Get to
know us
The “Montreal Catholic Challenge Movement,” or “Challenge” for short, is a community of Catholic young adults aged 18-35 who aim to build a deeper relationship with God and each other.
The Montreal Catholic Challenge Movement is endorsed by the Archdiocese of Montreal and is faithful to Roman Catholic Church teachings. However, one does not need to be a Catholic to participate in our weekend retreats or activities.
Meet our service team
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Palmina
Co-Lay Director
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Mario
Co-Lay Director
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Stephany
Team Leader
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Fr. Joy
Spiritual Director
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Richard
Spiritual Director
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Anthony
Ultreya Coordinator
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William
Ultreya Coordinator
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Nydia
Social Media Coordinator
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Joyce
Social Media Coordinator
Meet our partners
Without these partners, Challenge would not be what it is today. We thank you and truly appreciate your support for our community.
Our history
A layman called Eduard Bonnin started a Catholic apostolic movement called Cursillo in Mallorca, Spain. Cursillo (which means “short course”) began three-day weekend retreats with short courses on Christian living, aimed at empowering Catholic laypeople to be leaders in their everyday lives, and promoting personal spiritual development.
1944
Curillo was endorsed by the bishop. After that, it began to spread throughout Spain and the rest of the world. It became a movement of active renewal in the Catholic Church.
1949
Cursillo began to spread throughout the United States with the first North American Cursillo weekend taking place in Waco, Texas, United States.
1957
The first English-speaking Cursillo weekend was held in San Angelo, Texas, United States.
1961
The first Cursillo weekend was held in Ottawa, Canada. In the mid-60s, the Cursillo movement, initially developed for older adults, began to attract Catholic teenagers. In Detroit, they decided to hold Cursillo-type retreats for younger adults and called the retreat weekends “Challenge” because they challenged individuals to live out Christian values and teachings in their everyday lives. Other cities adopted this name “Challenge” for their younger adult Cursillo-like retreats.
1966
The first Challenge weekend occurred in Ottawa, Canada.
1967
The first Challenge weekend in Montreal, Canada, led by Montrealers who had attended a Challenge weekend in Ottawa, Canada.
1998
We prepare for our 48th Challenge retreat weekend in Montreal, Canada!
2026
Montreal Challenge celebrates its 15th anniversary
2013
Montreal Challenge celebrates its 20th anniversary
2018
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on our community. For many months, Challenge persevered through virtual gatherings and online activities, doing everything possible to stay connected.
However, after cancelling several retreats and losing our weekly meeting location, we lost the momentum that had sustained us for so long. The combination of these setbacks nearly led to a complete shutdown of the community.
2020
Montreal Challenge celebrated its 25th anniversary (one year late) at a pivotal moment in its history. What began as a final effort to sustain the community became the spark of a true renewal.
In the weeks following that anniversary BBQ, something remarkable happened. The community came back together. We found a new home, welcomed a new priest, appointed new co-lay directors, and gradually rebuilt a dedicated service team.
Today, we are proud to share that since August 2024, Challenge has become one of the most active communities in the Archdiocese of Montreal. A testament to the resilience, faith, and commitment of our members.