History
St. Ansgar's Church became a focal point for the Danish community. Along with "Dansk Luthersk Sammensluttet Ungdom" the young peoples' group, the "Dansk Luthersk Kvindeforening" (Danish Lutheran Ladies' Aid) was founded in 1928 by Pastor John M. Jensen's wife, Ragnhild. She served as president of the group until 1937, when Pastor Vilhelm Beck's wife, Marie, took over the reigns. The DLA was a volunteer service and social group which served the congregation with fund-raising events such as fairs, bazaars, the upkeep of the of the Young Peoples' Home, and more directly, especially during the Great Depression, by helping individual families in need. Their meetings were held entirely in Danish in those years. During their meetings they sang Danish hymns and read books by Danish authors. Marie Beck served as president of DLA from 1937 until her death in 1987 at the age of 99.
Activities
The DLA exists for the purpose of helping St. Ansgar's Church and to give Danish speaking women in Montreal an opportunity to work on projects of common interest. We sponsor several fundraising events during the course of the year, the biggest of which is the Annual Bazaar held in late fall.
The DLA meets the first Wednesday of each month, except in January. At each of our meetings we try to have an enrichment topic. Sometimes it may be a guest speaker, or some special music or even a slide show. If the meeting is of general interest, the congregation as a whole is invited. The hostess of the evening provides the refreshments.
In April we have our Annual Spring Luncheon, which marks the Anniversary of the DLA. The Danish Ladies' Aid was founded in 1928 by a group of Danish women during the years of the Depression. The Spring Luncheon is one of our popular events, which features Rosa's famous open-faced sandwiches, a Danish specialty. This is usually our first fund-raiser of the year.
See Photos from the 2003 Annual DLA Spring Luncheon!
The Garage/Rummage sale, which is generally organized by members of the DLA, is usually held in early July. It seems to be a good time because it coincides with the traditional moving day in Montreal. Perhaps this is experiment we should consider repeating.
The 'Pakkefest' is another one of our regular features, and one of our favourite fund-raisers. It is usually held in August. It is a shared meeting with the ELW, and it is a lot of fun. We have an auctioneer who auctions off gift-wrapped items to the highest bidder. Afterwards, we enjoy refreshments with coffee or tea to send everyone off in good spirits.
The Annual Bazaar is held in November. Although the Bazaar is the baby of the DLA, we do rely heavily on everyone's help, whether members and non-members. Goods come from Denmark and Canada. Our helpers arrange for pickup, set-up the church for the Bazaar, man the tables on sale day, etc, etc. Many people make donations for the bazaar, in the form of goods or financially. We want to thank everyone who has helped out with the Bazaar in these ways. It ensures the continued success of this joint venture.
The Christmas meeting is also one of our favourite joint events, together with the ELW. It is held in December. We have an evening of carols, readings, a devotion, and lighting of the advent wreath. At the end of the meeting we have a wonderful table with coffee and desserts. And to finish off the evening in style we usually conclude with the Scandinavian tradition of 'dancing around the Christmas tree'.
See photos from the 2002 Christmas Gathering
See photos from the 2003 Christmas Gathering
DLA contributes large amounts of money to our church to help keep it running. Our numbers are small and we rely on the other members of the congregation to make our projects a success. We count on the assistance of members and friends of St. Ansgar's Church and we look forward to seeing them at our next event.