The Catenas

The word Catena means chain, or connecting links from one time and place to another. Its use in Catholicism dates from early Church history, when the learned would compile scholarly catenas, or books of commentary on Scripture by various Saints, Doctors and Fathers, one observation leading to the next. The most famous of these was the Catena Aurea, the Golden Chain, created by St Thomas Aquinas to concentrate the accumulated wisdom and insight of the greatest leaders of the Church into four volumes, one for each of the books of the New Testament.

The Catena Society seeks to follow in the footsteps of the Angelic Doctor under the guidance of Pope Benedict XVI's profound exposition of the Via Pulchritudinis, which means the way of beauty, as a privileged pathway for evangelisation and dialogue ^[1]. The Society intends to animate and develop these endeavours by emulating the example of an unexpected and providential event which passed unnoticed by many, half a century ago.

Integrated Humanities

This was the Integrated Humanities Program (IHP) presented at the University of Kansas in the 1970s ^[2]. Although it was in no way an evangelical project, it quickly drew the attention of local media outlets because of the number of students who converted to Catholicism after taking the course. Among those who were formed by and graduated from the IHP were Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Dom Philip Anderson, abbot of Our Lady Of The Annunciation of Clear Creek Abbey.

Such was the scandal in Kansas that the university investigated to determine whether or not the professors were secretly proselytising. Ultimately, the program was disbanded following the investigations, after only a decade in existence, despite the investigators issuing a statement saying "In the face of charges of religious indoctrination and proselytizing, the Committee has found no evidence that the professors of the program have engaged in such activities in the classroom."

The IHP had an aversion to specialised abstract education and focused instead on tangible experiences, a love for the real, with moral and spiritual formation connected to the beauty of God's creation in the natural world, which is the first way of beauty. Students were inspired to wonder by classical literature, poetry, stargazing, trips to spiritual centres and places of natural splendour, ballroom dancing, horse riding, backpacking, medieval banquets and more. Before every lecture, an upperclassman would teach the students a folk song.

Engaging the imagination and immersion in the vibrant fabric of our forebears' lives were key elements of the success enjoyed by the IHP.

The Society

There is much less tension between the modern world and Catholicism than many believe, since after all the modern world was founded by the Faith, however far it may have strayed from that foundation in certain places. By connecting the past to the present and thence to the future in rich continuity, the Catena Society seeks to firmly re-establish these historical realities in the contemporary spirit with seeds of beauty, joy and knowledge. The Society also seeks to encourage the flourishing of new expressions of Catholicism in literature, the arts and the sciences.

The Catena Society is primarily an organisation of the lay faithful, an association of clubs, societies, organisations and other groups. Please take a look through the website if you would like to get involved, and send us an email at info@thecatenasociety.com.

[1] http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/cultr/documents/rc_pc_cultr_doc_20060327_plenary-assembly_final-document_en.html#_Toc135891122
[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/how-a-kansas-humanities-program-shaped-a-generation-of-catholic-leaders-85799