Union of Catholic Mothers – Wales
The Union of Catholic Mothers Wales is a National Organisation of Catholic Women, open to all women of all ages who support our aims and objectives in prayer, love and active witness to marriage, family and Christian life in the world.
RECEIVE a friendly welcome.
FIND companionship.
EXPERIENCE a sense of belonging.
Our friendly UCM group meet on the second Monday of each Month beginning with Adoration at 1:30 p.m.
St Margaret Clitherow, Patron Saint of the UCM
St Margaret Clitherow, patron saint of The UCM was born in 1556 in York and baptised in St Martin-le-Grand, Coney Street, where her father was churchwarden. In 1571 she married John Clitherow, a butcher, who had a shop in the Shambles. Margaret became a Catholic in 1574 and from 1576 she sheltered Catholic priests, trained on the Continent, so that they could celebrate Mass for Catholics in York. On 12 March 1586 her home in the Shambles was raided and she was arrested. She refused to plead at her trial because she didn’t want others to share with her the guilt of her condemnation. The penalty for this was ‘pein forte et dure’ – pressing to death. This happened at the Toll booth beside the Ouse Bridge. Six weeks later her body was discovered by Catholics who carried it away and buried it with honour. Nearly 400 years later, on 25 October 1970, Margaret Clitherow was declared a Saint by Pope Paul VI, and all Members are encouraged to attend Mass on her Feast Day which is 26th March.
History of the Union of Catholic Mothers
At the end of the 19th century there were many women’s societies across Europe. In Tiverton, North Devon two women, Mrs Chichester and her sister, Miss Berkeley decided to create a society similar to the Mothers Union but with a Catholic emphasis. Thereby and following a mandate from His Eminence Cardinal Bourne the Union of Catholic Mothers officially came into being as part of the Catholic Women’s League in 1913. By the late 1920s and following the First World War, the UCM had expanded sufficiently for a constitution drawn to be drawn up and by 1930 it was a large enough organisation to push for independent existence. In 1930 a member of the UCM became the first Catholic woman councillor in the city of Manchester.