Mission Club records, 1962-2001

The Mission Club was founded in 1943 by Olive O’Reilly in Chicago. It was a very informal gathering of young professional secretaries who were interested in supporting the missionary efforts of the Catholic Church. Members of TMC said “Three Hail Mary’s “ each day for the missions and for the other members of TMC, and donated twenty-five cents or more each month to TMC. Eventually, missionaries from around the world received $50 checks to support their efforts. Along with the missionary efforts, support for seminarians in mission countries was also supported by this organization. These records should serve as good case study on the lay involvement in the missionary efforts of the church. With the passage of time the leadership of TMC passed from Olive O’Reilly, to Joseph Kirchen, and finally to his widow Doris Kirchen. Due to the passing and aging of the membership TMC ceased.