Provincial Ball

The Dunkenhalgh hotel near Accrington was the place to be last Saturday evening.  Over 150 people attended the Provincial Ball some coming from as far away as London and Ireland.  The theme was Black, White and Bling and whilst the room had been so decorated and the attendees suitably dressed the lighting as you will from the photos did not always conform.  However it was a grand event and Brother Peter & Joan Western are to be congratulated for its organisation.

Bro. Robert Thompson (IPPP), Miss Rebekah Watson, Bro. Director Mark & Maxine Conroy,   Bro. Provincial President Peter & Joan Western, Bro. GB National President Peter & Joan Rogers

Grania Cookson

Grania Cookson is the grand-daughter of the late Jack Liness of Westmorland Circle.

She contacted the brothers of Westmorland Circle and friends of Jack through this blog, seeking sponsorship as she was running in The Great North Run for The British Heart Foundation.

Please read her message below...

Thank you for all of your help in posting my previous email on your blog. Some of the Catenians were very generous in donating to my justgiving page 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/graniacookson. 

I was wondering if you would be able to post another update for me as I have no other way of contacting them? I finished the run in 2 hrs 26 mins and have successfully raised over £600 for the British Heart Foundation. 

I am, however, running another half marathon next weekend in Nottingham, where i'm training to be a vet, in aid of Myeloma UK. 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/graeme-grania-run-for-myeloma

I am eternally grateful for your support and know that grandad would be buying you all pints if he was still around! 

Thank you so so much for all of your support! I have attached some photos from the run so if you could share these that would be amazing! 

Kind Regards 

Grania Cookson 

A 'Double Do'!

On Sunday August 27^th  Terence Donnelly, a Catenian Bursary Trustee, was warmly welcomed by Fr. Michael Murphy at St. Mary’s Fleetwood. 

The occasion was the presentation of a Catenian Bursary cheque to a Fleetwood parishioner, Matthew Steen. That weekend the Church looked absolutely magnificent for the Fleetwood Flower Festival and the displays had been set up by the local Church flower arrangers and Members of the former Fleetwood Flower Club to celebrate 150 years of worship in St. Mary’s

Matthew applied to the Catenians for a Bursary grant to help him with a six month volunteer project teaching Science in a town called Dodoma in Tanzania. Tanzania was formerly a British colony called Tanganyika and is perhaps most famous for having the highest mountain in Africa, 

Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Matthew’s project has been organised by the Jesuit missions and he

will be living and teaching in Dodoma. He will be teaching biology in the local secondary school and he will be like many others because most of the country’s education is provided by volunteers. Matthew received a cheque for £900 to help with this project.

The Catenian Bursary Fund was set up to help Young Catholics to help others. Each year the Catenians distribute over £120 thousand pounds to help others. We recently supported many of the students who went to Lourdes with both the Lancaster and Liverpool Dioceses, of whom 500  were willing to help others less fortunate themselves.

At the 10.30 Mass Fr. Murphy was offering his Mass to celebrate the 25^th Wedding Anniversary of his cousins, Bernard and Margaret Pendleton.

It was truly a fitting celebration for both Matthew’s family and the Pendletons.

Amy Draper's Bursary Award

In August at St. Theresa’s Church in Penwortham Bro. Terence Donnelly,

a Trustee of the Bursary Fund presented a cheque to Amy Draper for her

forthcoming visit to teach at Paramakatoi Secondary School in 

Potaro-Siparuni Guyana in South America. She is going to teach there for 12 months and she was awarded a Bursary of £2,000.

Amy has just left Newman College, Preston and she is going to University at Lancaster on her return from this project. For the next twelve months Amy will be living in a Mud hut with only the very basic facilities….. I do not think we need to go into any more details!!!

On her application Amy used a quote of Pope Francis when he said, “To change the world we must be good to those who cannot repay us”. By giving up a year of her life she is giving her time to do such a thing.

There were Catenians from seven circles present to see Amy receive her award. Amy’s family and her Nan were also there and were justifiably proud of their daughter and what she was setting out to do.

Photo: (l to r) Terence Donnelly (Bursary Fund trustee), Amy, Ken Dennis (Past-Provincial President.

Amy with her mum (Niamh) and dad (Jeff)

Chorley & South Ribble Circles' Joint Ladies' Night

On Saturday, September 9^th, the Brothers of Chorley and South Ribble Circles, together with their wives, families and friends, totalling 112, enjoyed a joint Ladies’ Evening at Shaw Hill Golf Resort & Spa Hotel. Dinner was followed by a raffle, ‘heads & tails’, dancing to the music of Joel David, and much socialising and laughter.

A cheque for £100 was presented to Kathy Butler, wife of Past Grand President Bob Butler, for CAFOD Water-Aid. This was a donation in lieu of purchasing flowers for the Ladies on the top table – a unanimous decision of the ladies themselves. 

From left to right: Brother Andrew Wygladala, President of South Ribble Circle, with his wife Frances, Past Grand President Brother Bob Butler with his wife Kathy, and Brother Terence Donnelly, President of Chorley Circle, with his wife Sandra.

 

Brother Ted Donnelly, President of Longridge Circle, on the left, and his brother, Brother Terence Donnelly, President of Chorley Circle, with their wives, Janis and Sandra

Frances Wygladala, on the left, and Sandra Donnelly, present a cheque for £100 to Barbara Butler in aid of CAFOD.