Catholic Women's League

CWL is a worldwide organisation, united in friendship and love, where members can use and develop their talents in projects across the world, in the Diocese and especially in the Parish.

The CWL was founded in 1906 by Margaret Fletcher for the education of women.

In 1906 at a National Catholic Conference she was given permission to distribute leaflets about a proposed Women’s League. At a meeting later in the year attended by 70 women a committee was formed and Margaret became the President of the CWL. In 1943 Blessed, now Saint Margaret Clitherow was adopted as the leagues patroness.

We meet at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between May and October and on the 3rd Thursday of the month the rest of the year. Our meetings vary and consist of business, spiritual and social. These include Lenten and Advent evenings of reflection on the spiritual side and Strawberry Tea and August Brunch on the social side. We also have speakers from time to time.

Today the League continues to offer members the opportunity to develop and learn new skills, enabling them to fulfil their mission of service to one another, their Parish and to the church. The League has a positive voice for good in the Church and in society today.

The League is also involved in fund raising for various charities both on a national and local level. Each year we have our own charity for which we raise funds through raffles and bring and buy sales at our meetings. We are often asked to set up refreshments for various parish events including the Patronal feast, Parish Mission, Lenten talks and every Sunday tea and coffee after 9am Mass. We also work with Holy Name CWL to provide refreshments for parish events.

We also help those in other countries and support all who seek refuge in the UK.

We provide support for serving members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces and their dependants.

You can always find out what is happening by looking in the Parish newsletter or the CWL section of the Parish Notice Board at the back of the church. Last year we had a recruitment drive and we now have several new younger members. We are hoping they have lots of ideas of how to move the league forward because as an organisation we really need to attract more younger women and we hope you will come along and join us for our meetings.