![\"CDA\"](\"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CDA.jpg\" "\\"CDA\\"")
\n\t\n\tSTATE APPOINTED FOR THE DIOCESE OF ALEXANDRIA <\/strong><\/p>\n\u2022 Sue Keller, District Deputy LOCAL COURTS OF THE DIOCESE OF ALEXANDRIA <\/strong><\/p>\n\u2022 Court St. Anthony #968 Although commonly viewed as an organization of \u201cretired women\u201d who serve cookies and tea, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas are actively involved in a number of charitable projects.\u00a0 The only requirement is to be Catholic and 18 years old.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not fortunate enough to have many young people,\u201d said Gloria Baker, district deputy and regent of Court Bishop Desmond #1459, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to get them to join because they are so busy with young families.\u201d<\/p>\n This lack of younger membership is also due, in large part, to the growing popularity of programs for young adults.<\/p>\n \u201cThe CDA was founded in 1903, as an auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus, when there weren\u2019t any organizations for Catholic women,\u201d said Linda Gauthier, district deputy and CDA Kids Chairman. \u201cBut with the increase of young adult programs, the CDA is geared more to women 40 and older.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that the CDA has migrated from the minimum age requirement, but they still want everyone involved.\u00a0 Those members whose work, or other obligations prevent them from being present at all activities, are often vital to telephone and prayer campaigns.<\/p>\n Just because the CDA is generally composed of mature women doesn\u2019t mean their activities are meager.\u00a0\u00a0 Nationally, the CDA works under a program called the Circle of Love.<\/p>\n \u201cThe program encourages us to work through love to enhance its seven points of life, youth, legislation, education, spirituality, leadership and projects,\u201d said Baker.<\/p>\n Locally, the Catholic Daughters work tirelessly to reach these goals.\u00a0 The courts help the diocese by supporting the Hope House, Shepard Center and the Manna House.\u00a0 They also raise funds for priest retirement, the seminary fund, and two yearly scholarships.<\/p>\n Another project, CDA Kids, was initially started by the state court in Baton Rouge and has now become a national project.\u00a0 This project enables each diocese to chose one child, 12 years or younger, who has a life-threatening illness or is underprivileged.<\/p>\n \u201cWe accept applications in November and then remember the child throughout the year,\u201d said Gauthier.<\/p>\n The chairperson and court members send gifts on holidays and birthdays as well as keeping in touch and providing support through prayers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe program is very rewarding and very well received, it now lends helping hands to children across the country,\u201d said Gauthier.<\/p>\n In addition to these local causes, each court contributes to the National Court\u2019s eight charitable projects which include Apostleship of the Sea, Covenant House, Catholic Relief Services, Disaster Fund, Holy Cross Ministries, Mother Teresa, Scholarships for Teachers of Exceptional Children and Support Our Aging Religious.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work for God through the church,\u201d said Baker, \u201cWe get spiritual gratification for the good deeds done through the Catholic Daughters, even on the national level.\u00a0 The work we do enhances not only the community, but our spirituality.\u201d<\/p>\n The Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in Utica, NY in 1903 by John E. Carberry and several other Knights of Columbus.\u00a0 Founded to be a charitable and patriotic sorority for Catholic women, it was originally called the \u201cNational Order of Daughters of Isabella.\u201d<\/p>\n The Knights established the Daughters\u2019 motto of \u201cUnity and Charity\u201d and their widely recognizable emblem, the cross and crown, which symbolizes the reward promised to the faithful.\u00a0 Under the patronage of the Blessed Mother, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas has become the largest organization of Catholic women in America.<\/p>\n During WWI, the Daughters became involved in the war effort.\u00a0 They were nurses, did clerical work, staged parties to entertain servicemen and, together with the Knights of Columbus, raised $3 million for recreational activities for soldiers.\u00a0 Also during this time, a youth society called \u201cWar Service Plan for Girls\u201d was formed that eventually evolved into the Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas.<\/p>\n In 1921, the name was changed to the Catholic Daughters of America.\u00a0 During this time the CDA became an independent organization as the Knights of Columbus broke its ties with the organization.\u00a0 By 1928, membership swelled to 170,000 members in courts across 45 states and in four countries.<\/p>\n During WWII, the CDA purchased millions of dollars of war bonds, contributed $100,000 to the USO, and were still involved in other issues.\u00a0 They supported democracy, peace, labor and the war, women in industry and the Equal Rights Amendment while continually contributing to the war.<\/p>\n Bishop Fulton J. Sheen addressed the CDA in 1952 and urged the membership to extend their charity to the needs of the poor and to all corners of the earth.\u00a0 In 1954, the order changed its name to the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.\u00a0 Then, in 1972, Mother Teresa asked the CDA to continue to contribute to the needy across the globe.\u00a0 The CDA heeds this advice as they become the \u201cCatholic Daughters of the World.\u201d<\/p>\n The Catholic Daughters donate generously to charitable causes, provide scholarships, supported aged and infirmed retired clergy and donate to seminary programs.\u00a0 Also, the CDA is involved with Habitat for Humanity and was the first women\u2019s organization to complete a house in Habitat for Humanity\u2019s seven day \u201cBlitz Build.\u201d\u00a0 Their national program Support Our Aging Religious! (SOAR!) provides money to religious communities with needs such as transportation or building repairs which aid elderly patients.<\/p>\n The CDA is comprised of a system of courts in which local courts work in conjunction with church parishes and follow mandates handed down from National and State courts.\u00a0 Local courts are comprised of a regent, who is the head of the court, a vice-regent, a chaplain, who is the group\u2019s spiritual director, a recording secretary, a financial secretary, a treasurer and the general membership.<\/p>\n The Catholic Daughters of the Americas currently has over 95,000 members in 1,400 courts in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guam, Spain, and the Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Catholic Daughters of the Americas STATE APPOINTED FOR THE DIOCESE OF ALEXANDRIA \u2022 Sue Keller, District Deputy Natchitoches\/Pineville – Phone: (318) 448-1925 \u2022 Linda Gauthier, District Deputy Alexandria – Phone:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":89,"menu_order":72,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1178","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1178"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1178\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Natchitoches\/Pineville – Phone: (318) 448-1925\n\u2022 Linda Gauthier, District Deputy
\n<\/strong>Alexandria – Phone: (318) 445-2880\n\u2022 Maurena LaBorde, District Deputy
\n<\/strong>Hessmer – Phone: (318) 563-4354\n\u2022 Cheryl Verzwyvelt, CDA Kids Chairman
\n<\/strong>Alexandria – Phone (318) 442-7952\n\u2022 Spiritual Advisor: Rev. Scott Chemino, V.G.
\n<\/strong>Alexandria – Phone: (318) 445-6424, ext. 204\n
\n<\/strong>St. Anthony of Padua Church, Bunkie\n\u2022 Court Regina Pacis #1372
\n<\/strong>Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Natchitoches\n\u2022\u00a0<\/strong>Court Notre Dame #1452
\n<\/strong>Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church, Alexandria\n\u2022 Court Bishop Desmond #1459
\n<\/strong>St. Rita Church, Alexandria\n\u2022 Court Msgr. Van Der Putten #2029
\n<\/strong>St. Joseph Church, Marksville\n\u2022 Court Bishop Greco #2072
\n<\/strong>Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Pineville\n\u2022 Court Padre Pio #2141
\n<\/strong>St. Mary Assumption Church, Cottonport\n
\n![\"CDAQuickfacts\"](\"http:\/\/diocese.fingweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/CDAQuickfacts.jpg\" "\\"CDAQuickfacts\\"")
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