Welcome

to the new ASDC website

The ASDC is an association of local lay self support groups; stemming from an inaugural meeting called in Manchester in 1981 in response to an increasing pressure for a more compassionate understanding of separated and divorced catholics. The association, warmly supported by the Bishops' Conference, has adopted a constitution (approved by the hierarchy), which qualifies it for charitable status, and has elected a co-ordinating committee based at the Headquarters in Manchester.

The purpose of our organisation is to provide catholics shattered by the trauma of marriage breakdown with the support and care which is often best provided by fellow believers and sufferers. With the guidance of our group chaplains, and confident in Christ's promise to those who gather in His name, we believe Christ shares in our mutual ministry of healing. Many lonely and isolated catholics with our common faith in Christ (in particular those trying to raise children on their own) describe joining the ASDC as "finding a new family". With the help of our new brothers and sisters we learn to admit our anger, resolve our bitterness, start to forgive past injuries and mistakes, our own included, and so to begin to live again. Through shared prayer, discussion, study, retreats, as well as more social outings and entertainments, we grow in the confidence to reassert ourselves in society.We are not a pressure group seeking to change church law; we uphold the sanctity and integrity of marriage as the foundation of human life. We do aim to change attitudes by spreading accurate information on the church's teaching on separation, divorce, annulment and remarriage both among our members and fellow Christians. We want to integrate our work with other caring agencies to reduce the number of marriages that fail.