The Catenians Association

The Catenian Association is an organisation for practising Catholic men with over 10,000 members world-wide. There are active members in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Australia, Zimbabwe, and Goa (India).

The Association’s aim is to strengthen family life through a shared faith and friendship among like-minded Catholics and their families. Though membership of the Association is restricted to men only, most functions outside the monthly Circle meetings, are open to wives, families and friends and indeed their attendance at such events is warmly and actively encouraged.

The Association is non-political and is not a Catholic action or fund-raising group. It does have a role in supporting and encouraging those members who, in their own right, are involved in many other Catholic organisations both at a local and national level. However, on certain occasions the Association as a whole has lent its name to national appeals and in 2008 the Association’s ‘Give Water Life and Hope’ Centenary Appeal raised over £250,000 for CAFOD’s water projects in Southern Africa.

Catenians are proudly Catholic and praying together forms a central part of their monthly Circle meetings. Many Catenians also play an important and active part in Parish life.

Benevolence is also a very strong element in the philosophy of the Association and the Association has both a benevolent fund, for those members and their families who are in need of help, and a bursary fund to which teenagers and young adults are eligible to apply, for financial assistance, when they undertake voluntary work such as helping the sick in pilgrimages to Lourdes or involvement in third-world poverty and medical relief projects.

In this part of Lancashire the Accrington Catenian Circle covers the Districts of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley. There are other Circles in Burnley and Skipton (Broughton in Craven) but Catenians in this Parish belong to the Accrington Circle, which was inaugurated on 21st August 1924 and celebrated its 1000th meeting on 11th January 2010. It is the 80th of 356 Circles making up the worldwide Association. It meets on the second Monday of each month at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors at 8.00pm. Normal meetings are followed by a two course buffet style meal.

Interested? Then why not come along and see for yourself?

For further information please contact: Paul Birch (Circle Secretary) on 01254 884250 or the Catenian Membership Officer Mike Rawlinson tel 01254 825066

Find out more about the Association