The
ACTS movement came to birth from the Cursillo
Movement through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. ACTS
started in 1987 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
in Selma, Texas, a small suburb of San Antonio.
"…Three
men who were formerly involved with Cursillo,
Ed Courtney and Joe Hays of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Church in Selma, and Dr. Marty Sablik of
St Luke's parish, met in the spring of 1987
at a local restaurant and discussed the possibilities
of starting a retreat program that would concentrate
more on parish life and community.
The
proposed retreat program was approved by Joe
Hayes' pastor, Father Patrick Cronin, at Our
Lady of Perpetual Help, his pastoral council
and Archbishop Patrick Flores. The men received
the blessings to form a committee to develop
a retreat weekend with a goal of having a men's
retreat in July 1987 and a women's retreat in
the fall of 1987. Archbishop Flores asked
that the committee be sure to allow non-Catholics
to attend as part of the community.
The
Cursillo Retreat is a wonderful weekend experience
and true to its name is a remarkable "Short
Course" in the Catholic faith. Although
the ACTS retreat was modeled after Cursillo,
there are some major differences, most notably
in focus and in emphasis. Cursillo Retreats
are strictly for Catholics, and always reach
out to the general population to form team and
recruit retreatants. ACTS Retreats are open
to all faiths and generally are directed primarily
to those within a parish.
Another
example of difference is that the Cursillo Retreat
is very structured and provides very little
flexibility. The ACTS Retreat, on the other
hand, represents the wishes of the Director
and team in selection of presentations. No two
ACTS retreats are exactly alike. There are certain
events that are required but each retreat is
unique because of the individuality of each
team.
The
ACTS and The Cursillo Retreats do the work of
the Holy Spirit and both are needed. The ACTS
Movement shall always be grateful to the Cursillo
Movement for its beginnings and its foundation.
The ACTS retreat has gradually become a Parish
Weekend Retreat patterned after the description
of the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles
(ACTS 2:42-47); breaking bread together, worshipping
together, receiving instruction together, sharing
in common, and reaching out in loving service.
After
the Weekend, participants are encouraged to
reach out to parish activities. ACTS does not
want to be thought of as a "Group",
but as parishioners that have been on a special
retreat and now have a greater interest in parish
ministry involvement. Many men and women too
numerous to mention here have added much and
continue to add to the ACTS Movement through
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
ACTS
Missions was founded in 1997 to take the ACTS
Retreat to new Parishes all over the world so
that the ACTS Community would be alive in all
parishes. ACTS has grown much since 1987, and
is now in Alaska, California, Connecticut and
Missouri, as well as all over Texas.
