|
| Daughters of Isabella
Guardian Angels Circle was officially organized on February 9, 1953 in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the State Regency of Mrs. Mulcahy, Mrs. Grace Eiden was instrumental in the organization of this Circle and assisted the State Regent in its institution. Guardian Angels Circle hosted the Minnesota State Circle Convention in April of 1966, and Evelyn Fink was our Circle Regent. And also the 55th State Convention was April 1987, at which Margaret Priebe, was the Circle Regent. In 2002 the circle hosted the 6th State Conference, at which Yvonne Boegeman was the Circle Regent.
Generous financial donations have been given in a pledge of $5,000 to the School Gymnasium Fund and the renovation of the Church a pledge of $10,000 which was fulfilled. The St Francis Hall renovation which is our meeting room the circle pledged $2900.00 for storage spaces for organizations of the Church. Other financial projects donated monies to the church, school, convent, clergy and religious books, Chaplain's Aid, Catholic Charities, Radio Rosary, Hospital, Homes for the aged, Pro-Life March, Holy Name, Cancer Research, Cheer Baskets, Welfare Missions, MCCL, Eagle Form, Southside Life Care Center, Mary's Shelter, Waconia Birth rite, and Carver County Retarded Assoc. The members have volunteered many hours of work in the religious and civic area including the Red Cross Bloodmobile. The Circle is part of the State Circle in donating to the state project which is Minnesota Deaf, Bishop's Relocation and the Family Life in Washington D.C. The Circle were members of the NCCW, ACCW, West Deanery and they were also active in their projects.
Fund raising projects include a Palm Sunday Dinner prepared and served by the members. In the past there was Annual salad luncheon, changed to meatball dinner, then to Swiss steak dinner and now twice a year at Herberger’s Community Day event, printing of cook books with members recipes. In June the members have a Bake Sale. Each member brings items. For the church Fall Festival embroidered dish towels are done by the members for the annual Booth. And Circle is also co-chair with CCW and has a home made pie booth, at the Fall Festival with the proceeds given to the parish.
The Spiritual life of this Circle is impressive with retreats, day of recollection, and memorial service for deceased members, and Masses offered at Christmas for the elderly and shut-ins and for men and women in the service for our country. A rosary is led prior to the 8:00 Mass, now a rosary and communion service on each first Saturday of the month with devotion to Our Lady of Fatima for Peace. A special altar was prepared on the First Saturday of each month to Our Lady of Fatima, In the past on the first Friday in October a living Rosary was held prior to the 8:00 Mass. The members receive Communion in a body twice a year, and have served a Communion Breakfast to the graduating senior and their parents the first Sunday in May. Members also serve Communion Breakfast to the Men and Boys Club from our Parish.
A day was planned to host and entertain the Sisters of the parish. Christmas gifts were given to the aged and shut-ins a layette is donated to the needy at the local hospital, and Birthright, and in the past to Father Hoppenjohn, and Pope's Warehouse annually. A pot luck dinner is served by the month committee at Christmas time, in which a member brings a spouse or a friend, the religious are invited. Members participate in the Corpus Christie Procession. Rosaries are said for the deceased and spiritual bouquets. Sympathy, anniversary and get well cards are sent to members. Prayer chain: When a member is ill or her family is going through crises of any kind, they call the Regent, and she calls the Chancellor and asks for special prayer. Through the telephone committee everyone is notified. When a member or member's family dies the circle donate towards the lunch after the Funeral burial.
Chaplains who have guided the spiritual life of the Circle were Father Lucius Helstern, Father Bernadine Hahn, Father Elred Domas, Father Louis Diethelm, Father Simon Hartke, Father Gratian Nosal, Father Valerius Messerich, Father Conan Mitchell, Father Miro Wiese, Father Timothy Rudolphi, Father Lawrence Johnson, and currently Father Paul Jarvis.
Circle delegates have been sent to Int’L Conventions and representative as Minnesota State Officers were Grace Eiden as State Guard, Evelyn Fink as State Monitor, Delphine Stelten as State Inner Guard, and State Secretary, Charlotte Ess served on Welfare, Mary Meyer as State Trustee, State Treasurer, State Vice Regent, State Regent and Past State Regent.
Written by Eunice Koehnen, Regent 1978
Updated By Yvonne Boegemann, Regent 2008-2009
| |