In July 1916, in the midst of World War I, the visionary young women who founded the League found their ideals voiced and developed by Father William Lockington S.J. in two key lectures entitled The Church and Women and Women's Work in the World. "You have unlimited power," he told the vast congregation of women in St Patrick's Cathedral. He also spoke of the crying need for the influence of Catholicity in the affairs of the stricken world.

Molly Brennan, Anna’s niece, shares her memories of Anna

Anna Theresa Brennan was the thirteenth child of Irish migrants, Michael and Mary Brennan, of Mary Vale, Sedgwick, where Michael had bought a modest amount of land in 1856, land that is still owned by and occupied by descendents.

When there is a desperate need for change, it often takes the courage of one exceptional person to stand up and command a need for action. Maude O'Connell was one such exceptional person. Born on the 30th of June, 1884, in Beaufort Victoria, to Catholic parents, Maude's passion for fairness and for family life shone through and influenced her greatest works.

In an increasingly secular world, where God's love is unknown to so many of its youth, the need for a strong role model who is ablaze with the love of Christ and truly grounded and confident in their faith is greater than ever. Such a role model can be found in Julia Flynn, one of the visionary women who formed the League's first Central Committee in 1916.