Washingtonville woman elected to national post with Catholic Daughters of the Americas

NEW YORK — Helene Shepard of Washingtonville was elected first vice national regent at the Catholic Daughters of the Americas’ 54th biennial national convention in Omaha, Neb.

Mrs. Shepard will begin her two-year term on Aug. 16. As first vice national regent, Shepard will work with the four other CDA national officers – the top governing leadership of the Catholic Daughters – to determine policy and administer the organization.

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas is one of the oldest and largest organizations of Catholic women in the Americas. Formed in 1903, today it numbers 75,000 dues-paying members in 1,250 courts (local chapters) in 45 states across the country, and in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Shepard is a member of Court Margaret Mary #768 in Monroe. She worships at St. Mary’s Parish in Washingtonville, where she has been active for 42 years, serving as lector, Eucharistic minister, founder and director of St. Mary’s Little Lambs Preschool, chairman of the first building campaign and currently a parish trustee. She instituted Court St. Ann, Mother of Mary #2419 in Washingtonville while remaining a member of Court Margaret Mary #768.

Shepard became a Catholic Daughter in 1982. She has been national director, national secretary-treasurer, national chairman of both the leadership and national charitable projects and programs committees and a member of the ceremonials committee. As chairman of the 1903 Society, Shepard surpassed the project’s financial goal needed to repair the roof at the Catholic Daughters’ headquarters building in New York City.

She was also national convention chairman for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas 53rd Biennial National Convention held in Buffalo in July, 2010, and has held many local and state leadership positions, including New York state regent and vice regent.