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Catenian Association

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The Catenian Association
Named afterCatena (Latin meaning chain)
Formation1908
Founded atManchester
TypeCatholic fraternal society
Headquarters5 Oak Court, Pilgrims Walk, Prologis Park, Coventry CV6 4QH
Membership8,000 +
Main organ
Great Britain National Council
AffiliationsRoman Catholic Church
Websitewww.thecatenians.com Edit this at Wikidata

The Catenian Association is a Roman Catholic lay society with around 8,000 members (known as "brothers") in a number of English-speaking countries. Catenian men and their families meet socially to help develop their faith and build lasting friendships.[1][2] It has been described as "an international brotherhood of Catholic business and professional men."[3] The Catenian Association has been depicted as one of the "older" Catholic movements that remains in existence.[4]

History

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It was founded in Manchester in 1908, through the initiative of Bishop Louis Charles Casartelli, Bishop of Salford, to encourage Catholic professional and business men to associate for mutual self-help, and to develop social and family bonds. Bishop Casartelli had a particular emphasis on Catholic Action.[5][6] A new class of prosperous Roman Catholics emerged in Lancashire at the turn of the 20th century (many of Irish Catholic origin), which spurred its creation.[7] In The Final Whistle: The Great War in Fifteen Players, Stephen Cooper refers to a growing Catholic middle class that made its presence felt through organisations such as the Catenians, and sought to counter Liberal government threats to voluntary, such as Catholic, schools. This comprised a closely connected and cohesive group of Britons.[8]

A report by TIME in 1925 highlighted that the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Alfred Louis Bower, and Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster, both declined an invitation to attend a meeting of the Catenians in the City of London. The reason given was that the event's program gave a toast to Pope Pius XI, preceding King George V. The Catholic Herald, which took umbrage at the snub, sided with the Catenians.[9]

The Catholic Industrialists’ Conference was launched in 1937, and convened twice a year. This gathering was primarily organised by the Catenians, operating under the umbrella of the Catholic Social Guild. Many Catenians were involved in the Catholic Social Guild, and their enthusiasm for promoting Catholic social teachings played a crucial role in establishing these semi-annual meetings. The initiative aimed to put into practice Pope Pius XI’s directive that “the Apostles of the industrial and commercial world should themselves be employers and merchants.”[10]

During the mid 20th century, the English Catenians liaised with the Knights of St. Columbanus in Ireland to support suffering Irish immigrants, incentivised by Irish Archbishop, John Charles McQuaid.[11] The former manager of Manchester United, Sir Matt Busby, had been noted in a biography as "an enthusiastic member of the Catenian Association, a sort of Catholic freemasonry."[12] In 1964, the Catenians offered to raise £1,000,000 for the establishment of Catholic chaplaincies in English universities, but this was rejected.[13]

In January 1997, the Labour MP and barrister, Gerry Bermingham, revealed at a select committee meeting that he had been a member of the Catenians.[14]

In 1999, the Independent reported that officials from the UK Home Office had grown uneasy about the perceived clandestine operations of the Catenians. A detailed analysis compiled by the House of Commons' Home Affairs Committee had drawn attention to anxieties that individuals affiliated with the Catenian Association, believed to encompass senior figures within the judiciary and law enforcement, may have been leveraging their authority to alter the outcomes of legal proceedings. The Association’s alleged involvement surfaced during an extensive two-year inquiry into broader Freemasonry, led by the Committee.[15]

The organisation held centenary celebrations in 2008.[16] In 2018, George Kazs became the first Australian to lead the society.[17]

Organisation

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The Catenian Association has its headquarters in Coventry, in the centre of England, and is administered by three National Councils: Great Britain (also including Ireland for administrative purposes), Australia, and an International Council representing Malta, India, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Bangladesh and the Holy Land. The Association Secretary is the co-ordinating officer for these three bodies which each have their own National Secretary.[citation needed]

In Great Britain, Australia and Malta, Circles are grouped into Provinces with Provincial officers and administration drawn from the Circles.[18] In countries where Circles are fewer in number or geographically widely spread, the International Council fulfils this role. Each Province elects a Director who is appointed to their National Council for three years. In Great Britain, there are currently 300 local Circles grouped into 21 Provinces.[19]

Each local Circle bears a name and number, the name being geographical, and the numbers being sequential in order of foundation. Each Circle is led by a President, assisted by Circle officers.[20] The previous President has the title "Immediate Past President" and holds a special status as such. Each Circle also has a "Provincial Councillor" as official representative to the Province.[citation needed]

The 1990 book Inside the Brotherhood describes the Catenian Association and Opus Dei as "quasi-Masonic."[21]

Ethos

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Catenian life is based on friendship, which is developed through monthly meetings and a varied social programme. The Catenians are a network of Catholic men (often with their wives as guests) who meet regularly to enjoy each other's company and to help and support each other around the world. Membership offers friendship and support to Catholic men (culturally Catholic, contemplative or more orthodox in outlook) at all stages of their lives, whether married or single. The monthly meeting is intended to provide a time for relaxed enjoyment and a light-hearted environment in which friendships flourish.[22] "We enjoy the good times together and help each other through the bad times... Catenians are an international social network that provide an oasis of calm for busy working families."[23]

This friendship is based on a shared faith and is enjoyed by their wives (whether Catholic or not), and their children, and continues after a member's death with widows being supported and involved on a continuing basis. Although a Catholic lay society, it has no political, ecumenical or theological objectives as an association, but is more an association of "Brothers" (as members are termed). Brothers try to help one another, and their families, as much as they can. Whatever difficulties arise in life, there will be members and their wives committed to help. If a member suffers financial difficulties, a Benevolent Fund can provide assistance.[24]

Activities and Charity

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Local Circles arrange activities both for their members and their families. Meals together, barbecues, picnics, visits to the theatre and sporting events are all popular.[25]

Around £300,000 a year is raised for local and national charities by Circles through their Presidents' charities. The Association supports charitable and other good works in a number of ways. It has two chief charitable funds of its own: a welfare fund ('The Benevolent Fund') for the support of its own members and their families, and a bursary fund ('The Bursary Fund')[26] offering financial help to young people in projects contributing to wider society at home and abroad.[27] Bursaries are available to young people who undertake voluntary work in developing countries. Funds are also raised for a number of projects including providing clean water in Africa. At local level, Catenians are active in their parishes, supporting Parish Priests and fellow parishioners.[28]

Golf societies throughout the Association join together in a National Golf Championship week every year and the Catenian Caravan and Camping Fellowship have a wide range of activities.[29]

Regalia

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The regalia worn by members is simple. Badges of office are worn by Circle Presidents and officers around the neck, suspended from collars of gold and white ribbon. There are equivalent badges for Provincial officers and national officers. Breast jewels are optionally worn by members on formal occasions, suspended from coloured ribbons, on the breast of the jacket, to indicate membership, long service, and past participation in conferences and structures of the organisation. Regalia sashes are also worn. Regalia has been simplified in modern times, from its more complex origins and a number of Circles have ceased to use them or limit regalia at meetings to the Circle President and any visitors who qualify.[citation needed]

Changing Perceptions

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Within the Roman Catholic Church the Catenian Association has sometimes in the past been characterised as having a perceived middle-class exclusivity. This criticism was most famously voiced more than fifty years ago at the Association's own annual conference in 1966 when the Roman Catholic Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, David Cashman, challenged the membership to re-examine its aims and objectives, and criticised it for being "a section of the people of God dressed for dinner and dancing".[30]

Since then, the Association has worked to overcome this perception, with relaxation of its regulations, increased scope for local Circles to admit a wider variety of members, extensive involvement of women as guests at meetings and social events, recruiting from every kind of social background, and establishing partnerships with other lay organisations such as the Catholic Military Association.[31] In May 2014, Grand President Bob Butler addressed the annual conference in Liverpool, referring to the 1908 founders of the association, and saying "They engaged with the world in which they lived. Surely, they would expect us to engage with the world in which we live?.....Some may be fearful, but I suggest that we have much to gain, and much to offer the Church by moving on."[32]

In his 2016 memoir, the English actor and comedian, Steve Coogan, claimed that much of the Catenians' membership "are wealthy businessmen. Rightly or wrongly, it has a reputation for having an air of elitism."[33]

References

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  1. ^ "information leaflet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  2. ^ "History & Organisation - Catenians Association". Archived from the original on 2013-06-14. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  3. ^ McGrail, Courtney (2015-09-03). "The Catenians: A brotherhood of faith". The Irish Catholic. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  4. ^ Gold, Lorna (2004). The sharing economy : solidarity networks transforming globalisation. Internet Archive. Aldershot, Hants, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-3345-7.
  5. ^ Hagerty, James (2007). The Catenian Association—A Centenary History 1908–2008, Catenian Association. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-9549604-2-4.
  6. ^ Cooney, John (John E. ) (1982). Scotland and the papacy. Internet Archive. Edinburgh : P. Harris. ISBN 978-0-86228-052-9.
  7. ^ Fielding, Steven (1993). Class and ethnicity : Irish Catholics in England, 1880-1939. Internet Archive. Buckingham [England] ; Philadelphia : Open University Press. ISBN 978-0-335-09993-1.
  8. ^ Cooper, Stephen (2012). The final whistle : the Great War in fifteen players. Internet Archive. Stroud : History. ISBN 978-0-7524-7935-4.
  9. ^ Time 1925-05-04: Vol 5 Iss 18. Internet Archive. Time Incorporated. 1925-05-04.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ^ The Social Catholic Movement in England, 1920-1955. Internet Archive. 1963.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^ John Charles McQuaid : Ruler Of Catholic Ireland, John Cooney (1999).
  12. ^ Barclay, Patrick (2017). Sir Matt Busby : the definitive biography. Internet Archive. London : Ebury Press. ISBN 978-1-78503-206-6.
  13. ^ Fitzsimons, M. A. (Matthew Anthony); Bécarud, Jean (1969). The Catholic Church today: Western Europe. Internet Archive. Notre Dame [Ind.] University of Notre Dame Press.
  14. ^ Mullen, Chris (2011). A Walk on Part: Diaries 1994-1999. Profile Books. ISBN 9781846685231.
  15. ^ "Alarm over secret Catholic 'mason' group". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  16. ^ Malta, Times of (2008-12-01). "Centenary celebrations by Catenian Association". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  17. ^ "Australian to lead The Catenian Association". Catholic Outlook. 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
  18. ^ "Catenian circles". Sussex Catenians.
  19. ^ "The Catenians". History. Archived from the original on 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  20. ^ An example of the list of Circle officers from Derby catenians Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Officer, Chamberlain, Registrar, Marshal and Charity Steward
  21. ^ Short, Martin (1990). Inside the brotherhood : further secrets of the freemasons. Internet Archive. London : Grafton. ISBN 978-0-586-07065-9.
  22. ^ "Cambridge Catenians". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  23. ^ Catenians information leaflet, 2021
  24. ^ "Cambridge Catenians". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  25. ^ "The Catenians: A brotherhood of faith". The Irish Catholic. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  26. ^ Bursary Fund, a UK-registered charity
  27. ^ The two funds are outlined [1].
  28. ^ "Cambridge Catenians". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  29. ^ "The Catenians: A brotherhood of faith". The Irish Catholic. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  30. ^ See "Men, Masculinities and Religious Change in Twentieth-Century Britain", by Lucy Delap and Sue Morgan, published 2013 by Palgrave Macmillan, chapter 2, page 1.
  31. ^ [2] (accessed 10 Nov 2024)
  32. ^ Full text of the address available on-line here Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  33. ^ Coogan, Steve (2016). Easily distracted. Internet Archive. London : Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-958593-0.
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