SPONSOR GUIDELINES FOR VIA DE CRISTO WEEKENDS

 

A Via de Cristo weekend is a deeply spiritual and emotional experience that is not suited for everyone.  Anyone attending a weekend should be a baptized Christian, 21 years of age or older, and both physically and emotionally able to experience the weekend.  If an applicant has experienced an emotional trauma recently, you are encouraged to discuss this with their clergy.  This information should be communicated to the Pre Via de Cristo chairpersons. 

 

By sponsoring a participant to a Via de Cristo weekend you are assuming certain responsibilities.  These responsibilities are defined in the following questions:

 

Does/is your participant:

¨      Desire to grow as a Christian and have potential for leadership in their environment?

¨      Mature, responsible, and in good emotional health?

¨      Physically capable of participating in the weekend?

¨      Understand that Via de Cristo is more than just attending a weekend?

¨      Really want to attend a weekend?

As a sponsor do you know that you must:

¨      Understand the goals of Via de Cristo?

¨      Pray for guidance when sponsoring this participant?

¨      Tell the participant about the Fourth Day?

¨      Assist the participant with baby/pet/house sitting, and etc?

¨      Provide the participant transportation to the send-off and from the closing?

¨      Explain the weekend cost is $125.00 payable at registration?

¨      Support the participant in prayer and palanca during the weekend, attend the send-off, including the service of the cross, and closing?  If you will not be at the service of the cross, please arrange for someone to attend and represent your participant.

¨      Assist the participant in joining a reunion group?

¨      Bring the participant to an Ultreya?

¨      Obtain palanca letters for the participant.  If the participant is married, please obtain a letter from their spouse and mark it accordingly.

¨      Communicate in writing special needs of the participant to the Pre Via de Cristo chairpersons in advance of the weekend so appropriate plans can be made?

¨      Inform the Pre Via de Cristo chairpersons as soon as possible if the participant will NOT be attending the weekend.

 

Please Note: We ask that the serenade be attended only by those who have experienced a Via de Cristo or similar weekend (Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, etc.) and should not include children.

 

Questions about these guidelines should be directed to the Heart of Illinois Pre Via de Cristo Chairpersons, Richard and Jill Keel, 1619 Summit Drive, Pekin, IL, 61554 (309-346-6165)