The Catholic Women’s League was founded in England by Margaret Fletcher in 1906 under the auspices of His Grace, the Archbishop of Westminster. The League spread throughout the British Empire, North and South America. It reached Australia 1914 and Auckland 1931. Christchurch followed in 1936 under the patronage of the second bishop of Christchurch the Most Rev. Matthew Joseph Brodie. Membership of the League grew to three hundred in the first year. Rooms were rented in Stewart Dawson’s buildings. The first President was Miss Mina Ward (Lenihan) (1936-37), an organist at both St Mary’s and the Cathedral. the second President was Miss Ann Buckley (1937-46) who, prior to taking the position, had had a distinguished nursing career.

The Catholic Women’s League assisted a movement of young Catholic Women called ‘the Grail’. Two young women, Miss Pat Wall and Marjory Short, attended a summer school at Grail Headquarters in Sydney in 1938. On their return, groups were formed around perceived needs – library, drama, folk dancing, singing, missionary and homemakers. Grail members were asked by Bishop Brodie to run a hospitality centre for soldiers in World War 2 at Burnham Military Camp. Members offered support to the orphans at Nazareth House. They also ran the Basement Library. The War prevented the Australian branch of the grail from developing the movement in New Zealand. By 1945, younger members of the Grail had joined the Catholic Youth Movement established by Bishop Lyons. Older members continued their association with the Catholic Women’s League.

By 1941, membership of the League had increased. Much larger premises were found at 245 Cashel Street formerly the Catholic Girl’s Hostel, renamed ‘MaryKnoll’. Upstairs were rooms large enough for the sewing circle to store the many garments made each week and storage of the goods for the mission stations of the Pacific. MaryKnoll was used for meetings, conferences, entertainment and work for over thirty eight years. Eventually the cost of rates and maintenance caught up. The League vacated the buildings but retained an office until renting a room at the Catholic Education Board offices in Greers Road.

During the War years, members supplied Mass Kits for Chaplains in the Forces. Members sewed, knitted, mended, entertained and packed parcels of comforts for soldiers and prayed for the men and women overseas.

Branches of the League were being established. The first branches in the Christchurch Diocese were: Akaroa (1937), Ashburton, Timaru, Chatham Islands and Waimate. To achieve greater unity between these a Diocesan Council was formed. The first Diocesan Council meeting was held at MaryKnoll on the 27th and 28th October 1945. The Council met yearly with representatives from Christchurch Headquarters visiting each branch during the year. In 1948 delegates from Auckland and Wellington came to the Christchurch Diocesan Conference to discuss the nationalisation of the League. Miss Kathleen O’Connor, Christchurch Diocesan President was elected Dominion President in 1949.

In the early days of the League, Circles were established which brought members closer together. The large Mission Circle supported missionaries in the Pacific. The Sewing Circle responded to requests from Parish Priests and St Vincent de Paul and the Lewisham (Calvary) hospital (baby layettes). Other Circles were the Kitchen Circle, Garden Circle (MaryKnoll), the Cabrini Circle (looking after the sick and lonely), the Polish Circle (Polish Refugees), the Carmel Circle, Card Reading, Music and Drama Circles and St Joan’s Circle. A large group was the Homemakers whose objective was to bring young wives and mothers together into a special group to assist them spiritually, culturally and socially. Meetings were held monthly and the programmes ranged from music, health, home science, finance, travel, childcare, guidance, religion and sex education. Homemakers proved a great training ground for future Diocesan Officers. Many of their members became Diocesan President, Secretaries and Council Members. Sadly today the only surviving group is the Missions (formerly the Mission Circle).

Decentralisation took place in the Sixties. New branches were formed in many parishes. Branches were formed into regions. Each region had a Representative on the Council. At the present time the Christchurch Diocese is divided into six regions covering the West Coast, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, Christchurch City and surrounding areas.

Close contacts between the Catholic Women’s League, Priests and Religious have always been held as important. The first Chaplain was Bishop Matthews Joseph Brodie (1936). A long serving Chaplain was Monsignor Liddy (1953-77).

The CWL is a member of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO), has been affiliated to the National Council of Women since 1937 and is represented in the Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association. We have close ties with the Home & Family Society, Church Women United, Glenelg Health Camp and Street Outreach (run by the Methodist Mission).

The Diocesan Council meets monthly which enables the League to function in an ever-changing world and the publishing of a monthly newsletter enables members to know what is happening now and in the foreseeable future.

Contact with the League can be made usually by enquiring at the Parish Office of a Parish.