Membership in the Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas is possible for Catholic girls
ages 8 to 18. They can join JCDA in an area where an adult CDA court is established.

 
The "Juniors" were founded in 1926. Their goal is to help girls enrich their lives through service to others in their church, community, and the world.

The JCDA motto is "Be Useful" with the mandate to "love God, serve others, and live nobly."
 
Their basic goals are:
            Develop character as a Catholic
            Learn to work for the good of others
            Grow spiritually in their Catholic faith
            Be creative and flexible
 


Among the major benefits to being a Junior are the strong friendships that are formed and the deepening of their shared Catholic faith.

"By playing fun icebreakers and games, doing messy crafts, and much more I have become closer with the other girls," explained Therese Claire Evelyn, a Junior from  Maryland. "One special bonding time was voting and making baby blankets for women in crisis pregnancies. It was really enjoyable to make the blankets with different girls while getting to know them at the same time."

Therese is 13 years old and has been a member of JCDA  for three years.

Theresa added, "My teacher/ mom is the leader of our Court and she does discussions on different topics about how to deepen your faith in God. So far this year, we have talked about fidelity, unselfishness, kindness, and confidence.  One of my favorite lessons was unselfishness.  It is not easy to be unselfish, but it feels really good to do good for another person.  We have a variety of personalities, ages, and people, and it has taught me to listen more and understand others better."

The JCDA  offers Catholic  girls a great opportunity to engage themselves in spiritual growth, leadership and service while they remain under the protective umbrella of our Catholic faith.

  JCDA members are the present and the future of CDA, our Church and society. JCDA has played an important role in the Catholic youth community.
 
"The Covid pandemic has had a major impact on all of us, especially our youth,” National Youth/JCDA Chairman and National Director Yvette Griego said.  “During the worst of the pandemic many young people were severely impacted by isolation and being unable to join their classmates at school and play. I believe that their faith helped young Catholics through their ordeal and will restore all of us as we move forward again.  Faith can indeed move mountains and I am excited that our faith will sustain us as we to return to the business of meeting and fellowship once again, especially supporting and nurturing our youth.”

There are currently 131 JCDA courts with approximately 3,000 members nationwide.  Click here for the current list.

How To Join

If you are a Catholic girl 6 to 18 years old, or the parent or relative of one, and you know of a JCDA Court within your parish or community, it's easy to become a member.  To join, fill out the JCDA Application below and email it to Youth/JCDA Chairmen Yvette Griego at  
[email protected]
   

How To Start A JCDA Court

Starting a JCDA Court under the sponsorship of a senior court is a great way to support girls and young women in their Catholic faith and provide adult guidance, mentorship and encourage participation in spiritual and charitiable activity.

Please encourage your local court to appoint a Youth/JCDA Advisor and move forward to the institution of a JCDA court in your parish! Remember that Jesus said,  "Bring the children to me."

To start a JCDA Court click on the JCDA New Local Court application below.

If you are a State Officer, you may wish to start a State JCDA Court.  Click on JCDA State Court Application below.

JCDA New Local Court Application
JCDA State Court Application

JCDA Scholarships

JCDA has a variety of annual scholarship programs from the local court level to our national JCDA scholarship that awards $1,000.00 annually to a JCDA member entering college (see the links below).

Links to Junior Scholarships (in English and Spanish):
JCDA Scholarship Application - 2023
JCDA and Youth Scholarship (8th Grader entering 9th Grade Catholic School)

 

JHCA comenzando Universidad en otoño 2021
Estudiante de 9no grado estudiando en una Escuela Católica para
Otoño 2021

 

Other Important Junior Links

JCDA Day Proclamation 2022
JCDA Day Proclamation Spanish 2022
Medical Release
Join the JCDA Email Tree

 

For More Information

For more information, contact Youth/JCDA Chairmen Yvette Griego,  [email protected]

A Brief Pictorial History

Formed in 1926, the Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas have a rich history.  Click on the photo below of the former "Juniorettes" (for girls as young as age 6) for a brief pictorial history of the Juniors.