By Shirley Seyfried, National Regent
At the National Convention of the Catholic Daughters in Billings in 2014, our new National Chaplain, Father Matthew, read a statement that had been made at the 1956 Catholic Daughters National Convention by Archbishop Fulton Sheen, which said, “You are the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. I would like to see you become the Catholic Daughters of the World.” Father Matthew challenged us to do that. On Tuesday, December 8, 2015, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, National Regent-Elect Helene Shepard and I instituted the first “world” court in Kenya, East Africa.
As we had told CDA members in July at the State Officers Conference in Belleville, the priest in Kenya had seen me on EWTN talking about Catholic Daughters on the Church Universal program, and he called and asked me to come to Kenya to start a Catholic Daughters Court there.
We were finally able to set a date that was possible for all involved to leave on December 2, 2015. Then came the travel warnings from the State Department, two weeks before we were to travel, advising us not to travel to Africa (because of possible terrorist attacks). We did reconsider our plans, and prayed hard about whether we should go; we felt we were being called to go at that time. However, because of the warnings and advice to me to keep a low profile, we went, but did not announce that we were going.
Now that we have returned, we are extremely happy to make the announcement that Court St. Monica #2706 was instituted in Kenya with 60 women in attendance and many more who want to join but could not come that day because they were working.
We had a wonderful visit to Kenya. Father Peter, the priest there, is a Sons of Divine Providence Order Priest, the first native Kenyan in the Order, and is currently rector of the seminary there. He had us stay at the seminary and he and the seminarians were the best hosts anyone could ask for. Father Peter took us out on a few trips to experience Kenya first-hand and show us the beauty of the country. We also saw some extreme poverty, and the work being done by the Sons of Divine Providence order. He showed us a really nice day-school they run for 150 children with disabilities, and they fund it by raising a large garden (two acres) and several greenhouses of vegetables – all tilled, planted, weeded, and harvested by hand. Their extra vegetables are given to the poor. Because the weather is beautiful all year around, they are able to harvest one crop and plant another, so that they get three or four crops a year.
Father Peter said that there have been many missionaries from the United States and other places, helping the people of Kenya, for which they are extremely grateful. However, they now would like to help themselves and each other and become self-sufficient.
They have two dreams, which would help them to do that in a big way. Each would cost $20,000, for a total of $40,000.
The Catholic Daughters would like to get a bus that they would run as a sort of taxi, with a hired driver taking people from place to place for a fee. This is allowed in Kenya for anyone with the proper license; the convent just down the street from Father Peter supports themselves by owning and running four of these busses.
The money raised by a bus owned by the Kenya Catholic Daughters would provide them with a continuous source of income which they could use for many charitable projects. One project to begin with is to build two bathrooms for the local church (currently without any bathrooms).
The other project is to buy a small tractor and plow with which they could till, plant, and weed a much larger plot (40 acres), and raise vegetables to sell and give to the poor, and raise considerably more funds for their charitable work.
Father Peter did not ask for these two items. They were discussed as possibilities for which they could work to save money to purchase for themselves. However, it would take many years for them to raise money there for a bus and a tractor.
The Catholic Daughters have a wonderful history of helping others. In 1976, the Catholic Daughters presented a gift of $750,000 to the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, for the Chair in Catholic History. In 1990, the bishops approached the Catholic Daughters to take a “leadership role” in support of the Papal Foundation, citing CDA’s committed support “of the Church at the highest level.” The Catholic Daughters responded by giving a gift of $500,000 to be used by the Holy Father to help Catholic Churches in Third World Countries.
In the spirit of our theme this year – “Whatever you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me” (Matthew 25:40) – we would like to ask that the Catholic Daughters contribute money to earn the $40,000 to buy the bus and tractor for our Kenyan brothers and sisters. If all local courts contributed $50, and state courts contributed $100, we should have enough money to but the bus and tractor (there may even be some left for vegetable seeds). Any contributions from individuals would also be greatly appreciated. This would be our gift to the new DCA court in Africa!
Please make checks payable to “The Catholic Daughters of the Americas” and send them to me, Shirley Seyfried, National Regent, 38482 N Shore Dr, Battle Lake, MN, 56515. I will record all of them with the names of all courts and individuals, and sent the money to National, where the checks will be deposited in one lump sum, given to the priest who will buy the bus and tractor. All the names will be enclosed with a “Congratulations on the New Court” card so it will be our gifts to the new court. Thank you on behalf of “the least of his brethren.” 
Please help us continue
