Thinking of Joining?

St Helens 21 is a thriving Catenian circle which gives a warm and embracing welcome to new Brothers.

Membership Officer Bernard Fyles talks of his work in attracting new brothers and what a new brother can expect life as a New St Helens Catenian to be like.

The Catenian Association is an association of like minded Catholic Men whose purpose is to strengthen family life through friendship and faith. There are approximately 10,000 members worldwide and we are organised into local groups called Circles, and internationally arranged geographically into Provinces. We are the St Helens Circle which is the 21st Circle of Province 4.

Click for the Article-“What Happens at Circle Meetings”

In order to stimulate interest and encourage new membership of our Association, a Trophy called the Vernon de Cruz International Membership Trophy, was awarded for the first time in 2011 to Coulsdon Circle. The St Helens Circle were the second recipients having enrolled 12 new members during the Presidential year 2011/12.

We are a men’s Association and the requirements for membership are that you must be a committed and practicing member of The Catholic Church and be over 21 years of age.

Our Circle meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month.

In order to determine the best strategy for gaining interest and new membership, we formed a membership committee and decided that Pulpit Presentations at masses in the St Helens area seemed an obvious approach to identify and meet with Men of the calibre that we were seeking to attract.

The essential ingredients of this approach were:

*The support and co-operation of the priests and wives of interested gentlemen.
*Clear, precise and concise information given in the presentation
*A positive and friendly approach to prospective new members at the end of mass
*An invitation to prospective new members to exchange  names and telephone numbers after mass.
*The provision of extra information to that  given in the Pulpit Presentation, by members of the membership team.

Subsequently during telephone conversations,  interested gentlemen learn more about the enrolement procedures as below:

*An invitation to attend 2 post circle meetings to socialise, dine, and meet members of the Circle in a relaxed and informal atmosphere
*Then follows attendance at a full meeting where you will get a clear idea of how the circle operates
*Formal application is then made followed by an informal interview at the candidate’s home.
*The application is subsequently discussed and verified at the Circle Council meeting.
*Enrolment would then take place at the start of a subsequent Circle meeting.

The association is open and non elitist, and offers support, friendship, and social activities which are supplementary to existing social life and most importantly involve wives and families. We support one another in bad times and celebrate with one another in the good times. Why not come and Join us!! 

Click here for our ‘Thinking of Joining?’ page

Typical comments of new members are: ” I enjoy the fellowship”…..”Im made to feel so welcome!”…….”I wish I’d joined long ago!”

If you’d like to know more, browse around our website then complete the contact us form.

Fraternally

Brian