Welcome
A very warm welcome to the Southampton Catenians website. We are one of the founding branches (or ‘Circles’ as we are known) of the Catenian Association having been inaugurated on 9th April 1913, just 5 years after the Association was established.
The Catenian Association is an international organisation of Catholic laymen and permanent deacons. We have a focus on family, friendship and fun with the common factor of sharing the same faith. Many Catenians have a prominent role in their local parishes and Diocese as well as Catholic lay organisations.
We meet on the 1st Monday of each month, unless a Bank Holiday, at the Mercure Dolphin Hotel, Southampton.
Visitors from other Circles are always welcome and please contact our Dining Secretary by the preceding Thursday if possible. Alternate months are ladies nights. In addition to Circle meeting evenings we have a very active social programme. Please look at our “Meetings” page for more details.
Additionally we welcome Catholic men who would like the opportunity to meet others to build lifelong friendships with them and their families. If you are interested then please come and meet us and see how we can enrich your lives and you can enrich ours.
Please look at our membership pages for details of how to become a member and frequently asked questions.
A Message from Southampton Circle President, Harry Harrison
My relationship with the Catenian Association began in my youth when my father was a Brother of the Catenian Circles in Woking and Guildford. In those days I regarded Catenians as a social club, just my father and his friends having a good time. Indeed, with a full events programme, the recreational side of Southampton Circle is as important today as it was in my father’s time. But it wasn’t until I became a Brother myself seven years ago that I realised how my father had been part of something very special that extended beyond the social, which I now share today with my fellow Brothers, their wives and their families.
As Catenians, we care about each other and the communities in which we live, and we endeavour to positively contribute to both. With fewer people following a Christian path these days, the Catenian Association provides the opportunity to mix with like-minded people outside of one’s own parish. It has been a blessing to be part of this extended Catholic family and Dawn and I value the friendships we have made. Yet the links in the chain of Catenian Brotherhood extends beyond the Circle, widening the hand of friendship to include Brothers and wives throughout Great Britain and beyond.
At Southampton Circle, we represent a diverse range of ages and views. Some are employed and others are retired. Some are traditionalists and others are liberal. But this commonality in faith that we share transcends age, status and opinions. We at Southampton have so much to offer to today’s Catholic men and their wives.
To quote Bishop John Arnold of Salford: “Jesus and his disciples did many things together – they walked, talked, prayed and shared meals together.” As Catenians, we do likewise. So please join us and discover the best kept secret in the Catholic Church!
