Catholic women's group gets a start in the heart of the capitol

Washington D.C., Nov 9, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Catholic female students at George Washington University now have a new student organization on campus that strives to build a solid community for young Catholic women.

The Catholic Daughters of America was officially installed on campus Oct. 8. The group was introduced to the university by students Michelle Huntley and Emily Karrs.

"We are similar to a sorority, because we all are women who share a bond of sisterhood," Huntley told one of the university’s student newspapers, The Hatchet.

"We are women on the GW campus who are striving to actively and enthusiastically practice our faith,” said the junior, who founded the chapter - or Court 2577 - last spring.

The GW chapter now has 25 members. Installation Mass, the final step for becoming an official daughter, happens once a semester.

The CDA focuses three pillars - spirituality, social affairs and community service. Its motto is "unity and charity".

"Prayer is important," said Karrs, a senior and CDA president. "For example, every time we meet we say a prayer."

CDA social events include Daughter Dinners, where group members build community over toasts and prayers. Last week, the CDA sponsored a costume-themed All Saints Day party at the university’s Newman Center, where partygoers dressed up as their favorite saint.

The CDA, which was founded by the Knights of Columbus in 1903, initially targeted older women, such as working mothers. However, there has been greater outreach to youth in recent years and some college courts have sprouted.

The CDA has approximately 95,000 members worldwide, with 1,400 courts in the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guam, Saipan and the Virgin Islands.