New Catholic Daughters regent makes membership growth top priority

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Eve Treviño presents Father Bob Dunn with his “book of duties” as state chaplain for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. The duties were more than what Father Dunn was expecting.

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On Friday, June 12, Eve Treviño of Corpus Christi became the leader of the state’s 16,000-member strong Catholic Daughters of the Americas. The official “change of power” took place at a state executive committee meeting held at Treviño’s home parish of Most Precious Blood.

Father Bob Dunn, pastor at Most Precious Blood, was also installed as state chaplain for the group. The two will serve for the next two years, when the Catholic Daughters will hold their centennial state convention in Corpus Christi in 2017.

The Sunday following Treviño’s formal installation, Catholic Daughters from throughout the state attended a Eucharistic celebration at Most Precious Blood in honor of Treviño, which was followed by a reception for the new leadership. Other new state officers include first vice-recent Rosie Stockwell of Edinburg; second vice-regent Melodie Brunt from Texarkana; state secretary Becky Brown from Angleton; and state treasurer Terri Beltran of El Campo.

Corpus Christi Council Member Colleen McIntyre, a parishioner at St. Andrew by the Sea, presents Eve Treviño with a congratulatory proclamation from Mayor Nelda Martinez. Mellie Smithwick for South Texas Catholic

“I am really looking forward to the next two years. I am deeply honored to be elected to lead this wonderful organization,” Treviño said. “I can assure that I will work hard, especially in the area of membership growth.”

Faced with an aging membership, a high priority for Treviño and her leadership team is to continue to develop new courts and recruit new members. In this effort they will seek to work with the Knights of Columbus in new court development and they will promote programs centered on the youth and women’s health.

Among activities Treviño plans to use to increase membership are to offer courts incentives for increasing membership; recognize members with the St. Bernadine of Siena Award for Court Development; encourage courts to promote activities that involve the family and the youth; encourage membership contests; provide support for courts that are struggling; provide thorough instructions and continued support for new courts; provide leadership and officer training workshops to develop future leaders; and utilize the media to spread the good works of the organization.

“For the success of the membership drive, go to Mass regularly. Make that a priority,” Father Dunn told CDA members gathered at the Msgr. Thompson Hall at Most Precious Blood. “I am going to pray for the success of your drive, because you need young people, we do, we do.”

Father Dunn told the CDA members that he keeps his appointment letter under the corporal on the altar to remind him to pray for the Catholic Daughters at every Mass.

New Catholic Daughters of the Americas state officers for the next biennium include, from left, State Treasurer Terri Beltran, El Campo; Second Vice-Regent Melodie Brunt, Texarkana; State Chaplain Father Bob Dunn, Corpus Christi; State Regent Eve Treviño, Corpus Christi; First Vice Regent Rosie Stockwell, Edinburg; and State Secretary Rebecca Brown, Angleton. Mellie Smithwick, for South Texas Catholic

Treviño said the organization needs to redouble their efforts at organizing Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas courts. A new JCDA court will be installed at St. Paul the Apostle in Corpus Christi on June 28 and another one in Corsicana on July 26. Three more are “brewing,” Treviño said.

The JCDA is for girls six through 18; with the juniorettes for girls 6-11 and juniors 12-18.

There are also seven Catholic Daughters of the Americas Campus Courts in Texas, including Baylor University, Incarnate Word University, St. Mary’s University, St. Thomas University, Stephen F. Austin University, the University of Texas and the University of North Texas. Campus Courts serve as a bridge from junior courts to senior courts. A JCDA can join the Catholic Daughters at age 18.

“These are our future Catholic Daughters,” Treviño said.

Treviño said Texas is the only state that holds a state convention for Junior Catholic Daughters and one is planned for Corpus Christi on June 26-28 with more than 400 girls scheduled to attend.

Another project, planned for Sept. 19, is the groundbreaking for the group’s seventh Habitat for Humanity home for a needy family. The home will be built in Corpus Christi where their first Habitat for Humanity project took place in 2004 under Treviño’s leadership, who at that time served as state CDA Habitat for Humanity chairman.

John E. Carberry and fellow Knights of Columbus founded the National order of Daughters of Isabella in Utica, New York in 1903 as a charitable, benevolent and patriotic sorority for Catholic ladies. The name was changed to Catholic Daughters of the Americas in 1921. The first Texas court was founded in Austin in 1909. A state CDA organization did not come about until Jan. 25, 1917 with 12 courts represented, including Corpus Christi #246, which was founded on Aug. 23, 1914.

Treviño is the second person from Corpus Christi elected state regent. The first was Alice Van Cleve, elected state regent in 1919; Van Cleve served for only one year as she tragically lost her life in the 1919 hurricane that struck the city.

“The position of state regent is a tremendous responsibility but it is a very humbling and very rewarding one. We are doing God’s work and God inspires us, helps us and guides us,” Treviño said.

For more information about the Catholic Daughters of the Americas visit their Web site at texascda.org.