Hello, my name is Graham Canton.

 

Some 6 months ago, my best friends and I finally made a move on something we had been wanting to do for quite some time, whether we knew it then or not: starting a Catholic fraternity.

 

Christian or not, Catholic or not, most critically-thinking adults can pinpoint one or more things about the current status quo that is either disturbing, disheartening, or simply disorienting. We believe that so much of this apparent disease, as it were, is due to a dramatic decrease in truly masculine men. Not masculinity that seeks power, fame, and destruction for its own sake; this is a false masculinity. True masculinity, however, comes from God. It comes from understanding that the Natural Order of mankind proceeds from two very simple truths: Man and Woman.

 

Some men attempt to find masculinity by trying too hard to distinguish themselves from women. Some men attempt to find masculinity by their physiology.

 

By themselves, neither of these things are sufficient to truly calling yourself a "man."

 

However, when combined with the Word of God Himself, a much more dignified picture of Man is painted for the curious eyes:

 

• Genesis 1:27 paints a picture of complementarity. It is the canvas, if you will.
• The background of the painting might be Ephesians 2:25, which tells us about sacrifice.
• 1 Corinthians 16:13 speaks of acting like men, through keeping the Faith and staying watchful.

 

These truths take the secular conceptions of masculinity and baptize them in fire.

 

So, why start a Catholic Fraternity? One word:

 

Accountability.

 

There is an incredible amount of freedom given to young men in this culture. Access to information is essentially unlimited, pornography is rampant, and online video platforms (and social media platforms) are geared toward keeping an audience through manipulative techniques. Yet, very few young men want to admit that they have a problem. Admitting that you're addicted to something implies that you lack what all men want deep down: control. On top of this, since so many people are afflicted by the aforementioned issues in one form or another, nobody wants to or even can correct others without the shame of accusing themselves of hypocrisy.

 

Therefore, creating an honest, close-knit, wisdom-seeking Fraternity for Catholic, young men must be one of, if not the antidote to the crumbling state of youngsters today.

 

As you likely know well, it is becoming increasingly difficult to live as a servant of Christ in this world. On all fronts, the Church is under attack by the powers that be of various kinds; that is, the secular status quo. Not surprisingly, the political arena has largely sided against a truly transcendental lifestyle.

 

Going back to the year 1832, Pope Gregory XVI issued the first encyclical to address the increasingly quasi-religious tendencies of the Western World: Mirari Vos. The year is now 2021, and the early warnings of our Church in this encyclical have come to fruition:

 

• “Now We consider another abundant source of the evils with which the Church is afflicted at present: indifferentism. This perverse opinion is spread on all sides by the fraud of the wicked who claim that it is possible to obtain the eternal salvation of the soul by the profession of any kind of religion, as long as morality is maintained.”

 

In response to this tragic reality, the Perpetual Council of St. Thomas Aquinas has organized itself. History has shown, regardless of perspective, that young men are one of the main foundations of society. If young men are lost to the errors of the modern world, where will we be in 10 years? 20 years? 30? Surely not where Christ would like it to be. Yet, as tragic as this reality is, we maintain the Hope gifted to us by the Resurrection, and so our formation is done with joy more so than it is done with distress.

 

The Perpetual Council of St. Thomas Aquinas is a fraternal order dedicated to the edification, sanctification, and overall enlivening of the young men who are seeking a medium through which to fulfill their duty to their fellow man, to their Church, and ultimately to God.

 

The time has come for young men to embrace the Faith not as a private belief, but a public one. “Catholic” is not simply an adjective to describe oneself, but a whole and complete lifestyle which should lead all other actions. Therefore, in conjunction with with the theme of the Gospel of Mark, we act with urgency:

 

• “The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15, DRB)

 

We will take to the streets in public prayer, visit frequented local areas (parks, beaches, streets, etc.), preach the Gospel with grand signs at street corners, engage locals with stimulating conversation, and most importantly, we will help our members as brothers to attain everlasting life through Christ. With the dawn of urban sprawl into many counties, and a more globalized economy (i.e. the degradation of subsidiarity), it has never been more important that we create our own smaller communities around common Catholic values.

 

But we can’t do it alone. Organizing a group from the ground up is a difficult task and, being that we are young, but with hearts aflame for the Lord, resources are scarce. Signs are costly, printing is costly, and advertising is as expensive as it is necessary.

 

Therefore, we humbly ask that you would consider contributing whatever you can to the Perpetual Council of St. Thomas Aquinas, so that we may build an infrastructure capable of building something greater than ourselves that will last for years to come, hopefully for the greater good of all young men who find it. Funds for infrastructure include a proper website, funds to host retreats for young men, funds to provide for the homeless, funds to create and disseminate materials for evangelization, funds for advertisement, etc.

 

By supporting the Perpetual Council of St. Thomas Aquinas, or the Fraternal Order of St. Thomas Aquinas, you will be marking yourself as an advocate for the Kingdom of God.

 

If you cannot at this time support us monetarily, we humbly ask that you pray for the Council as a whole, and for its individual members, that we may do well the Will of God and make a difference in this world.

 

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us. We will get back to you as soon as possible and answer any inquiry to the best of our ability.

 

• If you are uncomfortable using GoFundMe, but still wish to support our mission, you can Venmo me. 
• My username is @Graham-Canton.

 

Thank you, and we are praying for you.

 

Feel free to follow our Instagram page: @theperpetualcouncil

 

 

Peace and Love in Christ Jesus,

Graham C.