Church
Livingston resident Jo Ann Harper was elected Montana State Regent of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas during the 39th Biennial State Convention held on June 6th and 7th, in Billings.
Jo Ann has made Livingston her home for 30+ years and is a member of Court St. Mary #645 Catholic Daughters in Livingston. Her term as the Montana State Regent is for the next two years. Jo Ann is the sixth State Regent representing Court St. Mary of Livingston.
Who Are Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) of Montana? Locally Catholic women of Park County and members of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, established it in 1921. Court St. Mary #645 whose motto mirrors CDA nationally, “Unity and Charity” with a mission that states: “Catholic Daughters of the Americas strives to embrace the principle of faith working through love in the promotion of justice, equality, and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all.”
Court St. Mary supports many local charities through financial and volunteering efforts. A few of those local charities are Counterpoint, Stafford Animal Shelter, Yellowstone Boys & Girls Club, HRDC Warming Center, Meals on Wheels, and Loaves & Fishes. CDA has given forty-eight scholarships to Park County High School seniors since 1992. It also offers support to St. Mary’s School and sponsors an art contest annually for elementary school students.
Catholic Daughters of the Americas have gone through several name changes since their inception as Daughters of Isabella in 1903. Currently there are roughly 63,000 members in 1,250 courts in the United States, Mexico, and the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
Court St. Mary was one of the original 10 Montana courts needed to establish a State Court, which officially happened in 1947. Today, there are eight local organizations throughout Montana known as “courts.” The leader of each court is elected for a 2-year term and is referred to as “Regent.” These courts provide financial support to Ronald McDonald House in Billings, Florence Crittendon Family Services in Helena and recently Love & Sonshine Ministries in Billings.
Through the efforts of many CDA members and families throughout Montana, Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Emigrant was dedicated in 1978. The shrine is located on Murphy family property on the corner of Hwy 89 South and Murphy Lane. It is supported by the State CDA, while being maintained by Court St. Mary of Livingston.
Congratulations Jo Ann. For information about Catholic Daughters of the Americas, go to their website https://www.catholicdaughters.org