History of CUF Chapters
by James Likoudis
Tucson Family Conference, Oct. 28-30, 2004

The apostolate of CUF was established on September 26, 1968, as a means by which faithful laity might respond to the call of the Second Vatican Council to love the Church—and this as a worldwide crisis of faith was to afflict the Church in the post-conciliar period . . . and which may be said to continue in our own day. Vatican II had called upon the baptized and confirmed to promote the rich teachings of the Council and in the words of CUF’s founder H. Lyman Stebbins who had soaked himself in both the letter and spirit of the Conciliar documents—to “spread, defend, and advance the efforts of the Teaching Church.” The Council had called for a strengthening of the lay apostolate in a “collective and organized form.” “Only a well-knit combination of efforts can completely attain all the aims of the modern apostolate and give its fruits good protection” (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, no. 18).

Catholics United for the Faith was established by laity in accordance with the specific decrees of an ecumenical council to do the work of the lay apostolate as a “private association” of the faithful. CUF sought to be a part of the real renewal of the Church called for by the Council—to deepen the prayer of our members, to encourage members to be among the best informed Catholic laity by the study of the Church’s official teaching and documents, and to foster action that would further the evangelization of others—and this after undergoing a personal conversion that would result in an interior spiritual life—a life of holiness from which action would flow.

Catholics concerned with the rebellion and dissent already manifesting itself after Humanae Vitae were delighted to know of CUF’s existence as a lay organization of Catholics giving unequivocal witness to the Church’s authentic doctrine and discipline and in strict fidelity and obedience to the Pope and the bishops in communion with him. Immediately, CUF saw new members joining its lay apostolate and soon new members of CUF formed chapters which CUF headquarters encouraged since there was need in dioceses for Catholics to give public expression to their Catholic identity and to solidarity with the teaching Church. In CUF’s original Declaration of Purpose members read: “The spectacle in our time of dissent and disunity within the Church is an offense to Christ which we, as His lay apostolate to the world, have an obligation to repair.”

The CUF chapter was envisioned as comprising three or more active members who would, by their membership, help support the national organization but also provide a loose organizational structure with officers (chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer) to help its members become knowledgeable about the doctrine and discipline of the Church, especially to those things stressed by the Second Vatican Council, especially the Council’s universal call to holiness. CUF’s founder Mr. Stebbins who was steeped in the writings of John Henry Cardinal Newman would often refer CUF members to them in his correspondence and articles in the CUF newsletter which soon blossomed into our main publication, Lay Witness. To those so conscious of the needs of our apostolate and sometimes understandably disheartened by what had yet to be done on behalf of Christ and His Church, the words of Cardinal Newman would often be recalled:

If we were created, it was that we might serve God. If we have His gifts, it is that we may glorify Him: If we have a conscience, it is that we may keep it before us; if we have light, that we might follow it; if we have grace, that we may save ourselves by means of it. Alas! Alas! for those who die without fulfilling their mission! who were called to worship Christ, and who plunged into this giddy and unbelieving world; who were called to fight, and who remained idle; who were called to be Catholics, and who did but remain in the religion of their birth!” (Sermon: God’s Will the End of Life)”

It would be impossible here in a brief time to detail all the tremendous accomplishments and activities of CUF chapters over a 35-year period:

1) the countless Letters to the Editor to Catholic and secular newspapers defending and explaining Catholic teaching

2) the constant flow of information from chapters to CUF headquarters concerning the doctrinal, catechetical, educational, and liturgical situation in their dioceses and the activities of dissenters—which was useful for CUF to bring important matters to the attention of individual bishops or Roman congregations.

3) the setting up of private schools such as the Holy Innocent Schools during CUF’s early years, and the constant efforts to establish private Catholic acadamies supported by the members of CUF chapters.

4) the early encouragement given the home schooling movement by many CUF families which became intimately involved with parental catechesis.

5) the numerous analyses of defective catechetical texts and books written by members of CUF chapters and which formed a formidable supply of critiques that was distributed nationwide by CUF headquarters to interested parents and teachers.

6) by the tens of thousands CUF distributed through its chapters CUF’s analysis of the National Catechetical Directory issued by the USCC. When there appeared the first drafts of the NCD, a hundred CUF chapters contributed to the process of its production. At the time Msgr. Wilfrid Paradis noted that “CUF’s participation in the preparation of the NCD was the most extensive of any organization in the U.S.” This great chapter effort also resulted in a letter which became CUF’s intervention with the 1977 Synod of Bishops in Rome. Our CUF chapters also assisted the CUF office to have input into the “Basic Teachings” document issued by the U.S. Bishops to further orthodoxy in catechetical teaching.

7) Our chapters helped immensely to distribute widely Fr. John Hardon’s, S.J., famous Catholic Catechism, Msgr. Eugene Kevane’s classic Creed and Catechetics, and Msgr. George Kelly’s Battle for the American Church; Dr. James Hitchcock’s Catholicism and Modernity, and Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand’s defense of Humane Vitae and his Trojan Horse in the City of God—all works of seminal importance to lay people seeking to understand the nature of the dissent and disobedience which had become widespread. Many other important books including spiritual classics such as I Believe in Love which had been translated from the French by Madeleine Stebbins, were made available to chapters by CUF’s book service. Chapter members assisted the CUF office to critique the USCC study aid concerning catechetical texts and books used in religious education. It exposed its misleading and defective character. One of our chapters was among the first to expose the infamous Dutch catechism for its heretical errors. A number of our chapters assisted CUF with analyses of the most famous adult catechism which sold almost two million copies in the English-speaking world, i.e., Christ Among Us. Thanks to CUF’s efforts, the Imprimatur was withdrawn from that work by the Holy See.

8) I cannot list here the many critiques of sex education programs and materials to which CUF members and chapters contributed. CUF was among the first Catholic organizations to grasp the totalitarian and immoral nature of the programs of sex education foisted on children in both public and parochial schools. Our first CUF chapter in Long Island saw Dr. Charles Rice write the first CUF pamphlet noting the anti-Christian character of curriculum sex education in schools. Another CUF chairman, Dr. Sean O’Reilly, wrote an excellent pamphlet “Sex Education in the Schools” that our chapters helped distribute. Canadian CUF chapters, under the direction of Lorene Collins, wrote another excellent brochure to distribute to parents in both the U.S. and Canada: “Classroom Sex Education: Is it really positive and prudent? What has the Church Always said?” It was input from our many chapters across the U.S. which allowed CUF officers to meet with the U.S. bishops of the USCC Liason Committee on a number of occasions to discuss the concern of Catholic parents.

9) It was our CUF chapters who from our beginnings banded together to sponsor tours in U.S. and Canadian cities to hear and publicize some of the best Catholic speakers on Catholic doctrine and practice: Christopher Derrick, Philip Trower, Msgr. Eugene Kevane, Msgr. Michael J. Wrenn, Dr. Charles Rice, and so many others. Oftentimes the appearance of CUF speakers was synchronized with newspaper stories and TV and radio interviews to reach a larger public. CUF chapters have typically held one-day symposiums or larger conferences featuring such speakers as Cardinal Gagnon, Cardinal Oddi, Mother Angelica, Mother Teresa, and Fr. George Rutler—and continue to do so. One has only to read each issue of Lay Witness to see the array of speakers, bishops, priests, and laity (including the CUF officers who held the fort in New Rochelle and are now situated in Steubenville, OH) who are sponsored by our CUF chapters in the repeated effort to reach other Catholics with sound instruction in the faith. Many of our chapters regularly hold retreats, days of recollection, and family picnics. None of these activities would have been possible were it not for the talents of our members grouped in chapters which, in fact, continue to be an important force for orthodox Catholicism in a troubled Church.

10) It was our chapters which helped make CUF headquarters aware of the liturgical abuses in their dioceses and the literature written by both modernists and traditionalists involved in rejecting the authorized liturgical reforms of Vatican II. This played a role in CUF’s publishing the important book The Pope, the Council and the Mass in 1981 which helped keep many in the Church.

11) Our CUF chapters continue to play a key role in keeping fellow Catholics aware of the Church’s liturgical regulations, informing them of what the Church requires or forbids. They try strenuously to awaken in members true reverence for and increasing participation in the liturgy, including at least partial recitation of the Divine Office or liturgical hours. The Rosary is of course a favorite CUF prayer at meetings.

So much more could be said about our chapters and the outstanding current members with remarkable talents who have devoted so much time and effort to make CUF better known and effective as a distinctive lay apostolate. CUF chapters today remain an essential feature of the CUF apostolate, and we always seek to find Catholics to establish more chapters to strengthen lay witness to Christ and the Church.

I think what has been already stated clearly demonstrates the truth of what the Second Vatican Council said in its Decree on the Lay Apostolate: “Organizations created for group apostolate, afford support to their members, train them for the apostolate, carefully assign and direct their apostolic activities, and as a result a much richer harvest can be hoped for from them than if each one were to act on his own” (no. 18).