National
Our national board is active in providing spirituality and support to both our state board and our local courts. There is a sharing of charitable projects and charities which unite us all as one. Our united faith makes us strong in working together as one in Christ.
For more on our organization’s history, charities, and faith sharing, please go to www.catholicdaughters.org.
National Projects and Charities
In addition to the charitable work done at the local level by our courts, see the National Projects and Charities that Catholic Daughters of the Americas is involved in. Through combined giving, each court and member are given the opportunity to support these very worthwhile programs.
NATIONAL PROJECTS:
The Catholic Daughters in partnership with Habitat for Humanity
work to build simple, decent, affordable homes for economically disadvantaged
people so they can have a better environment in which to raise their families.
We provide the finances for the house and also help "hands on" to
build these homes. We, as Catholic Daughters, may leave the site of the
build bumped, bruised, and tired but it is very rewarding for all involved. CDA
was one of the first women’s organizations to complete a house in Habitat’s
seven day “Blitz Build."
Beginning in 1995 in Oklahoma City, the Catholic Daughters have built homes in
Albany, NY; Riverside, CA; Baton Rouge, LA; Lakewood, NJ; Dilworth, MN; Port
Jervis, NY; Corpus Christi, TX; Weston WV; Brockton, MA; Williamsburg, VA;
Owatonna, MN; Wichita Falls, TX and Lake Charles, LA. A donation was also made
to the Diocese of Gunther in Indonesia in 2005 after the devastating
tsunami. Other ventures include helping to build 20 homes in
the 40
days of Lent, 2008, in Mexico,
four of which were paid for by Catholic Daughters. We have also built 4 homes
in Haiti in the summer of 2010 and homes in Marana, AZ; Eagle Lake, TX; Pasco,
WA; New Orleans, LA; Porterville, CA and the latest in Corpus Christi, TX in 2016.
More recently, a Habitat For Humanity
build in Edinburg, Texas, was an important goal for Texas State Regent at
the time, Rosie Stockwell, and the State of
Texas. The Raising of the Walls was on September 23, 2017 and the
Dedication of the home was held on February 10, 2018. Helene Shepard,
National Regent at the time, along with her board, awarded the Texas CDA State
Court a $15,000.00 grant to help with the costs in December 2017. The rest
of the $50,000.00 was raised through court donations and a HFH fundraiser (a
Skeet Shoot held on December 2, 2017). Helene flew to Edinburg, to
present the check to the Habitat for Humanity local office the weekend of
February 10, 2018.
Rosie Stockwell took Olga Samaniego, National
Regent-Elect at the time, to see the house when Olga was in the Rio Grande
Valley for an anniversary celebration in November 2017.
Rose Holschlag, National Director and National Chairman for Habitat
for Humanity, and Helene Shepard, were also present along with National Director
(at the time) Carolyn Bachman, and Rev. Gregory T. Labus,
Texas State Chaplain. In attendance were also several past state regents
for Texas, Texas State Officers, Texas State Chairmen, District Deputies, and
of course, many CDA court members from across the state. Because the home
was built in the vicinity of two (2) elementary schools (called
"sister" schools because they are next to each other) in the Edinburg
Consolidated Independent School District, the Assistant Superintendent for
Curriculum and Instruction and the two (2) principals from the schools were
present and participated in the Breaking of the Ground, along with city
officials, which was held on August 14, 2017.
Habitat For Humanity Application to National for Funding
“The family that prays together stays together” is the motto of
the Holy Cross Family Ministries. Faithful to Mary, the Mother
of God, The Family Rosary encourages family prayer, especially the Rosary.
Founded by Servant of God, Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, Family Rosary seeks not
only to fulfill the need to share the message of prayer with those who are
unfamiliar with the Rosary but also to strengthen the prayer life of the
devout. Since Catholic Daughters has the Blessed Mother as our Patroness and we
have a strong devotion to her, we have supported this worthy cause since 1977.
The Labouré Society encourages vocations to religious
communities. They have financially helped aspirants who wish to enter a
religious community. Sixty-five percent of their clients have been women who
are unable to enter religious formation programs because of a financial
impediment. Donations from CDA will help to make their vocation become a
reality. St. Catherine Laboure is the patroness of this society.
SOAR! (Support Our
Aging Religious)
SOAR! was founded in 1986 with $25,000 seed money received from
Catholic Daughters. Augmenting the efforts of the institutional Church, SOAR!
is a non-profit organization of persons who are committed to assuring
financially stable and personally secure futures for elderly and frail members
of Catholic religious congregations.
National
Center on Sexual Exploitation
In 1962 Morality in Media was established in New York City to
combat pornography. In 2015, the name Morality in Media was changed to National
Center on Sexual Exploitation. They promote the WRAP Campaign. The White Ribbon
Against Pornography, which takes place each year at the end of October. A NCOSE
newsletter is sent out with each National Quarterly.
NATIONAL CHARITIES:
There are ten National Charities endorsed and
supported by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Local courts are able to
choose from the following charities:
Formation of men for the Priesthood of Jesus Christ at the
Pontifical North American College is characterized by the four pillars of
priestly formation as described in human, spiritual, intellectual and academic
development. There are about 160 seminarians, as well as numerous faculty
members and graduate students, from across the United States, Canada and
Australia who devote themselves to personal formation for priestly ministry
under the attentive guidance, supervision and evaluation of a formation faculty
of priests and religious.
In 1943 this international project was started to provide
assistance to the people in the poorest parts of the world. CRS reaches
out to more than 100 countries with support such as food, medical supplies and
religious assistance.
In 1920 Port Ministry was conceived. Its goal is to provide
spiritual, physical, and psychological services to seamen at port locations in
the United States. They are always happy to receive gifts and useful articles
to place on board ships in ports at Christmas time.
The Tutwiler Clinic operates under the direction of
Sister-Doctor Anne Brooks. It serves the poorest of the poor in the Bayou
country. It runs totally through donations allowing medical help to those who
do not have the ability to seek or pay for services. The Tutwiler Clinic is
always happy to receive medical supplies/samples and over the counter medicines
as well as clothes. Quilting and sewing supplies are always welcome. They sell
quilting items in an attempt to become self-sufficient.
The Catholic Daughters maintain a Disaster Fund to which our
members contribute. At the request of the State Regent where a disaster occurs,
monetary assistance is forwarded to the Bishop of that
diocese for distribution.
Human Life International (HLI) is a United States based Roman Catholic anti-abortion organization. It is one of the largest anti-abortion organizations in the United States. It is also the largest international pro-life organization in the world. It has affiliates and associates in over 80 nations worldwide and has sent representatives to approximately 160 locations.
Through their global mission Human Life International is-
Human Life International truly builds a pro-life culture.
Catholic Extension was founded in 1905, to help Catholics in
remote areas lacking church buildings and resources. Their vision is to raise
money to help bring the Catholic Church to these isolated communities. Today
Catholic Extension serves 87 “mission dioceses”, funds approximately 2000
projects annually throughout the United States and its territories.
The Missionaries of Charity Sisters (Mother Teresa’s Sisters or the Sisters of Mother Teresa, as many call them) is a religious community in the Catholic Church, founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta (now St. Teresa of Calcutta) in 1950 in Calcutta, India. The community is totally dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor, irrespective of social class, creed or colour. We deliberately choose to show God’s concern for the poorest and the lowliest, remaining right on the ground, while offering immediate and effective service to those in need, until they can find someone who can help them in a better and more lasting way.
Basilica
of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Helping maintain our beautiful Basilica in Washington DC.