PROVINCIAL NEWS

On the 24th of January a large number of Catenians and their wives from Province 11 (including Brothers from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Wight) attended a special Mass of Thanksgiving and Hope as part of the Catenian Centenary celebrations. The main celebrant was Bishop Crispian Hollis and most of the permanent Deacons, altar servers and Ministers of the Eucharist were Catenians. The Epistle was read by Grand President David Taylor and the Bidding Prayers by Director Tony Sadler. The Province 11 Ciborium, received at the Centenary Conference, was used at Communion.

The Bishop thanked the Catenians for all the support they give the church and then spoke of the need to follow in the footsteps of St. Paul – the Mass was of the Conversion of St. Paul. After Mass tea and biscuits were served.

In the evening a dinner was held in Emsworth, hosted by Portsmouth Circle.

As one of a number of events worldwide to celebrate the Centenary of the Catenian Association, Mark Kemmis-Betty of Weymouth organized a Yacht Rally, in which a number of vessels converged on Lymington for the weekend. Despite force 7 winds, and with some novices in the crews, all made it safely to Lymington from various points of the compass, from Axminster to Croydon, although the Jersey yacht was unable to start because of the weather.

Merrywake II from Weymouth was skippered by Mark Kemmis-Betty with crew of John Bywater, Colin Clare and Mike Hart. Leaving from Portland was Olivia K , skippered by Ron Coatsworth, with Tony Norman and Dan Burke.

After a church service, followed by a dinner at Royal Lymington Yacht Club, all vessels returned safely to their home ports the next day in rather more clement weather. .

For 2007-2008 President John Hughes decided that the Circle's charity should be Bells Piece, the Cheshire Home for disabled children in Farnham, and a cheque for £2000 was recently presented to the home.

Service Manager Sandra Jehu said “Your generous donation will enable us to complete a project to create a sensory and herb garden, which will be wheelchair accessible, with wide paths and raised beds.”

Bells Piece is a residential home for disabled people and also supports those living in the community, allowing them to grow in confidence and ability. Bells Piece has a horticulture centre that provides garden maintenance, and arts and crafts facilities together with a shop and garden centre. .

In January 2008 Grand President Philip Gidman attended a Mass, Circle Meeting and celebration lunch in honour of Charles Webb of Weymouth Circle and presented him with a certificate to mark his 60 years membership of the Association. Charles was also presented with a certificate for 70 years as a Knight of St Columba and, a week previously, had celebrated his 99th Birthday!. The chief celebrant at the Mass was Charles and Yvonne's [she being a youthful 93] son Canon Peter Webb. Amongst visitors from various other Circles was a deputation from Plymouth, which Circle Charles joined originally in 1948.

At a very successful St. George’s Day dinner held by Portsmouth Catenians, Tony Carroll presented a cheque for £3000 collected for “Reaching the Unreached” during his year as Circle President. This magnificent sum had been collected at Catenian activities and also from the parishioners of St Joseph's Havant, by kind permission of Fr Tom Grufferty the Parish priest. A model train had been used as a symbol of the collection and this was presented with the cheque to David Cassidy, a trustee of Reaching the Unreached.

Reaching the Unreached is an organisation of social workers, founded by a De La Salle Brother, based in a remote village in Tamil Nadu in South India. Its whole aim is to outreach to those in the greatest need, particularly children. The organisation is trying to help the poorest people at the grass roots level in all the surrounding villages. New housing has been built, wells drilled, mothers, children and orphans cared for and children educated; medical care is also provided.