Roger Lillie
As Catenians, we have a strong sense of helping and supporting our families and friends and this extends more widely to other organisations, particularly Catholic ones.
We have a key aim in our constitution of supporting our Catholic youth, our clergy and each other. In these difficult times we need to actively consider others. There are numerous issues causing stress and mental illness such as loneliness, living costs and health.
We also need to support each other by sharing expertise and skills. The Catenians in Great Britain have embarked on a programme of affiliation with other lay Catholic organisations whereby we can help each other. Recently I signed a letter of affiliation with the newly formed Catholic Military Association of Our Lady of Victories (CMA), part of the international Apostilat Militaire Internationale which has itself links with the Vatican. Already there are CMA members joining Catenians and we can provide expertise to CMA to help them to become more established.
Additionally, we have affiliated with one University Catholic Society of Students (CathSoc) and anticipate more. We have one member, a celebrated doctor, who is running a programme on mental health with young university students-a much needed support in these times.
So, as a Catholic lay community, we must engage with each other and provide support in the current growing secular society. There are many Catholic associations and societies with a variety of aims but we all maintain the same values which we must share. A community is made all the stronger by working together and these days we need to be a strong and resilient community.
*Roger Lillie is GB National President, The Catenian Association