What is the Catenian Association?
We are groups of Catholics who are mainly, but not necessarily, business & professional men. We welcome Catholic Men from any walk of life or occupation. Membership is open to all practising Catholic men, including ordained Deacons. We meet socially at least once a month. We encourage (and wherever possible, help) each other & our families in social, business & retired life.
Although the formal membership of the Association is for men only (note there aren’t any men in The Catholic Womens League !), Catenians value and cherish our ladies and families and involve them in most of our activities.
When a married man joins the Catenians, in a very real sense his wife and family join as well.
Catenian Kids….
The Ramblers
Provincial President’s Formal Dinner Dance
Our team at the Provincial Skittles (we came 2nd!)
WHY WE JOINED THE CATENIANS
A bit of background…
The Association was founded in Manchester in 1908 and originally called “The Chums”. Today there are over 8,000 members who address each other as “Brother”, in the UK, Australia, Ireland, India, Bangladesh, Malta, South Africa, Zambia & Zimbabwe. Most of our members are in the UK (where the Association was founded in 1908), followed by Australia, plus India & Bangladesh are growing fast.
There is a strong Catholic minority in India and Bangladesh, particularly in Goa (Western India) & Dhaka (in present day Bangladesh) – these were settled by Portuguese sailors in the 15/16th Centuries, who intermarried with local ladies, also in Kerala (South India) and Chennai (East India). Our newer South Asian Brothers are quite often rather younger (in their 40’s) than our UK and Australian Brothers who are now more often in their 60’s. Tradition in India has it that Saint Thomas travelled to Madras (now called Chennai) after the Resurrection & he introduced Christianity to India. Historical records agree that St Thomas died in India.
Catena is Latin for ‘Chain’. The Catenian chain has some 320 links called Circles. Circles are grouped geographically in Provinces & in the UK there are 19 Provinces. North Warwickshire is, with twenty-one other circles, a part of Province 6, one of the largest (by membership) Provinces in the Association.
What we are NOT
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We are definitely NOT a secret society!
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We are NOT a Catholic pressure group
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We are NOT affiliated to nor do we support any political party
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We are NOT a fund-raising organisation, except for special reasons
The President, in his year of office, often requests Circle’s support for a particular charity of his choice. In 2015-16, it was the local St Vincent De Paul organisation, where a number of North Warwickshire Brothers (and their wives !) were extremely active in providing practical help to the disadvantaged in society, particularly through food-banks.
We support Catholic Youth in a variety of ways, giving cash to youngsters going out to Lourdes to act as wheelchair pushers & minders, helping to fund teenagers who volunteer to help in the Developing World and running the Public Speaking Competition which encourages Catholic Youth to speak in public. Some of their speeches are very amusing and really impressive !
Together with our neighbouring Solihull Circle, we launched The Catenian Secondary Schools Initiative in 2013, to use the wide experience & knowledge of our Brothers to help Catholic youngsters at local schools by offering encouragement, help, practical careers advice and Practice Job Interviews. Upto January 2020 we have provided many Employability Skills Workshops and well over 500 practice interviews to teenagers at three local Catholic Secondary Schools and have again been invited back for the next school year.
Winners of the Catenian Public Speaking Competition for Schools
A Third World School in Africa, typical of those supported by the Catenians.
The Aims of the Catenian Association are to:
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Foster brotherly love amongst the members
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Develop social bonds amongst the members & their families
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When appropriate, advance the interests of members & dependants by individual or collective action
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Advance the interests of young Catholics & to assist them in the choice & pursuit of a career
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Establish & run benevolent funds for the benefit of a member or a member’s family in financial difficulty
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Promote & support The Catenian Association Benevolent & Children’s Fund & the Catenian Bursary Fund
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And informally, to have good, clean fun together….!
“I got you, babe…!”
Musicians at our Irish Night
WHY WE STAY IN THE CATENIANS