By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
What began as a handful of Catholic couples seeking fellowship has grown into a faith-filled community where marriages have been strengthened, children have been raised, and friendships have endured for generations. For five decades, the CANA Club has woven a tapestry of faith and fellowship, shaping not only the lives of its members but also the families and parishes that surround them.
“I believe it was knowing that we needed each other,” said Debbie Hutchison, one of the club’s charter members. “Whether we were single or newly married, we found strength in community.”
On the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, Sept. 27, the CANA Club members will come together at Holy Trinity Catholic Church to mark the club’s 50th anniversary with a Mass and reception.
“We’re coming back to our roots,” Hutchison said. “We’ll have a slideshow of memories, time to visit, and a Mass with a special blessing. It will be a very special evening.”
The CANA Club’s origins trace back to the Vincentian Club in Dallas and the Central Catholic Club in Fort Worth, both of which ministered to Catholic single adults and often held joint events.
“We were doing activities together, including visiting churches of other faiths to broaden our understanding,” Hutchison said, adding that she and her husband, Darwin, initially met at one of those ecumenical activities — a Friday night service at Temple Emmanuel.
“We were both Catholics with open minds, and I think that openness drew us together,” she recalled. “Love brought us together and has kept us together.”
Foundation of faith
In Dallas, the Vincentian Club was founded in 1947 by Father Austin Minogue, C.M., to minister to single adults attending Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Though his vision for a single adult ministry was ahead of its time, it did not extend to those Catholic singles who later married.
So, in 1975, a group of young married couples — many formerly active in the Vincentian Club and Central Catholic Club — formed a new community. Their first gathering, held during a snowstorm at the School Sisters of Notre Dame motherhouse in Irving, was informally named the Club of No Name. As membership grew and families expanded, the group adopted the name CANA Club, reflecting its mission to support married Catholics in faith and fellowship.
The newly formed club was led by Father Augustus “Gus” Melito, who previously had served as a chaplain for the Vincentian Club at Holy Trinity and understood the need for creating a community to minister to young married couples transitioning from the single life.
“He was the heart and soul of the CANA Club,” Hutchison said. “His face was the first we looked for when we came into the room. He gave us guidance, not from experience but from wisdom. He was a father to all of us.”
Many members of the new club were previously members of the Vincentian Club, where Liz Pennartz said most had already become friends. She and her husband, Lawrence, married a few months after Father Melito formed the CANA Club.
“Father Gus would laugh and tell us that once the marriages started, we would fall like dominoes, and that is exactly what happened,” Pennartz recalled. “Father Gus loved us so much that he wanted to support our marriages by giving us this format.”
Families and fellowship
From its humble beginnings with about a dozen members, the CANA Club grew over time to include more than 60 members and still includes around 30 members today.
“We’ve lost some to death and others have moved away, but we’ve remained connected,” Hutchison said. “We’re from all walks of life — judges, medical personnel, tradesmen, retirees — and we bring all sorts of experiences to the table.”
Its roots can be traced back to Holy Trinity Catholic Church, but the club’s reach extends far beyond the original parish. While serving at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, Father Melito welcomed the CANA Club as a part of the parish family, where members joined in eucharistic celebrations, carnivals, and social events. After his death in 2007, the club was embraced by St. Pius X Catholic Church under the pastoral leadership of Father Michael Guadagnoli, Father Salvador Guzman, and now Father Zach Webb.
“We’re everywhere,” Hutchison said, noting that in addition to the Vincentian Club and Central Catholic Club, members of the Cathedral Club also joined. “Darwin and I are parishioners at St. Pius X, but we have members in Ennis, Watauga, Arlington — all over.”
As the couples have matured, the club’s activities have evolved over the years, but Hutchison said the spirit remains the same.
“We’ve had potluck dinners, road trips to Ennis and San Antonio, hayrides, lock-ins for teenagers, and always Mass to end our celebrations,” she explained.
Pennartz said the friendships formed through the CANA Club provided its members with a support system, whether it was helping a fellow member move or caring for a friend battling cancer.
“We knew we could rely on each other,” she explained. “Our support and love for each other continues to this day.”
As the families grew to include children, they too became central to the club’s life.
“It got a whole lot louder,” Hutchison said. “Father Gus would say, ‘Where did I lose control?’ and we’d say, ‘You never had it.’”
Hutchison believes those children’s lives also have been shaped by the club.
“They’ve formed connections, collaborated on outings,” she said, “and some have gone on to do amazing things.”
Pennartz said, first and foremost, the CANA Club is a faith-filled group, with many activities being family oriented and centered around the celebration of Mass.
“The CANA Club not only influenced our faith,” she said, “but through example, taught our children about their faith and sharing our blessings with others.”
Likewise, Betty Schlottman, who along with her husband, Mitch, has been a longtime member, said the club makes a difference because it is born from core principles.
“Our values in life: faith, family, and friendship,” she said, “those are the values that our couples have.”
While the club’s spiritual foundation was laid by Father Melito, its founding chaplain, after his passing in 2007, Father Dan Clayton stepped in to continue the ministry.
“He is a blessing to us as we journey through these senior years,” Pennartz said, noting that it was Father Clayton who suggested that the 50-year anniversary be held at Holy Trinity where many of the couples began their relationships.
“He’s been a great source of continuity and a beacon of faith,” Hutchison added. “He offers beautiful, faith-filled advice.”
The club has had a long-lasting impact on the lives of its members, Pennartz said.
“The CANA Club is still so special to us after all these years,” she said, “because it has our faith at its core and because of our friendships that are two to three generations strong.”
Reflecting on the milestone of the club’s 50th anniversary, Hutchison said she believes that Father Melito would be proud of what the group has accomplished over five decades.
“He’s smiling down on us, saying, ‘I knew you could do it,’” she said. “We’re proud that we’ve stayed the course, held on to our faith, and remained active in it. Each of us has done something God has led us to do.”
Editor’s note: Those interested in learning more about the CANA Club can contact Betty Schlottman at 214-803-3456.
Cutline for featured image: Members of the CANA Club pose for a group photo with Father Dan Clayton while celebrating the club’s 40th anniversary at St. Pius X Catholic Parish in 2015. (Courtesy photo)
