Under the patronage of the Blessed Mother, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas are united by their faith in Jesus Christ, in their devotion to the church and the Holy See. Who Are The Catholic Daughters?The Catholic Daughters of the Americas is one of the oldest and largest organizations of Catholic women in the Americas. They donate to charities, administer scholarship programs and strive “to be helping hands where there is pain, poverty, sorrow or sickness.” The CDA motto is “Unity and Charity.”The CDA was formed over 100 years ago and today numbers 75,000 dues-paying members in 1,250 courts (local chapters) in 45 states across the country, and in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.Catholic Daughter women enjoy each other’s company at meetings and work hard for their parishes and communities.Deeply spiritual, together they share faith, love of God and a distinctly feminine spirituality alluded to by Pope John Paul II when he spoke of the necessity of “feminine genius” in today’s world.The program includes concerns of today’s church and society as well as issues that affect the well-being of women and children. The Legislative Program encourages interested members to learn about laws that may influence their faith and to contact their state representatives to make their personal positions known through Operation Morning Star [The Catholic Daughters of the Americas does not endorse political candidates].Girls and young women ages 6-18 can join the Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Young college women can become members of Campus Courts at some universities.
Our Patroness: Blessed Mother Mary Blessed Mother statue on display at the national CDA office..
In addition to opportunities at the local and national level for fellowship with other Daughters who pursue our mission of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality, and the advancement of human rights and dignity for all, Daughters experience the opportunity to give and receive. By giving of your time, talent, ideas, knowledge, dedication, and enthusiasm, you'll receive spiritual enrichment, leadership skills, affirmation, community, broadened horizons, and a marked sense of accomplishment. Daughters also receive SHARE, the award-winning, quarterly magazine of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. What We Do Catholic Daughters engage in an expansive array of activities in pursuit of our mission including:
Answer the Lord's call with faith, generosity, and love by joining the Catholic Daughters of the Americas!
Enhancement of Spiritual Life
Support of the Holy Father, Bishops and Clergy
Vocations to the religious life
Evangelization
Mission activities
Catholic Relief Services
Habitat for Humanity
Mother Teresa
Right to life
Adopt-a-Child program
Battered spouses and child abuse
Scholarships and educational contests
Teen pregnancy and suicide
Civic Programs
Morality in Media
Drug and alcohol abuse
Elderly
Prison Apostolate
Aid to flood and disaster victims
Apostolate of the Sea
HIV/AIDS
Rural life
Patriotism
Veterans' supportProject Handclasp (U.S. Navy)
Who We Are We?
One of the largest organizations of Catholic women in the world, dedicated to strengthening their spiritual life through Christ and His Church, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in 1903 by the Knights of Columbus in Utica, New York. We are organized in 45 states across the country, and in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Kenya, and Peru. Catholic lay and religious women 18 years of age or older, who love and support the Church and wish to participate in social and charitable activities are welcome to join.
Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas (JCDA), our national youth program for girls age 6 through 18, was founded in 1925. Click here to learn more about JCDA.