THE HISTORY OF EMMAUS.
You may be interested in knowing how the Walk to Emmaus started.
It grew out of a movement called Cursillo (pronounced core-see-oh), which began in the Catholic Church in Spain in 1949 as an instrument of spiritual renewal. Its full name—Cursillo de Cristiandad—means a short course in Christianity. The original three-day retreats were for clergy only and were conducted during a three-day fast!!
Once the blessings of this movement began to be fully appreciated, it was also opened to lay people. The movement spread to the USA in 1957, where it was received with enthusiasm by Catholic and Protestant Churches.
Initially, the Protestant participants all attended weekends organised and run by the Catholic Church. In 1981, a separate movement was established for Protestant church folk, known as The Walk to Emmaus. The Upper Room, an agency of the United Methodist Church in the USA, sponsored this.
A similar movement called Tres Dias (Three Days) began elsewhere in the USA. As these movements spread, a special form of the weekend was developed for prison ministry. This is called Kairos (pronounced kigh-ross). Later, a form of the Walk for young people aged between 16 and 22 was called Chrysalis.
In 1984, at the invitation of the Upper Room Australia, the Reverend Robert Wood brought a team of 32 Americans, most of whom paid their fare and used their annual leave, to run the first Emmaus Walks in Australia. This team came from all over the USA, from the Emmaus and Cursillo movements, and included two Australians who made their pilgrim walk in the USA. These Walks to Emmaus were held in Otford, NSW, and were attended by 20 men and 33 women.
They were the first walks held outside of the USA.
In 1985, the Uniting Church became the official sponsor of the Australian Walk to Emmaus movement
The commitment to make the Emmaus movement an ecumenical tool of spiritual renewal for church leadership in Australia has constantly been emphasised. It is run and administered by lay people.
The Walk to Emmaus has grown rapidly in Australia. There are now 24 communities nationwide, including at least one in every state and territory. This Melbourne community was started in 1993, and so far, over 1080 pilgrims have attended a Walk, and 1217 team members have participated.
In 1987, a community was started in Brazil, and two years later in Mexico. It is truly an international movement that includes communities in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Estonia, Singapore, Russia, many European and Scandinavian countries, and many others.
The Australian National Emmaus Executive established the Walk to Emmaus in New Zealand in 1998, and in 2008, the Sydney Emmaus Community ran the first Walks in Fiji.
The first Kairos weekend in Australia was held in Parramatta Prison in 1995 and has since been held in other prisons. A Kairos is now running in Fulham Correctional Centre, near Sale. There is now also Kairos Outside for Women, which is held for those with loved ones in prison.
We are indeed part of the big and diverse Body of Christ.
The Melbourne Community is very active and covers many people from diverse denominations and geographic parts of the State of Victoria.
The Emmaus movement has resulted in many Holy Spirit works, and we are sure many more will come.
Western Sydney Emmaus
The community of Western Sydney was formed in 1963 and has had over 2,500 people walk to Emmaus. We hold monthly church services on the first Saturday night of each month, which are called Gatherings. At these services, we reconnect with people we shared our initial walk with or formed a team to host other walks. Our community believe the following to be true:
The walk to Emmaus is a time for reflection, to experience Christ’s love in a way that will touch you deeply, challenge you emotionally, and leave you knowing without doubt that you are loved, cherished, and relevant.
It is a time for you to reflect on what Christ has asked us to do, “to go and make disciples of all nations,” and what that means for you.
The Walk to Emmaus is a “Health Farm” for your faith. This fourth-day movement will revitalise your faith and passion for Christ and prepare you for your walk with Christ the next day and every day thereafter.
