Ramsey County History – Spring 1988: “The Guild of Catholic Women and Their ‘Constant Efforts To Brighten Lives’”

The Guild of Catholic Women and Their ‘Constant Efforts To Brighten Lives’
Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz

“The 20th century’s great social movements—suffrage, social service, prohibition and temperance—were reflected in the work of St. Paul’s women,” according to the author. One of the institutions formed in this period of social improvement was the Guild of Catholic Women, founded in 1906. From a group of thirty at St. Luke’s Parish, the guild became a city-wide doer of good deeds. It organized a Travelers’ Aid Society, housing for young Catholic working women, and the Catholic Infant Home. Members visited the sick, clothed the poor, and found people jobs and shelter for the homeless. During World War I. the guild sold Liberty Bonds and found graves for those who died in service. During the Depression, the Guild organized Girl Scout troops and orphanages, supported the House of the Good Shepherd, Little Sisters of the Poor, and other groups. Responding to changing times, its services were adapted to the community’s needs.

PDF of Kunz article