The second of our short interviews with some of our younger members; this time meet Ben Reilly, one of our younger Catenians at the sprightly age of 24! Ben joined the Grimsby circle in 2018.
Are you one of our young Catenians and would like to share what being a Catenian means to you? Please get in touch as we would love to hear your story!
What made you want to be a Catenian?
I experienced some of the Grimsby Circle’s family events as my fathers’ guest and thought the association seemed to be a great opportunity for likeminded Catholics to socialise and bond. The variety of events at in the Province such as the Barnsley Chop, the Rex Kirk quiz and of course Grimsby’s Fish ‘n’ Chip night appeared as a great opportunity to enhance my social calendar and meet new people.
What did you know about the Catenians prior to joining?
I knew it was a Catholic association based around friendship, faith and charity. I knew there were plenty of opportunities to visit local circles and that there was also lots of events within the Grimsby circle to look forward to. I joined because I wanted to explore these more.
Since you’ve joined has your experience been better / different / worse than you thought it was going to be?
Definitely different. As much as I was keen to join the Catenians, it did seem from the outside like an old-fashioned association which maybe wouldn’t suit the youth of today. I’m very happy to say that this isn’t the case. As young people, I feel that Luke, Adam and I have found the association to be very compatible with our personalities and lifestyle.
I would encourage any young Catholics with doubts around the Catenians to give it a try as I believe the vast majority would be pleasantly surprised. Furthermore, I have found that the association is becoming more and more compatible with young people as it evolves.
Our Circle President last year, Jonathan Read, put together a program with a variety of events such as a quiz night, desert island discs and after-dinner speeches. Each meeting had a different theme of cuisine too, meaning that no evening with the Grimsby Catenians is the same.
This year’s Circle President Keith Littlewood has also committed an ambitious program which means the great nights will continue. I find the association to be great fun and personally look forward to each circle meeting as one of the highlights of my month.
Have you been made to feel welcome?
Absolutely. Every member is approachable and has been very welcoming. I have made many new friends from my own circle and other circles in the Province.
Interested in joining the Catenians?
Many of our younger members are seeing the benefits of Catenian membership – from friendship to community involvement and a true sense of welbeing, purpose and connection through faith. We’re thrilled that Adam could share his story with us.
If you are interested in joining our community of like minded people, please see our membership page for more details on membership and to enquire further.
