held separately for men and women.
Via de Cristo is a servant ministry (not-for-profit).
Via de Cristo can enhance the ministries of pastors and lay people alike.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND A VIA DE CRISTO? The Via de Cristo is designed for those Christians who, having been informed of the aim of the Via de Cristo method, believe the Via de Cristo can strengthen them in their faith and bring them closer to Christ in their lay ministries. In short, the person who makes a Via de Cristo should recognize that being a Christian involves responsibility for apostolic endeavor, and should therefore have both the human foundation and moral reserve to accept this responsibility. Single men or women may make a Via de Cristo. For married couples, ideally the husband and wife should attend consecutive (one week apart) weekends. If that is not possible, it is still preferred the husband attend prior to the wife.
After the weekend experience, attendees are commonly called cursillistas (Pronounced
Kur-See-E-Stahs) or pilgrims.
WHO WILL BE AT VIA DE CRISTO? Via de Cristo is ecumenical, and any weekend should find a mixture of attendees from various Christian churches.
There will be people like yourself, who are curious, searching, discovering and growing.
Included will be team laymen or women who spend weeks working and praying together preparing for the weekend, and becoming a community.
Spiritual directors, some pastors who serve as part of the team, will be present. The laymen and clergy who comprise the team spend weeks working together preparing their talks. It takes careful planning because the time is short, and the subject extensive. People from all walks of life grow closer to one another during the Via de Cristo. They listen, discuss, sleep, eat, and sing in a jovial, family atmosphere.
WHAT HAPPENS ON A VIA DE CRISTO WEEKEND? A weekend begins on a Thursday evening and ends the following Sunday evening. During the three days of Via de Cristo, attendees listen to 14-15 talks given by laymen and clergy. Following each talk, small-group table discussions focus on the main points of the talk. In an overlapping fashion, the talks present various aspects of the Christian life, based on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ as an ideal.
WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE WEEKEND? After the three days is the fourth day--the balance of the cursillistas' life on earth. During this time they are expected to apply the apostolic fervor and spirituality which the Via de Cristo has generated in them to bring others to Christ.
The community spirit is continued after the weekend through reunions of small groups of men or women who meet weekly to encourage one another in their quest for spiritual improvement and their ministries.
Periodic area-wide ultreyas give all cursillistas a chance to meet and renew the spirit of a Via de Cristo weekend.
BENEFITS OF ATTENDING A WEEKEND. You will receive tools that will allow you to further the renewal of the church. You will better equipped to ask your pastor, “Pastor, where can I help?”
In other words, a stronger focus of responsibility and mission beyond Via de Cristo.
You will gain a potential for personal growth and discover more about God’s wonderful gift of Grace.
You will realize you are not much different than others you met on the weekend. You are all “fellow
strugglers”, not “finished products.”
- Mailing Address:
- Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo
P.O. Box 5482
Peoria, IL 61601-5482
In an emergency, use:
Faith
Evangelical Lutheran Church
2206 Washington Road
Washington, IL 61571
309-745-9306
- Electronic mail:
Send email to the webmaster of the Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo web
site, with questions or comments about this web site.
webmaster: webmaster@hoivdc.org
Last modified: October 31, 2007
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