It’s a community of living mission.
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| In the photo, Ted Coler (from left), Sherry Stuifbergan, Marianne Wright, Jane Jessen and Linda Hammond attended a celebration of the Norfolk Catholic Daughters of the Americas’ 100th anniversary earlier this year. The group focuses on prayer and living mission and was started as a charitable, benevolent and patriotic sorority for Catholic women by the Knights of Columbus. |
That’s how Susann Muehlmeier describes Court St. Monica #877 of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA Court St. Monica) which gathers in Norfolk.
The chapter is part of one of the oldest and largest national organizations of Catholic women. Catholic Daughters was founded in 1903 by the Knights of Columbus as a charitable, benevolent and patriotic sorority for Catholic women. CDA Court St. Monica #877 began in 1924.
“This summer we celebrated 100 years,” said Susann, who now serves as regent of Court St. Monica.
Susann said she followed her own mother’s lead to become a member of the group back in 1994.
“I think the thing I wanted to do is I wanted to belong,” Susann said. “I belonged to the Altar Society, but that’s automatic. It was more of a prayerful thing (for me). They talked about doing things for the community whereas Altar Society does things for the church.”
The group gathers 10 times a year on the third Wednesday of the month, excluding December and July. Members generally begin arriving for the monthly meeting at 6 p.m. to participate in the rosary, which gets underway at 6:15 p.m. The rosary is followed by a light meal and an opportunity to visit and fellowship with one another. The featured program then begins at 7 p.m.
“Last time we had a program about getting your end-of-life things together and putting them in a box, so you know where they’re at,” Susann said. “The time before that, we had Father Vincent come and talk to us that.”
An upcoming meeting will feature someone who will give a presentation on the devastation of sex trafficking. Various reports are also given at the meetings, which Susann said generally conclude around 8:30 p.m.
“It’s just something that after I go home, I feel good,” she said.
The group also is involved in various mission-type works. They join the Knights of Columbus once a month on Wednesday nights to pack meals at Mercy Meals and are set to participate in Mercy Meal’s annual Pack Away Hunger event in October. The nutritious meals that are packed during these events are then shipped to nations where food insecurity puts citizens at risk for starvation.
“That’s another thing that, when I’m done, I feel great about,” Susann said about packing meals. “It’s just such a rewarding thing.”
In addition to packing meals, members of CDA St. Monica’s Court #877 help with BirthRight, youth education, and they donate to a variety of charities.
“We give things to our priests, to our schools. It’s more of a community of … living mission,” she said.
There are 103 members of the group, some of whom have been part of the group for more than 50 years. They host two main fundraisers throughout the year – a cookie and candy bake sale in December, when the Knights of Columbus have a breakfast, and another bake sale during the last Lenten fish fry hosted by the Knights of Columbus.
Susann said the group would love to welcome new members. She suggests anyone who is interested come to a meeting – and bring a friend – to experience what it’s all about to see if they will like it.
“I feel good afterward,” she said of attending the group’s meetings. “You have to enjoy what you’re doing because you’ll be more likely to put your heart into it.”
Anyone interested in learning more about Catholic Daughters of the Americas-Court St. Monica #877 can call one of these members: Susann at 402-371-0179; vice regent, Kathy Farlee at 402-379-1141; Deb Habrock at 402-640-4370; Mary Dooley at 402-640-0187 or Jane Jessen at 402-851-1355. Those interested may also attend an upcoming meeting.
