The Catenians are a male Catholic group whose motto is Strengthening family life through friendship and faith. Catenians meet monthly for a meal, have an active social life with their wives and families and give support to their parishes and communities. Members are drawn from all walks of life and have a wide range of differing talents and experience. If you think this may be of interest, please contact Jonathan Holder on [email protected] for further details.
Maidenhead Members meet monthly on the fourth Wednesday at St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Maidenhead, for a meeting followed by a meal together.
Maidenhead Catenians are part of an international organization with branches all over the UK and Ireland, Malta, Australia and India. The Catenians were founded in 1908 to help and support Catholic men and their families when there was still prejudice in business and the professions. Today there is prejudice against Christians in general and the purpose of the Catenians remains the same.
It is an association for men but wives and families are very much part of the activities and the brothers help out in many parish activities – serving at Mass, reading, collecting and as governors of schools in Maidenhead and Slough.
We support an annual charity – this year it is ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ – and we distribute Christmas presents to children at the Maidenhead primary schools. We hold an annual speaking competition for schools in the area and help the Slough Catholic senior schools with cv preparation and interview techniques.
A highspot of the year is the annual Opera Evening with singers from the English National Opera. This has been running for thirty years.
The Catenians meet monthly for dinner at St.Joseph’s Hall and are celebrating 55 years in Maidenhead! We are pleased to welcome new members. Contact Terry Boland for St.Joseph’s, Jonathan Holder for St.Edmund’s and Richard Kellaway for St.Elizabeth’s.
Faith, Family, Friendship and Fun sum up the key aspects of the Catenians.
The Catenian Association provides a social network for Catholic laymen and their families and it gives members a means to enjoy friendship in a Catholic community. In this way, it assists members to fulfil their various vocations in life.
There are 10,000 members in the Association in the UK and overseas.
Members are drawn from a catchment area which also includes the two Parishes in Maidenhead,
and the Parishes of Marlow, Henley, Twyford, Wargrave, and Burnham.
There is a varied social programme throughout the year involving wives and families – events include an annual musical performance given by the English National Opera, weekend excursions, golf, theatre trips and summer activities such as BBQ’s, rambles etc.
The Catenians are not a Catholic action society – however, many of its members play an active role in their parishes and the wider community. Maidenhead Catenians are one of the teams which provide the Talking Newspaper for the Blind in the area.
Each year, Members raise money for local or other charities.
The Catenians also support young Catholics who work voluntarily overseas through its Bursary Fund.
If you would like to find out more about the Catenian Association then we would welcome your call
Please contact the Parish Office who will forward your request.