After 106 years of caring for the marginalized in St. Paul, the Guild of Catholic Women is closing. The board’s leadership cited an aging membership as the reason.
The guild had about 200 members. It leaves two endowment funds to continue the work it has done for more than a century, according to a press release.
One endowment will be designated for Guild Inc., a nonprofit agency that provides housing and counseling services to those suffering persistent mental illness in Dakota and Ramsey counties.
A second endowment of nearly $200,000, which came from the sale of the guild’s property, will be distributed through the Catholic Community Foundation. The Guild of Catholic Women Endowment Fund will benefit organizations whose work promotes wellness in the community.
The Guild of Catholic Women is leaving a rich legacy, said president Alison Enestvedt.
“It is not just two endowment funds to continue the work we have done for over a century, but living, working places like Guild Incorporated, the free cancer home, St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and our local Catholic Charities that continue to serve those who need it most,” she said. “Members past and present can be proud of this legacy.”
Two books on local history
If you’d enjoy a trip down memory lane through St. Paul 60, 70, 80 years ago, you might look for Vern Schultz’s “Memoirs of a Left Hander” (Amazon.com).
The self-published book about growing up in the Frogtown neighborhood preserves some history worth saving about the 1940s and ‘50s.
Schultz, who lives in Prior Lake now, taught at St. Agnes High School and for many years officiated sports, including in the Catholic Athletic Association.
Catholic to the core, Schultz recalls both highlights and low lights of Catholic life in those pre-Vatican II days. His faith pours through when he writes about how he and his wife, Toodie, reacted when a doctor recommended she have an abortion, and their gratitude when Catholic Charities came to their rescue.
Another recently published book that looks back on the history of the archdiocese is “Father Joseph Baglio and the Catholic Youth Center” by Thomas M. Daly.
The book, which includes many fascinating historical photos, tells the story of Father Baglio’s 22 years as director of the Minneapolis youth center from 1945 to 1967.
It’s available at St. Patrick’s Guild in St. Paul and at?St. Olaf in Minneapolis.
Baseball exhibit
Rondo Community Outreach Library presents “They Played for the Love of the Game: Adding to the Legacy of Minnesota Black Baseball,” a touring exhibit that traces the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues and many outstanding African-American players who contributed to the game in Minnesota.
The exhibit will be on display at Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 N. Dale St., St. Paul, through December. Admission is free.
On Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m., exhibit curator Frank White, a member of St. Peter Claver in St. Paul, will give a presentation about the exhibit.
Give to the Max Day
Several Catholic schools and organizations were among the nonprofits receiving the highest donation amounts for Give to the Max Day Nov. 16.
Give to the Max Day is a day for Minnesotans to come together to raise as much money as possible for nonprofits in 24 hours.
Included on the GiveMN website’s leader boards are: Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul received $268,909. The Convent and Academy of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights received $219,522. Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield received $166,501. Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis received $93,390. St. Joseph in Red Wing received $35,926. The College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph received $76,880. St. Mary’s University of Minnesota received $48,275.
