Members - Birmingham
 Birmingham DIOCESAN BRANCH
President: Miss Elizabeth McDonald
Vice President: Mrs Ellen Sandy
Secretary: Mrs June Waterhouse
Treasurer: Mrs Coral Howard
Branch Liaison Officer: Mrs Bernie Townsend
Chaplain: Father Brendan Carrick
Sections: Alcester; Kenilworth; Kingswinford; Olton; Small Heath; Solihull; Southam; South Warwickshire; Stratford upon Avon; Studley; Witney; St.Michael’s Wolverhampton. North Staffordshire Area – Cheadle; Cresswell; Wolstanton. Hall Green and Pershore are Small Sections.
We also have 14 direct members
Birmingham Branch of the Catholic Women’s League was formed in 1910, with 137 members, under the Patronage of the Archbishop of Birmingham and the Presidency of the Countess of Denbigh. In 1912 a CWL Charity Committee was established in Leamington and the Branch became known as Birmingham and Leamington Branch and numbered 469 members including 183 religious. In 1914, the AGM of the League was held at the Midland Institute in Birmingham. The hall was packed with many latecomers unable to gain admission. By 1915 there were Sections in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Stourbridge. In 1932, Birmingham became a Diocesan Branch, under the Presidency of Mrs A R Topham, with the agreement of Oxford, Wolverhampton and Coventry. Before that time, Birmingham and City Branch had performed many of the functions of a Diocesan Branch.
The Branch took great pride in the work that they did with the Woodville Maternity and Rescue Home which they supported and maintained. It is interesting to note how very closely they worked with the Union of Catholic Mothers at that time, certainly in Birmingham Branch. The Branch had 1879 members plus 85 junior members in 1932.
We hold a Study Morning every year usually in March, and this normally includes very interesting speakers and topical subjects. We also have our own Pilgrimage to Evesham and an Annual Joint Mass with the Union of Catholic Mothers at our Cathedral of St. Chad's.
We are proud to be able to claim that our founder, Margaret Fletcher, is a true product of our Archdiocese and is buried within the confines of Begbroke Priory in Oxford.
Birmingham Branch Officers with Ann Donohoe Regional Officer, Sheila Jennings National President, together with Father Carrick our Chaplain, and Canon Peter Turbitt, who travelled from Portsmouth to be with us on August 30th 2006, St. Margaret Clitherow's Feastday, at Begbroke Priory, to visit Margaret Fletcher's grave. 106 members were there altogether.
Birmingham Branch
Centenary Celebrations
Saturday 26th June 2010
On a beautiful sunny day BIRMINGHAM Branch celebrated their CENTENARY with a Mass of Thanksgiving for all that the League has achieved in the Diocese in the last hundred years and looking forward to the next.
Bishop David McGough celebrated Mass for us with concelebrating Priests and a Deacon and the backing of a wonderful choir drawn from Birmingham Branch CWL members and others. The Readers and those who took up the Offertory were all past Branch officers. We were delighted to welcome our National President, Mrs Doreen Pooley, members of the National Executive, members of other CWL Branches around the country with Birmingham Branch President of the Union of Catholic Mothers and other guests to join us in our celebrations.
Bishop David gave thanks for the support the CWL give in the Diocese and Parishes and the support we give each other. he also reminded us of the great contribution the League made during both World Wars.
We then had a lovely Lunch in the Grimshaw Room at the end of which Bishop David cut our Centenary Cake made by Catherine McDonald of Small Heath Section. We received many Centenary congratulatory cards which were on display for all to see.
The Centenary Birmingham Branch AGM followed at which our Branch President, Miss Elizabeth McDonald, agreed to stay on for a 4th year. The other Branch officers are in-situ for the next 12 months. The meeting ended with tea and a slice of the Centenary Cake.
Our grateful thanks of Bishop McGough and to Father Brendan Carrick, our Branch Chaplain for the invaluable advice and support he gave us for our Special Day. Our grateful appreciation also to Jo Morton of CWL Olton Section for all the hard work she put into the choice of music and co-ordination of the Choir.
 
Annual Pilgrimage to Evesham - Tuesday 4th May 2010
40 members of Birmingham Branch gathered at the Church of St Mary and St Egwin, Evesham on a lovely May afternoon for their annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Evesham.
Father Brendan Carrick, Birmingham Branch Chaplain, preceded Mass with the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary with reflection and prayer for the victims of child sexual abuse, followed by a May Procession around the Church.
In his Homily, Father Carrick told us that the dictionary meaning of the word integrity is wholeness and soundness and perhaps Our Lady should be known as Our Lady of Integrity! The sexual clerical abuse scandal has exploded in Europe and globally and will go on for many years yet. We have to restore the Church's integrity as an institution and we have a long way to go. We have got it wrong and we apologise and must be much more transparent. There should be more of a role for women in the Church - if women had been involved, we would not be in this position. Women should be included in every decision making process and we would have a very different Church.
Birmingham Branch Joint Mass with the UCM
On Saturday 24th October 2009, an annual joint Mass in honour of St Margaret Clitherow for the Catholic Women's League and Union of Catholic Mothers was held at St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham.
About 50 members of the CWL and UCM were present at St Chad'd Cathedral for the Mass celebrated by Father Edwin Cownley and concelebrated by Father Brendan Carrick, Branch Chaplain to the CWL and Father Tim Burke, Branch Chaplain to the Union of Catholic Mothers.
Holy Mass of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales was celebrated in honour of St Margaret Clitherow, patron saint of both organisations. In his homily, Father Cownley concentreated on the trial of St Margaret Clitherow before her execution which took the form of ber being horribly crushed to death.
A very happy shared lunch then followed in the Grimshaw Room which was much enjoyed by all and the concelebrating priests.
 L Birmingham Branch UCM and CWL Officers with concelebrating Priests
Birmingham Branch joint UCM/CWL Christmas Party
Saturday 5th December 2009
Following our Branch Quarterly Meeting on Saturday 5th December, we joined with the Union of Catholic Mothers Birmingham Branch for a very enjoyable Christmas get-together with a hearty Buffet provided by the UCM and the CWL committee. Around 100 members of both organisations attended and together with Father Christmas, a Quiz (won by the CWL) and country dancing a most pleasurable, happy noisy time was had. We hope this will be the start of future get-togethers of this kind to further the already good relations between the UCM and CWL in Birmingham Branch.  
Birmingham Branch Study Morning - Saturday 20th March 2010
Birmingham Branch of the Catholic Women's League held their annual study morning in the Grimshaw Room at St Chad's Cathedral on Saturday 20th March. We were privileged to have with us Dr Marie Rowlands to talk to us about 'St Chad's Cathedral, our Inheritance'. She reminded us that the forthcoming visit of the Pope would be the first official visit by a Pope to this country. In 1780, Catholics in Birmingham had no church and no money and until 1778, provision for Priests was officially illegal. Wealthy 'houses' would have their own Priest and the Johnson fund was used as a stipend for Priests. There were no clear bounds of responsibility and Priests did not consider they were answerable to anyone but the Bishop. There were no proper Parishes until 1917.
We had a most interesting, informative morning. In lieu of a fee, a donation was made on Dr Rowlands' behalf, to further the work of Our Ladies Cathechists - a special committee of the Catholic Women's League - with our thanks.
Dr Marie Rowlands (R) with Ann Bayley, Birmingham Branch OLC Representative
www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk
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