Catholic Woman’s League annual luncheon benefits St. Patrick Parish, Sammy Center

IC Photo/Linda Petersen

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Catholic Woman’s League members model outfits provided by Chico’s in the fashion show at the organization’s Sept. 14 fundraising luncheon.

SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Catholic Woman’s League and their guests gathered at the Salt Lake Sheraton Hotel on Sept. 14 for their annual fundraising luncheon. More than 170 women filled the room with happy chatter as they broke bread together and raised funds for two worthy causes: Saint Patrick Parish in Salt Lake City and the Sammy Center.

 St. Patrick Catholic Church, its rectory and its religious education building suffered extensive damage in the 2020 earthquake that hit Utah. While the church and the rectory could be repaired, the parish’s religious education building could not be salvaged and had to be rebuilt, Anthony Martinez, the parish’s director of religious education and youth ministry, told the women in his comments as he accepted the donation from the CWL.

Insurance paid a third of the cost of the repairs, Martinez said. With a grant and community donations, the parish was able to come up with another third, Martinez said, but “Unfortunately, the remaining 30 percent came from our savings, decreasing our operational reserve funding by 68 percent. But we will persevere.”

Martinez thanked the women for their donation; it will go toward the religious education center, which will be dedicated Oct. 26, he said. “Your support will help us furnish our new building with the needed items to provide easy catechesis to our children and community. Your support is helping provide the space for children, youth and adults to grow closer to Jesus and each other.”

The Sammy Center is a preschool that fosters the social and emotional well-being of children. The center works with children ages 3 to 5 who are experiencing behavioral problems who do not have an identified diagnosis and whose families therefore cannot access other resources. Students are referred to the Sammy Center by other organizations, therapists, pediatricians or other preschools.

The funds provided by the Catholic Woman’s League will be used for scholarships, founder Maria Soter told the women.

“If I have a family who needs our services, I’m able to say, ‘This is what our tuition is.’ And if they need support, I’m able to pull from the scholarship fund and support them and help them with a scholarship,” she said. “The work that we’re doing is for the better good of our entire community because the sooner we can do and help children with early intervention at age 2 to 5 coalesce problems and things that we’re going to see, the better.”   

After the presentations by the recipients of the donations, the women enjoyed a fashion show by Chico’s, with models chosen from CWL members. The luncheon also featured drawings for 64 baskets of various items donated by the women, friends of the CWL and local businesses including restaurant gift cards, spa packages, artwork and handmade items. Proceeds from the basket drawing were donated to the beneficiaries.

Each year the Catholic Woman’s League accepts applications from nonprofit organizations in Utah to be recipients of the Fall Benefit Luncheon; applications will be available after the first of the year.