Via de Cristo (Bee-yah day kree-stow) is the Lutheran expression of the Roman Catholic Cursillo© de Cristiandad (meaning short course in Christianity). The name Via de Cristo (Way of Christ) was adopted by the National Lutheran Secretariat in 1986. We are grateful to the Roman Catholic community for sharing Cursillo© with us. Cursillo© had its beginning in the late 1940s on the island of Majorca off the coast of Spain. Bishop Juan Hervas sadly noted that the men had very little to do with the life of his parish, while the women were growing spiritually. To counteract this, Hervas designed a three-day study course for men to give life to the teachings of the church. It was so successful that it spread, eventually reaching the United States through Texas and Boston. The first U.S. weekend was in Spanish and had to be translated into English. The Catholic community began holding weekends in the early 1960s. Lutheran pastors eventually attended them to examine the movement as a potential method of renewal in the Lutheran Church. Pastors who attended felt the renewal movement was excellent and, with some adjustment, could be used in the Lutheran community. The first Lutheran weekends were held in Florida and Iowa in 1972. Over the years, pastors and lay persons have been careful to make sure that the content of the talks, the worship, and the rest of the weekend were Lutheran while being faithful to the cursillo method.

Both the married and unmarried are welcome to attend. Normally men attend on one weekend and women the following weekend. Some coed, joint, or single weekends are also held. The Lutheran community has helped introduce the method to the Reformed Church in America, the United Methodist, and the Presbyterian communities. Weekends are also held in prisons.

Via de Cristo is active in Arizona. California. The District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Papua New Guinea.