Catholic Daughters committed to serving others’ needs

A group of concerned women in the Coeur d’Alene area is helping improve the smiles of children living thousands of miles from North Idaho.

Rosemary McGrath, a longtime Kootenai County resident and regent of the local Catholic Daughters court, takes special delight in talking about the group’s support of Smile Train, an international cleft charity that provides surgery for those in need, especially in developing countries such as Uganda and India.

According to McGrath, Smile Train has aided 211,117 children since March 2000. “The good news is every single child with a cleft can be helped with surgery that costs as little as $250,” she said.

Whether helping children far away or closer to home, McGrath becomes animated when talking about how children are among the most vulnerable. “That is why their physical, emotional and spiritual needs are important to the Daughters.

“With so many children on the Internet, a new goal for our Court is to be actively involved with helping parents become more alert to the dangers of unsupervised Internet use for their kids,” McGrath said.

“There are 150,000 predators on the Internet today, and often parents are simply unaware.”

Our Lady of the Lake Court No. 1447 was organized in Coeur d’Alene on Oct. 19, 1947, and today is one of 1,400 Catholic Daughters courts in 45 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

With 82 members representing St. Thomas and St. Pius X in Coeur d’Alene and St. George’s in Post Falls, Court No. 1447 continues its mission of encouraging all women to use their talents where they are most needed in the world.

As stated in the current directory, “We actively seek to become educated in new fields, volunteer our services and offer financial assistance to the needs in our society that are deeply affecting today’s generation, the elderly and human life.”

In an effort to help members learn about national and state legislation, recording secretary Roberta Dube says, guest speakers are invited to meetings throughout the year to talk about proposed bills, especially those affecting family and quality of life.

McGrath added, “The Daughters support all life from the womb to the tomb.”

Catholic Daughters of the Americas is the largest organization of Catholic women in the Americas today. Founded by the Knights of Columbus in 1903 under the name Daughters of Isabella, the group adopted the motto, “Unity and Charity.”

Over the years, two name changes have been made: in 1921 to Catholic Daughters of America and in 1978 to Catholic Daughters of the Americas to recognize courts in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Canal Zone. In 1928 the Daughters severed the connection to the Knights of Columbus.

What has remained the same during the group’s 100-plus-year history is the Daughters’ commitment to serving the needs of others, as stated on the Web site, “by being helping hands where there is pain, poverty, sorrow or sicknesses.”

Catholic Daughters supports Habitat for Humanity with both donations and physical labor, donates to Alzheimer’s Association of America’s “Safe Return” program and supports quality-of-life concerns.

“Along with our charitable work,” said McGrath, “we hope to be a support to women of all ages in the community by helping them feel empowered and develop friendships so no one will feel isolated or alone.”

Our Lady of the Lake Court holds an annual book review and tea in February and a spring miniretreat and day of prayer. McGrath said all women are welcome to attend.

One new member said she was drawn to Our Lady of the Lake Court after observing the dedication of the women involved and after reading the mission statement: “Catholic Daughters of the Americas strives to embrace the principles of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all.”