“From the Archives” Catholic Daughters of the Americas at Saint Mary: The Beginning
In 1903, the Daughters of Isabella, the original name of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, was orga- nized in Utica, NY, as the ladies’ auxiliary to the Knights of Columbus. Its mission was to serve “as a charitable, benevolent and patriotic sorority for Catholic ladies.” In June 1906, just three years after the group’s founding, the Grand Regent of Court Isabella #5 of New York City travelled south to Alexandria to institute Court Kavanaugh #54, the first court in Virginia. By 1908, CDA had 90 courts nationwide and had grown from fewer than 100 members to more than 10,000.
In 1903, Saint Mary’s Court Kavanaugh had 34 members. The first Grand Regent for the court was Mrs. Aurelia O’Sullivan, who served as regent for 14 years. Perhaps characteristic of the dedication of early CDA members, Mrs. O’Sullivan was president of Saint Mary’s War Camp Community Service, which aided young servicemen stationed in this area during World War I. The women regularly serve them hot, home-made breakfasts and hosted a turkey dinner for them at Christmas. She also chaired the Saint Mary’s Convert League, part of the CDA, created to fight anti-Catholic bigotry through education. The baptismal font at Saint Mary was donated in her memory.
Court Kavanaugh’s first chaplain was Father H.J. Cutler, pastor at Saint Mary; the first District Deputy was Dr. Edward Gorman, a prominent local physician and very active member of Saint Mary parish.
Since its inception, Court Kavanaugh #54 has been deeply involved in Saint Mary’s parish life by sponsoring a variety of events, hosting charitable fundraisers and offering opportunities for spiritual growth.
— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian
In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2021. An archive of the features is located here.