Palanca has always been an essential part of Cursillo.  Palanca gives witness to the solidarity of the members of the Church.

Palanca is an action – intercessory prayer, sacrifices, or works of mercy.

Palanca Can Be…

• Prayers:  spending time in Adoration, offering a Mass, saying the rosary, etc.
• Sacrifices: fasting, giving up something, doing a kind act that only you and God know about
• Works of Mercy (spiritual or corporal): giving alms, working in the food pantry, or visiting the sick. 
• Actions that help the weekend: 72-hour prayer chain, helping in the kitchen, helping to cleanup after closings, driving someone to a weekend, attending a weekend closing

Palanca is Not…

• Gifts: books, flowers, or necklaces.
• Sacramentals: crucifixes, rosaries (Although these blessed objects would be wonderful acknowledgements after a weekend, they are not palanca.)

What Are Palanca Letters?

You send a palanca letter to someone informing them of the prayers and sacrifices that you are offering to God on their behalf.  The letter is not the palanca. Even if you don’t send a letter, the palanca is still raised up for their intention.

Weekend Palanca Letters

In recent years, there has been a focus on sending personal palanca letters to individuals on the weekend (new cursillistas and team members). This wasn’t part of the original charism of the movement and there is an effort within the movement at large to move the focus back to general palanca letters.  

Our founder, Eduardo Bonnín believed that personal palanca letters are more appropriate for family members and close friends to send to those whom they know. 

General palanca letters will be posted on the wall with others from the international community. Personal palanca letters will be given to the new cursillista at the end of the weekend.

How To Send a Palanca Letter?

You have 3 options for sending palanca letters for the weekend:

• Deliver them to the retreat center (when dropping off your candidate or when helping with meals)
• Email them to palanca@cursillo-cicc.org.
• Click the button below to use the web form.

Palanca Web Form

Weekend Rosters and 72 Hour Prayer Chain

Don't forget to sign up for the 72 Hour Prayer Chain.  

Click below to go to the team page to see the weekend roster:

Men's Team Page

Women's Team Page