Members of the Catholic Union’s St Thomas More Circle gathered for a special Mass and Reception at St Mary’s Cadogan Street on Thursday 20 June.
The annual event is a way of thanking some of the Catholic Union’s most generous supporters. This year’s gathering was also attended by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, and sponsored by the Catholic Universe.
The gathering was also addressed for the first time by Baroness Hollins, who became President of the Catholic Union last year. She urged the need for the Church to be a place where all are welcome and seen, including those with disabilities.
The Catholic Union’s St Thomas More Circle was launched in 2019. It is a group of donors who provide much needed financial support to the work of the Catholic Union, whose patron is St Thomas More.
The annual Mass and Reception for members of the Circle is held around the time of St Thomas More’s Feast Day on 22 June. St Mary’s Cadogan Street is a particularly appropriate church to host the gathering, located around the corner from the home of St Thomas More.
The Circle’s funding has helped to professionalise the work of the Catholic Union in recent years, including recruiting public affairs and communications specialists. Acting Chair of the Catholic Union, Richard Collyer-Hamlin, and Chair of the Catholic Union Charitable Trust, Professor Peter Hindmarsh, both stressed that this work will be all the more important in the next Parliament.
New donors are very welcome to join the Circle. Other ways of supporting the Catholic Union, including joining as a Member or making a one-off donation, can be found on our website here.