Depending on who you're starting your own group with, beginning your journey with the Catena Society is straightforward. First, get in touch with us to let us know what you're planning, and then gather a group of your friends, your family, people from the local parish or whoever you think would be interested in joining. Then just set up a regular meeting and get started!

The organisational structure of your group can be as informal as a study or prayer group, or can become more formal with a committee including a chairperson, secretary and treasurer as it grows larger. The name of group can be anything you like, but members are encouraged to choose a name which is reflective of their area and an/or inspirational figure - for example, the Boston Catena Society.

Guidelines for Catholic Community Groups

• Prior to founding the group, one person should be selected as the organiser or Guide who will act as decision maker and liason with the Society.
• The Guide should find out which resources are available both online and in the local community for presentation to the group.
• Typically meetings should start and end with a prayer, which can be as long as a full rosary or as short as the group deems suitable. If possible, the reverential use of incense is advised in line with tradition and any other assistance as recommended by the Church - blessed candles, holy water and so on.
• Activities should consist of "Chapters", so for example if members collectively decide to read a book and discuss it, that Chapter begins and ends with the book reading and discussion. As one Chapter ends another should begin, as collectively decided by the group.
• Try to foster a fun, friendly and charitable environment within your group.
• While decisions are made collectively, weight should be lent to the opinion of the Guide.
• When votes are to be taken, such as when deciding activities or considering new members, a show of hands will be sufficient, or writing a number between one and five on a piece of paper and putting it into different envelopes, with the highest count winning.
• Where possible every member should try to participate in what the group is doing at that time. Two or three activities should be pursued per meeting by each group to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy a broad range of interests.
• There is no reason why a meeting might not cover more than one topic, and more than one meeting might be held each week.

Guidelines for Ecumenical, Evangelisation and Outreach Groups

These are similar in all respects to Catholic Community Groups except the Guide should make a decision as to whether or not it is suitable to include prayer in the meeting, and when or if to begin to steer the group towards an interest in Catholicism. The Guide is obliged in all circumstances to avoid the pursuit of subjects which are offensive to the Church.

Guides of outreach groups should keep in mind that the IHP course upon which the Catena Society is modelled never acted in an evangelical fashion, and yet produced many leaders of the Church. In all things, consider the end.

Society Requirements

While there is no requirement for payment to the Catena Society, it's recommended that individual members of groups contribute a small amount to their own group each week to help fund things like day trips and lectures.

Member groups are required to send details of their membership and ongoing activities to the Society, as well as keeping the Society updated with regard to changes in the membership and organisation of each group.

The Society will publish events which have taken place and a general overview of activities going on in each group, with the permission of the Guide, in order to encourage others to start their own groups. The Society may also contact members with news and updates.