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Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
PURPOSE
To encourage and help men to become active and responsible Christians.
Through their baptism and confirmation, the laity are called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in their homes, their workplace and their families.
THE CMS HELPS MEN TO DO JUST THAT!
TO KNOW HIM
PERSONAL FORMATION
The Society helps to train and inform the minds of its members; it does this via a promotion
called The Plan.
This is an annual programme of study and discussion by which the message of Christ is examined and applied to daily living. The aim of the plan is to help members to understand their faith and
how to live by it.
Branches are encouraged to make their Plan discussions open to the whole parish. The material for the Plan is drawn from Papal encyclicals and other material issued by the Bishops' Conference. Recent Plans have included reflections on: Papal encyclicals, the role of the laity within the Church, and the Christian response to contemporary issues such as bio-ethics, global poverty, and Catholics in political life.
The Word of God is relevant to the world in which we live.
The Gospel teaching can be applied to our own particular circumstances.
The Society sees this as its vital role in the Church and the world.
TO LOVE HIM
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
To live a Christian life daily in the world, it is necessary to learn to be more united with Christ by prayer, the Sacraments, Retreats and Holy Mass.
The Society places great emphasis on its Mass Promotion, encouraging its members to join in the celebration of Mass as often as they are able, and to help to make that celebration a meaningful one for all those attending. We encourage members to become Readers, Special Ministers of the Eucharist, altar servers and choir members. Branches are asked to discuss the meaning of the readings at Mass and to apply their message to their own daily lives.
We gather together in Mass as God's People called aside from a world that is often selfish and sinful. We are sent out at the end of Mass into the world to help it to see the love of Christ.
Members are also encouraged to make an annual Retreat, to withdraw from the world for a day or a weekend to renew their faith. Members are also encouraged to join in prayer with others. It is in our love towards others, more than the keeping of rules, that we show that we are Christians.
TO SERVE HIM
SOCIAL FORMATION
The aim of the Community Service Promotion is to make members aware of the needs of the community from local to national to global level and to respond with love to the needs of those communities.
This expression of our love for our fellow man takes many forms, from sick and hospital visiting to practical help within our local community and to helping to raise awareness of the many problems in the Third World and to provide practical help to agencies involved in aid.
The Society supports a Columbian Charity "Let the Children Live" which provides help to street children and encourages members to help awareness of this charity and to raise money for their work, either directly or with other members of their parish. In addition, many branches raise money for CAFOD and in Scotland SCIAF.
"All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another"
OUR BLESSED LADY
Dean O'Brien, who founded the Society, dedicated it to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. For this reason, the CMS encourages members to cultivate a devotion to Our Blessed Lady.
Members are asked to pray the Holy Rosary and also to visit shrines dedicated to Her. In particular, members are encouraged to make Pilgrimages to England's oldest shrine to Our Lady at Walsingham in Norfolk. If this is not possible, branches are encouraged to visit a more local Marian shrine to join other pilgrims in prayer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT
The Catholic Men's Society
Headquarters
Solly Street
Sheffield
S1 4BA
0114 2727360
A SOCIETY OF SERVICE IN
A CHURCH OF SERVICE
The CMS BRANCH enables men to serve the Parish. The promotions of the CMS, namely Planned Discussions, The Mass, Retreats and Community Service, are open to all members of the parish, male or female and irrespective of age.
District and / or Diocesan Council serve the CMS branch. It is responsible for branches in the area, helping them to implement policies, share materials and experiences and to carry out decisions taken at National Executive, as well as being of service to the area and Diocese.
The NATIONAL EXECUTIVE is the policy making body of the Society. It is responsible for maintaining the network of CMS branches. It provides materials for planned discussions and organises opportunities at National level for members to meet and to share their experiences and pray together. It is to guide and inform all members at every level in the work of the Society.
The officers of the Society are elected annually at National Conference to serve the rest of the Society. Representatives from Diocesan level on the Executive serve as the main link in the network of CMS branches.
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