MOUNT CARMEL - Five members of Court Our Lady of Victory No. 588, of Mount Carmel, attended the 50th biennial Catholic Daughters convention in State College from April 26 to 29. They were, Mary Catherine Wydra, regent; Judith Hooper, vice regent; Rosemarie Koronkiewicz, financial secretary; Nora Avellino, treasurer, and Mary Snyder, color guard.
At the opening Mass celebrated by Bishop Mark Bartchak of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, Hooper and Snyder took the formal CDA pledge administered by the Rev. D. Timothy Grimme, state chaplain and Margaret Novak, state regent. Snyder was also selected to serve as color guard and escort for the first vice state regent.
The theme for the Friday evening banquet was "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Pat Gildea, state parliamentarian, gave an explanation of how the rainbow is connected with God and our faith. Her presentation was followed with a talent contest of each diocese performing a five-minute rainbow-theme skit. Court Our Lady of Victory, representing the Harrisburg Diocese, won first place for its skit pertaining to colors and attitudes.
State officers were nominated at the business meeting Saturday, and an election was held Sunday. Circle of Love reports were given by each chairperson. The state court will continue to move ahead with the proposal to host the 2016 national CDA convention in Pittsburgh.
Court Our Lady of Victory won the following awards: Second place, newsletter; third place, membership, and third place, education/art contest with the art work submitted by Mary Frances Komara from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School. The women also attended a memorial Mass Saturday, an installation of new state officers Mass Sunday and a patriotic and safe travel Mass Monday.
Avellino, Hooper, Snyder and Wydra also became charter members of the first state CDA choir.
A tailgate party was held to roast Novak, the outgoing state regent. Court Our Lady of Vistory presented Novak with a signed copy of the Rev. Frank Karwacki's book, "Science Through the Eyes of Faith," and a statue of St. Pauline Visintainer.
One hundred fifty-seven Catholic Daughters attended the convention, representing 50 courts and each of the state's eight dioceses.