Sacred Heart CDA council celebrates silver jubilee

Past and current regents who attended the 25th anniversary of Court Our Lady of the Rivers 2376 are, from left, DeeDee Guajardo, Carmelita Moreno, Celia Ruiz and Sheryl Henry.

Photo be Delia Soto
 

Wednesday, March 22, marked the 25th anniversary of Our Lady of the Rivers Court 2376 of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas organization at Sacred Heart Parish in Three Rivers. The ladies were recognized at a Mass that evening, with a special blessing by their pastor, Father Ryszard “Richard” Zielinski.

Father Zielinski said that a priest cannot be a priest if he does not have his hands. With his hands come the blessings, indicating the Catholic Daughters are a blessing that reach out with their helping hands and happy hearts to do work for the parish and community. He thanked them for their commitment and service.

His encouraging words left a powerful impact on the group of ladies sitting in the first pews of the church that evening, they said, knowing he is their shepherd and they are his flock.

A meeting followed the Mass in the fellowship hall, and was led by Regent Carmelita Moreno, who has been serving since 2015. Afterward, Sheryl Henry, who was instrumental in the formulation of the local chapter, led the group in prayer prior to celebrating their silver jubilee with a cake and ice cream social.

Court Our Lady of the Rivers 2376 was formed on March 22, 1992, with Henry serving as the first regent. Father Brenden Ashe led 30 charter members at that time.

Henry recalls a conversation she had with Annie Gonzales, an active parishioner of Sacred Heart who helps organize the annual barbecues, asking her “Do y’all have a CDA?” Gonzales was quick to say, “No, but you can start one.”

All it took were those few encouraging words for Henry to make the first move by putting up flyers around town, inviting women to join. She then reached out to a district deputy who helped make it a reality—the birth of Our Lady of the Rivers Court 2376.

Celia Ruiz, who also has served as regent, said it is an honor that hers was a three-generation family tradition with her mother, the late Antonia Cruz, and her daughter, Lorene Tonia, following in her footsteps as Catholic Daughters.
Past Regent Diana Luna served her term with her mother, the late Maria Ochoa, as a chapter member. Margaret Baldwin, DeeDee Guajardo and Norma Martinez also served as past regents.
Today, 32 members make up the local court.

The organization’s motto of “Unity and Charity” goes hand in hand with the work they contribute to their parish and community. They give of their time and talent in numerous activities to help their parish priest; from awarding scholarships to high school seniors to donating items to the nursing home residents and fans, blankets and diapers to local charities.

They assist Father Zielinski as lectors during Mass, and sing in the church choir as well as assist with the upkeep of the church and the annual barbecue picnic, which is a major fundraiser for the church community. 

Formed in 1903, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas is one of the oldest and largest organizations of Catholic women in the Americas with numerous active courts in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The organization encourages ladies age 18 and over to join and become part of an organization of strong women of faith to lend a helping hand to someone in need.

Photos by Delia Soto