Tie Spotting

At this month's Circle meeting we were pleased to see our Bro. President's ties have returned to form.

A detail of the above

His example seems to have effected some other circle members.

Bros. Mike Georgeson and Jim Brophy

The Marne 2014

Mark Forster writes:

I mentioned at last night's Circle Meeting that I had had an idea for raising funds for charities, to include Catenian charities. I have recently returned from the Commemoration of the 97th Anniversary of the First Battle of the Marne in France, and it has struck me that in three years time it will be the 100th Anniversary. I am sure the French authorities, who keep this commemoration going faithfully year by year, will make a really big thing of the 100 year mark.

My idea is to do a sponsored walk over the entire route which my former unit, the 1st Battalion The Northumberland Fusiliers took during the Retreat from Mons, followed by the Advance to the Aisne. My idea is only in the very first stages of development at present, but I am hoping I can get the support of the military and civil authorities in France as well as my own former regiment. I have already got one new recruit, Bro. Mike Newman, who has enlisted as my batman for the duration!

Here is the map of the route taken from the regimental history. I have marked the retreat phase in red and the advance phase in green. Click on the image to see more detail.

Below is a photograph of the British Army monument at La Ferté sous Jouarre, showing the Mayor and other local dignitaries with our party and French standard bearers. The British War Memorial bears the names of over 3,000 members of the BEF who fell at Mons, the Retreat from Mons, Le Cateau, Marne and Aisne who have no known grave.  

Finally here is a link to a French video of the main commemoration at Mondement, where the main memorial to the battle of the Marne is situated.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkxlbo_commemoration-de-la-premiere-bataille-de-la-marne_news

If you want to skip the speeches in French, an extract from the leader of the British contingent's address is at 05.54

The Foley Niblick

Peter Frisby writes:

The players assembling for Niblick 2011

I am very pleased to confirm that we raised £350 last Tuesday during the 30th Playing of The Foley Niblick and I would like to thank those who took part in this most enjoyable day. Your presence and generosity ensured that a great time was had by all and that we raised a significant amount of money to help Fr Chris McGuinness in his ministry. A cheque has been sent to St Patrick's Missionary Society for the above amount to be forwarded to Fr Chris.

Our winner on the day For the Niblick was Phil Gidman. Second was Andrew Brzezina and Third Peter Frisby.

A. Pinder presenting the Niblick to the winner, P. Gidman

The Winning guest was Bob Sparks, second Simon Hulme and third Michael Frisby.

B. Sparks the guest winner

The winner of the Pat McDermott Memorial Trophy was Francis Benham.

John Maher presenting the Pat McDermott Trophy to Francis Benham

Our congratulations to all the worthy winners. They were delighted with their lavish prizes!

We raised £190 through the raffle. Thank you to all who gave prizes for the raffle - most generous.

A big thank you to Manus McDermott for all his help before and on the day and thanks too to David Tillson for his help with the raffle.

Crawley Wins the Visitors Cup!

Mike Newman writes:

Seven Brothers from Crawley Circle all successfully made it to Seaford Circle's meeting last night (12 September). A total of 62 attended the meeting, including 2 visiting gentlemen and 32 visitors. Their Treasurer is now receiving therapy (or would be if they had the funds).

Martin Klust was presented with a cheque for over £500 from the Province in thanks for all the work he has done at Circle and Provincial level since 1968.

The visitors came from Circles from all across the Province so our seven proved to be a sufficient number to enable us to collect the Visitors Cup. Seaford President Paul Allen will present the Cup to George Powell at the Provincial Council meeting on Wednesday.
[In the absence of a photo of the Visitors Cup, your editor has used a photo of a completely different cup for illustrative purposes.]

Arundel and Brighton Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes 2011

Jim in the Grotto

 Jim Warren writes:


Pauline and I are back from Lourdes, just a month ago now, and on Sunday 4th September the pilgrimage reunion was held at St Wilfrid’s school, an opportunity to share memories and photographs with new friends and old.

There is something about the A & B pilgrimage to Lourdes. People ask if we go expecting to witness a miracle - the 66th miracle of Lourdes was officially recognised in 1999 and this was for a cure which occurred in 1987. 1858 was the year Our Lady revealed herself to Bernadette - so in something over 150 years and with visitors and pilgrims amounting to 6 million a year, no, we don’t go on pilgrimage anticipating a “miracle”. It could be said the biggest cause for wonder and amazement is that the pilgrimage occurs at all. The organization is incredible and all credit must go to the small dedicated team of volunteers who bring it all together. Everything is thought through, right down to the provision of colour-coded labels for our luggage.

Some 750 pilgrims make the journey each year. Of those upwards of 200 or so will be requiring quite a lot of support, and so there is the need for 450 or so helpers including doctors and nurses. Now in today’s secular and egocentric world, a helper is an odd one. He or she gives up a week's holiday, hands over £600 to the A&B Pilgrimage Trust and spends the week helping strangers.

The pilgrimage has the same slot year on year. We  begin our journey on the morning of the first Thursday of the school summer holidays, arriving in Lourdes on the Friday morning, and we leave Lourdes on the following Thursday afternoon, arriving back in England about mid-day on the Friday - so nine days then, during which the helpers have to pretty much stop thinking about themselves and concentrate on making sure fellow pilgrims, sick and disabled, are happy, fed, watered, etc. It is quite a challenge and the wonderful thing is about a third of those helpers have just finished school, 18 year olds, girls and boys, often spending their first time away abroad without their parents. These young people of the “must have it now” generation rise to this challenge and give of themselves in a manner which would amaze those who watched the recent riots on TV.

We all witness small miracles everyday at Lourdes in the caring and love which everyone shows for each other, and there are many who say “why can’t the other 51 weeks be like this?”

Catenians of the diocese share in this love by the support which they give to the pilgrimage, in many cases assisting these young people with the cost and supporting the  Sick Fund, which aims to ensure that all sick people who want to go on pilgrimage with the diocese can do so whatever their financial circumstances.

In Lourdes we said a prayer for all Catenians and their families worldwide, and in that we were joined by many brothers. It is perhaps not surprising a good contingent make the pilgrimage each year.

It will take a time before we come down from the “high” that the pilgrimage gives us, and when we do we start to look forward to next year.

A Warm Catenian Welcome in Sunny Seaford

Edek and I were delighted recently to receive an invitation, via George Powell, to attend a barbecue thrown by Seaford Circle in the hall and garden of St Thomas More Catholic Church, Seaford. The occasion was a “come and see” for local parishioners who were interested in finding out more about the Association.

It was a glorious blue-skied, late summer’s day as we travelled over the Downs last Saturday; the gentle roll of the green hills and that first glimpse of the sea sparkling as one mounts the crest of the downs never fail to prompt a satisfied sigh and stretch! There is just more room to breathe up there...

This sense of relaxation did not abate when we arrived at our destination, however, as we could not have received a sunnier welcome. We found the members of the Seaford Circle to be very friendly. They would also have made excellent PR officers for Seaford’s estate agents or tourist offices as they extolled the virtues of the town to us! Seaford is certainly pleasantly located with a backdrop of rolling downs to one side and the sea to the other, bang next to Newhaven and with Brighton and Eastbourne both within easy reach. (However I am conscious that this is the Crawley Circle blog so perhaps had better finish this particular digression now...!)

George, Edek and I enjoyed our burgers and hot dogs seated at a table with Paul Allen, the President of Seaford Circle, whose wife Brenda (pictured left with Paul) and some other local ladies had greeted us on arrival. It was a pleasure to meet and chat with Martin and Mercia Lamprecht, originally from South Africa; Martin disclosed that he had first been invited along to a Catenian function some months earlier and ever since had kept an information leaflet sitting in his desk at work, where it greeted him every time he opened his top drawer. Hopefully the barbecue will have prompted him to take things a step further.

All in all we had a hugely enjoyable afternoon, meeting amongst others Michael Logan, Seaford Circle Membership Secretary (eyes right), who we trust made some rich pickings! We would have joined! Afterwards Edek and I attended Mass in St Thomas More Church where the welcome was continued by parish priest Fr Niven. We were treated to a presentation at the end of Mass by one of the parish’s young people who had attended World Youth Day: an impressive 14 youngsters had attended from Seaford.

The occasion was an example of Catenian brother (and sister) hood at its best and we would like to say a big “thank you” to the Seaford Circle for welcoming us along.