The Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court Queen of the Universe #1702 was established in Smithtown in July 1955, under the leadership of its first regent, Winifred Snyder.  Since then, members have participated in religious, charitable, and educational works, in keeping with their motto: "Unity and Charity. 

Today, the Court Queen of the Universe at St. Patrick Church remains a particularly vibrant one.  The Court includes approxximately 200 members and meets every third Monday evening after the 8:00 PM Novena Mass.  In addition to activities on national and state levels, St. Patrick's Catholic Daughters have developed their own very busy agenda.  Several fund raisers are held each year, including the Card Party and Auction, the Advent wreath and candel sale, and the Mothers' Day flower sale.  These events help to support high school scholarship grants to parish children and monthly donations to St. Patrick's three seminarians, St. Patrick Parish Outreach, St. Patrick Youth, Hope House, Mercy Center, and a Catholic elementary school in the South Bronx.  The Catholic Daughters also purchase the candles used for Baptisms.  Every January, Catholic Daughters sponsors the Birhright Baby Shower which, with the help of St. Patrick's parishioners, has been very successful.

The first Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court was founded 1903 in Utica, New York by the Knights of Columbus.  What started with one Court and 60 members in upstate New York, almost 100 years ago, has grown to more than 150,000 women in 46 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and the Virgin Islands.  in the diocese of Rockville Centre, there are 31 courts.

On a national level, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas has a legislative office in Washington, D.C. and is one of the largest and most active Catholic women's organizations.  Our national board keeps us informed on important issues, such as abortion legislation and morality in the media.  The DCAs support of the North American College in Rome and the endowment of a chair in American Catholic History at Catholic University, has long been admired.  Catholic Daughters also have a sense of social responsibility and share in the concerns of the world.  This is evidenced by their involvement in disaster relief services, in the Catholic Near East Welfare Association through which orphans and novices are adopted, and in projects closer to home such as Habitat for Humanity and aiding the Port Chaplains out of Brooklyn and Staten Island.

On a state level, New York State CDA is proud of its long history of helping seminarians by its annual seminary scholarships to eight dioceses in New York State.  New York State CDA also sponsors a college scholarship and a scholarship to those graduates interested in special education.  Students from our parish have been the recipients of these awards on several occasions.

There are many reasons to be involved with Catholic Daughters.  One member said her reason is "to be involved with the largest group of Catholic women in support of the needs of the Catholic Church."

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