Members - Northampton

Northampton DIOCESAN BRANCH - Founded 1953

President: Mrs Eileen Carkett
Vice-President: Mrs Cherry Anne Evans
Treasurer: Mrs Evelyn Turmer
Secretary: Mrs Gloria Bacior
Liaison: Mrs Andrea Barry

Northampton Branch, formed in 1953, covered the counties of Northampton, Bedford, the old county of Buckinghamshire, which included the Slough area, Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The diocese was reorganized in 1976 and so Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk
became the new diocese of East Anglia.

The inaugural meeting of the smaller Northampton Branch was held on
January 22nd 1977. The National President, Norah Iverson, installed the new Branch Officers.

Northampton Branch comprises 6 Sections and 6 direct members. Sections are based in Aylesbury, Bedford Brickhill, Burnham, Gerrards Cross, Marlow and Wendover, a total of 104 members.

We are very proud of our Current National President, Mrs Doreen Pooley, who has been a member of Northampton branch for 30 years, serving as an officer at branch and section level as well as Regional Officer and Social Awareness Team Co-ordinator.

The National President, Regional Officer and Branch President are all members of Gerrards Cross Section.

The majority of Sections are in the southern tip of the diocese. Northampton Cathedral is 75 miles to the north, however, our Bishop Peter Doyle, also the CWL Ecclesiastical Advisor, has attended the Branch AGM when possible.
Branch meetings and the AGM are held in different Sections.
In July the Summer Meeting is held at Wendover, when invited speakers give a presentation. This year we were delighted to welcome the Services Committee Chairman, Margaret Richards and Secretary, Joan Collins. Margaret told us about the work of the Services Committee and in particular the Allied Forces Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Branch Members with Doreen Pooley, National President and Northampton Branch Member, at the National Pilgrimage

Each Section holds fundraising events every year for the CWL and local charities. We support Thames Hospicecare, Zoe’s Place, The Little Way, The London Run for Homeless in London and Slough, Nigerian Children Education, Age Concern, Air Ambulance, Autistic Society, CAFOD, CWL charities and of course, each National President’s charity project is well supported as well as parish events.

We are proud of our heritage and enjoy local places of interest (Windsor Castle is just 6 miles away) as well as each other’s Section events. 

In 2008, we joined the other three branches in Region 5 in a celebration for the National President and later that year the four branches went on a pilgrimage to Aylesford in Kent organized by Brentwood Branch and joined by some members of Southwark and Arundel & Brighton Branches.
In March each year members go on a retreat to Douai Abbey, organized by Marlow Section and in November deceased members are remembered in a Memorial Mass.

This year, on 6th June, thirtyeight members went on the National Pilgrimage to Westminster Cathedral.

Each National President leads a Pilgrimage during her term of office. Usually this is a Pilgrimage to Walsingham, but this year our National President, Doreen Pooley proposed that our pilgrimage should be to Westminster Cathedral, which has so many links to the Catholic Women’s League. The response was inspiring. Instead of four hundred pilgrims, eleven hundred members accepted the invitation. We filled the Cathedral and enjoyed a really wonderful experience.

Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton, the CWL spiritual advisor; Bishop John Crowley his predecessor; Bishop John Arnold, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster; and Mgr John Walsh representing the Armed Forces. Other Branch and Section chaplains joined them.

After the Mass Doreen Pooley presented a cheque for £4000 to the Cathedral's Restoration Fund.  This money was collected as £1 from each member to commemorate the collection in 1909 of one penny from each member. In 1909 this paid for the St Joan of Arc mosaic.

The presentation was followed by a short but moving service of Remembrance at the Main Door, it being the 65th anniversary of D Day. We remembered the work of the CWL during the two World Wars and also in times of ‘peace’.

After Mass tea was served in Westminster Cathedral Hall. With so many people attending this was a mammoth task, but it was well organised and ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of Westminster and Brentwood Branches.
We were very pleased to welcome the recently installed Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nicholls. It was a sociable occasion, meeting many old friends and making new ones. Members were able to come to the Pilgrimage who may be unable to come to the National AGM. It is when we gather together that we get an idea of the full potential of the Catholic Women’s League.

The family that prays together stays together.

On the steps of Westminster Cathedral, June 2009

www.northamptondiocese.org