Secretariat
Angela Varela
Lay Director
De Colores friends! Â My husband Larry and I lived our Cursillo weekends in 2014, numbers 278 and 279. I am retired after spending 40 years as a manager in the healthcare industry, specifically in Transfusion Medicine. I love to travel in our RV, hike, bike (on my e-bike), read and have visits with our 3 grown kids. I look forward to serving our community in this role as Diocesan Cursillo Coordinator (aka Lay Director) for the next few years.Â
Fr. Michael Murphy
Spiritual Advisor
De Colores!
I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Diego in 1983 and have served in several parishes and diocesan ministries over the years. Â I have been the pastor of Sacred Heart, Coronado since 1996 where we have a vibrant Cursillo community. I will retire from assigned pastoral ministry in July, 2026, yet, continue to serve the Church as called by the Lord.
Joe LaRussa
Chairperson of the School of Leaders
Frannie and I lived our Cursillo in 2006, and have integrated the Method into our personal, familial, and professional lives. We served as Rector and Rectora on recent 3-Day Weekends. Our three married daughters and sons-in-laws and five grandsons are all involved in Cursillo. Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters in Practical Theology degrees from the University of San Diego helped lead me to my current career as an Executive Coach and Mentor of Christian Business Leaders. I consider this role as Chair of the School of Leaders a calling for my God-given passion and talents as a champion of continuous learning, healthy leadership, team communication, and values-driven culture.
Linda Aguilera
Chairperson of the Precursillo
Hi, my name is Linda Aguilera and my Cursillo weekend was #275. After 30 years as a Kindergarten teacher I decided it was time to retire. I have loved these past 18 months of this new chapter in my life:  I’ve gone on 3 pilgrimages (my closest moment to God was shaking hands with Pope Leo – twice!), trips to Maui, Sedona and Colorado Springs – yes, I love to travel; and have spent time gardening, hiking, and volunteering. My newest volunteering role is as Pre Cursillo chairperson. You’ve done the hard part of making a friend, being a friend and now I look forward to working with you all in bringing your friend to Christ.
Joe Santiago
Chairperson of the Cursillo
My wife, Hilda, and I lived our Cursillo weekends, #274 and #275, in the spring of 2014. We worship at St. Rose of Lima in Chula Vista. Through our Cursillo experience, we have become active in our parish ministries and have also had the blessing of serving on many Cursillo weekends in various roles. Cursillo has helped us deepen our faith by teaching us how to live it daily. We are truly grateful to be part of the Cursillo community and for the loving support we have received since living our weekends nearly 12 years ago this Spring. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with Hilda, our two pups and our families. I am looking forward to serving our Cursillo community as the Cursillo Chairperson.
Rene Munoz
Chairperson of the Postcursillo
De Colores! Sylvia and I lived Cursillo weekends 298 and 299 in October 2021. We are parishioners at Corpus Christi in Bonita. While we have participated in several wonderful couples’ retreats and ministries, we felt a deeper sense of fulfillment was missing in them. While the Lord touched us in those experiences, Cursillo has been the turning point that has truly changed our environments and provided the spiritual nourishment we have been craving. If I had only known years ago how perfect God’s plan was when He introduced me to my MPG brothers, I wouldn’t have run away from them. We feel truly blessed to be part of the Cursillo Movement and to be surrounded by such loving and Christ-centered people. It is a humbling honor to be called to serve our Lord and our community.
Dean Dwyer
Treasurer
“I call you friends,” the theme for weekend 252 in October 2008, when I was honored to be Rector. Cursillo is a community of Christ’s friends, which my wife, Colleen, and I have been blessed to be a part of since we lived our Cursillo weekends in 1995, numbers 188 and 189. As a CPA and former CFO, God has called me to serve His church as a 10 year member of the Diocesian Finance Counsel, a founding board member of the Catholic Community Foundation, as the founding board chair for Cristo Rey San Diego High School, where I continue to service on the board, and as the audit committee chairman for Whispering Winds. I engaged in parish ministries for years at St. Mary Magdelene parish. Colleen and I are now parishioners at St. Brigid. I am retired, which my Colleen would argue with, based on my volunteer work and continuing board service with the David C. Copley Foundation, where I was President before retiring, and my duties as the audit committee chairman for the Conrad Prebys Foundation. In our spare time, we love to travel, especially to Maui. We have two wonderful boys and daughters-in-laws who live in Southern California, and we are looking joyfully to the blessing of our first grandchild in March. I am an avid cyclist, racquetball and pickleball player. I believe Christ has called me, as His friend, to use the talents he has bestowed upon me to serve this wonderful Cursillo community as its Treasurer.
Melissa Kussman
Secretary
Steve and I lived our Cursillo weekends #270 and #271 in spring 2013, when I was expecting our youngest of three. Since then, I have been very active in the Cursillo community. We worship at Guardian Angels in Santee, where we met, and serve in our parish. I work in HR for a local water district and enjoy dancing hula with my daughters. I am humbled to serve this beautiful community as the new Secretary, as Cursillo continues to ground our family in Christ.