Who We Are
Our Mission Statement
Catholic women who through sisterhood, service and spirituality, strengthen our faith while meeting the needs of our community and church..
We are inclusive, respect life and support our Knights of Columbus.
Message from Our President
Welcome to the Delaware State Columbiette website. We hope it has piqued your interest to consider becoming a Columbiette. You will find what we do very rewarding as we truly follow our Catholic values and are dedicated to serving others and strengthening our faith.
Most importantly it is a great group of women who support one another. We are proud Columbiettes in Delaware and throughout the United States. We hope you will join us.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Jill Mercer
President, Delaware State Columbiettes
Convention News
The 22nd Delaware State Columbiette Convention was held on Saturday, May 4th, at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Family Center and Church. The Columbiettes are Catholic women who, through sisterhood, service and spirituality, strengthen our faith while meeting the needs of our community and church. They are inclusive, respect life and support our Knights of Columbus. Attendees to the convention included delegates from the seven auxiliaries throughout the state who represent the almost 350 members; our Supreme Officers; and other State representatives. The photo reflects the newly elected board including the new state President Jill Mercer whose term will begin July 1. Also included is the newly installed State Chaplain Father John Hynes who replaced the recently deceased Father Thomas Flowers. The Columbiettes are extremely excited to start their 23rd year to serve the needs of others.
The Names from the photo left to right:
Arelene Brown-State Financial Secretary Elect
Rosemary Kollar-State Secretary Elect
Lesa Wright-Current State President
Father John Hynes- State Chaplain
Jill Mercer- State President Elect
Marie Mattson- State Treasure
Patricia Burroughs- State Advocate Elect
Joann Mcllvain- Vice President Elect
Deanna Lain- State Sentinel Elect
Our Patronesses
The Blessed Virgin Mary
We strive to emulate the purity of Mary and imitate her as a mother. As Catholics, we recognize that she is the foundation of true motherhood.
St. Therese of Lisieux
In her great zeal to serve Almighty God, St. Therese of Lisieux, sometimes called the Little Flower, welcomed any opportunity to make sacrifices and unite her life to God.
St. Joan of Arc
St. Joan of Arc, though young, was always ready to give her aid unselfishly to those who defended a righteous cause and worked to enact the will of God in the world.
Our Emblem
The Blue Circle represents the World.
The White Cross represents Christ’s love for us – by His Crucifixion,
He redeemed the World.
The Golden Rays represent our zeal to serve God through the Mediums of Faith, Hope and Charity symbolized by the Three White Stars.
Our History
In 1939, Monsignor J. Francis McIntyre, at that time the Chaplain of the New York Chapter Knights of Columbus, and who later became Cardinal McIntyre of Los Angeles, California, saw a great number of women leaving a rally at Madison Square Garden. Impressed with their enthusiasm, he thought, “ If they can do it, so can we!” At that moment he conceived the idea of the Columbiettes, a women’s organization working with the Knights of Columbus..
The New York Chapter Knights of Columbus embraced the idea and formulated a plan for such an organization. Their plan called for the establishment of Auxiliaries in each Council and to coordinate the efforts of all under the direction of the parent group. They also enlisted the aid of a friend, the Honorable Margaret Mary J. Mangan to make it happen.
On March 2, 1939, the first Columbiettes were instituted in New York City. Since that memorable day, many new Auxiliaries were formed, and eventually, State Councils and a Supreme Council were established.
In 1959, Judge Margaret Mary J. Mangan was elected the first President of the Supreme Council Columbiettes. A woman of great humility and dedication, she held the Columbiettes and the Catholic Church dear to her heart. She brought honor and glory to them as well as her career as a State Supreme Court Justice.
Today there are over 250 auxiliaries and over 14,500 members throughout the United States. Delaware’s first Columbiette Auxiliary was established in 1994 in Sussex County. Since then, the Delaware Columbiettes have grown to over 300 members with the latest auxiliary formed in July 2020.