The Union of Catholic Mothers, whose aim is to follow the full Christian ideal of marriage and
family life, was founded in 1913 to unite Catholic married women.

On Sunday, 7th September the Langley Foundation of the Union of Catholic Mothers celebrated its 50th Anniversary with Holy Family Parish at the 11 am Mass.

Members of the UCM Diocesan Committee travelled to be present at the Mass
Our Diocesan President, Tina Pearce, led the UCM Prayers.
 

Father Kevin blessed the new statue
of St Margaret Clitherow who is the
patron saint of the UCM.
 
St Margaret Clitherow, patron saint of The UCM was born in 1556

She was baptised in St Martin-le-Grand, Coney Street, where her father was churchwarden. In 1571 she married John Clitherow, a butcher, who had a shop in the Shambles.

Margaret became a Catholic in 1574 and from 1576 she sheltered Catholic priests, trained on the Continent, so that they could celebrate Mass for Catholics in York.
 On 12 March 1586 her home in the Shambles was raided and she was arrested.

She refused to plead at her trial because she didn't want others to share with her the guilt of her condemnation. The penalty for this was 'pein forte et dure' - pressing to death. This happened at the Toll booth beside the Ouse Bridge. Six weeks later her body was discovered by Catholics who carried it away and buried it with honour.
Nearly 400 years later, on 25 October 1970, Margaret Clitherow was declared a Saint by Pope Paul VI.
 

Father Kevin enrolled three new members:
Anna Farchione, Catherine Ryan and Teresa Wilson .

Membership of The UCM is open to all Catholic women, married and single - also non-Catholic wives of Catholic husbands, and may be extended to other women in sympathy with its Aims and Objectives.
The UCM has Foundations  in 17 Dioceses in England and nearly 7,000 members.
Langley President, Bernadette Bates welcomed the new ladies into the foundation, thanked Fr Kevin and everyone involved in this truly inspiring occasion and invited everyone to join them in the Narthex for light refreshments. . . .
..... which they certainly did!!
      Fr Kevin pictured with Bernadette Bates and new members Teresa Wilson, Anna Farchione and Catherine Ryan, 

Thursday 11 September, 2008

UCM celebrations continued with a party. Visiting UCM Foundations from Hounslow and Windsor joined in.  CWL (Catholic Women’s  League ) members from Burnham and Gerrards Cross were also present.

Father Kevin ventured in (brave soul!) and welcomed the guests and everyone to this special evening.

And with plates poised and cutlery ready they paused for Grace

 

        and then........

Christine Benyon, President of the Mothers Union,
St Mary's, Langley, fills up her plate

Happy Birthday, Josie.
21 Again!!

A stack of donated
raffle prizes
Rita Wymark soon had all the feet tapping with her accordion playing.
 

Bernadette Bates, Langley President,
cut the specially baked
anniversary cake.
She then thanked their guests and
everyone involved in the celebration.

  
Many thanks to Ann Budd for her information and to Ann Saunders for Thursday evening's photos.