NATIONAL PROJECTS

In addition to the work done on the local level by our courts, Catholic Daughters of the Americas supports the five Special National Charitable Projects listed below. Through combined giving, each court and member gets an opportunity to support these worthwhile programs.

Habitat for Humanity
Holy Cross
Laboure Society
SOAR!
National Center on Sexual Exploitation

Habitat for Humanity
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 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. Our latest venture was to help build 20 homes in the 40 days of Lent, 2008 in Mexico, four of which were paid for by Catholic Daughters.

Holy Cross Family Rosary

“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 Laboure Society 

The Laboure 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 takes place at the end of October. A NCOSE newsletter is sent out with each National Quarterly.

National Charities

In addition to 5 major National Projects 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:

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
North American College
Morality in Media
Catholic Relief Services
Apostleship of the Sea
Covenant House
Missionaries of Charity (The Sisters of Mother of Teresa)
Human Life International
Tutwiler Clinic
The Disaster Relief Fund

The North American College
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.

Morality in Media
In 1962 Morality in Media was established in New York City to combat pornography. They promote the WRAP Campaign. The White Ribbon Against Pornography takes place at the end of October. A MIM newsletter is sent out with each National Quarterly.

Catholic Relief Services
In 1943 this international project was started to provide assistance to the people in the poorest parts of the world. They reach out to more than 100 countries with support such as food, medical supplies and religious assistance.

Apostleship of the Sea
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 toilet articles to place on board ships in ports at Christmas time.

Covenant House
Covenant House was founded 38 years ago with the mission to help homeless kids. Today, Covenant House is the largest privately-funded agency in the Americas providing food, shelter, immediate crisis care, and essential services to homeless, throwaway, and runaway kids.

Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa
On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, “The Missionaries of Charity”, whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.

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-

  1. Training local leaders and make a lasting impact on communities around the world through doctors and teachers.
  2. Helping families choose life by providing counseling, healthcare and other resources to expecting mothers in crisis.
  3. Going beyond abortion by bringing Christ’s teaching on life and family to the world including chastity, marriage, end of life issues and more.

Human Life International truly builds a pro-life culture.

Tutwiler Clinic
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 Disaster Relief
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. Recently donations were made to Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas due to hurricanes. Relief was sent to Mexico, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Texas experiencing major flooding. Dioceses received funds in Arkansas following tornados and West Virginia during a mine disaster.