The Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) is a lay women organization founded in Utica, New York in 1903 by John E. Carberry and several other Knights of Columbus as a charitable, benevolent and patriotic sorority for Catholic ladies. In the 20s the CDA became associated with the Legion of Decency and took a public stand against mercy killing (euthanasia). During WWII contributed money to the war effort and in the 50s were involved in juvenile delinquency, democracy, peace, postwar America, women in industry, racism, the Equal Rights Amendment, and federalized education. After 1973, the CDA partnered with the Knights of Columbus and other faith-based groups with the pro-life movement and organizing the annual March for Life. The aim of the paper is to first briefly sketch the history of CDA, which is one of the biggest and widespread women organizations in the Americas (with courts in USA, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Peru). Secondly, particular attention will be devoted to the period between the 1950s and 1970s in order to assess how the Second Vatican Council was received and to analyze the CDA's contribution to the major social movements that shaped U.S. history during those years, with their inevitable reverberations and influences both within and beyond the Catholic community.