“The aim of the Catholic Worker movement is to live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ. . . . This aim requires us to begin living in a different way. We recall the words of our founders, Dorothy Day who said, ‘God meant things to be much easier than we have made them,’ and Peter Maurin who wanted to build a society ‘where it is easier for people to be good.’”
—the aims and means of the catholic worker
The Movement
An overview of the Catholic Worker: aims and means, history, books, bibliography, and more.
Dorothy Day
Biographies, writings, canonization, and more about the co-founder of the Catholic Worker.
LATEST CATHOLIC WORKER NEWS
How the “Code Red” Summer of 2021 Led Me to Dedicate Myself to Climate Change Activism
CW climate activist Tone Lanzillo (Loaves and Fishes CW, Duluth, Minnesota) continues the story of his work organizing the Duluth community to address climate change. In this installment, he describes…
What the Myth of the Coffee Cup Mass Gets Wrong—and Why It Matters
People love to tell the story of Dorothy Day’s “Coffee Cup Mass,” but how much of it is true? As the story evolves with each retelling, it risks overshadowing the…
Laughter in the Catholic Worker: The Great Disarmer
Is it gauche to laugh in such grim times…or is it a strategic move that opens up new possibilities? Claire Lewandowski went looking for levity at the L.A.C.W., and shares…
What Dorothy Day Learned from St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Rosalie Riegle reviews a new collection of Dorothy Day’s spiritual writings, and finally finds the deep connections between Day and her spiritual hero, St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Kay Lasante Clinic to Close
Members of Philadelphia’s House of Grace Catholic Worker released the following statement on November 14 regarding Kay Lasante Clinic.
Duluth Catholic Worker Community Explores Direct Aid Connection to Gaza
Hildegard House Catholic Worker (Duluth, Minnesota) has taken up Garry Jones’ invitation to provide direct support for Palestinians living in Gaza.
Denver Catholic Worker Closes
After nearly fifty years, the Denver Catholic Worker is closing, the community announced in a letter to fellow Catholic Workers. Jennifer Haines and Sr. Anna Koop, who have been with…
How ‘Radical Monopolies’ Destroy Our Communities and Local Economies
One of the main features of our consumerist society, writes Colin Miller, is that the production of basic necessities ceases to be internal to local communities and is taken over…
How the Houston Catholic Worker Feeds the Hungry: A History
If there’s one thing that connects Catholic Worker communities everywhere, says Dawn McCarty, it’s doing the works of mercy…and at the Houston Catholic Worker, feeding the hungry has been a…
OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Roundtable brings you news of the Catholic Worker Movement every Friday.
Check out past issues here.
Upcoming Catholic Worker Events
CATHOLIC WORKER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
GET TO KNOW
THE CATHOLIC WORKER MOVEMENT
A Brief Introduction to the Catholic Worker Movement
Tom Cornell, associate editor of The Catholic Worker and a leader in Catholic peace and justice movements, offers a brief overview of the Catholic Worker Movement.
The Evolution of the ‘Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker’
The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker movement describe its goals and the means by which the movement hopes to achieve those goals. The Aims and Means have taken…
What is the Catholic Worker?
This essay was written by Jim Forest on the Catholic Worker Movement for The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History to be published by the Liturgical Press. Jim Forest, once a…
Biography of Peter Maurin
This essay by Jim Forest on Peter Maurin was written for The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History published by the Liturgical Press.
The Life and Spirituality of Dorothy Day
This article is from the introduction to the book Praying with Dorothy Day by James Allaire and Rosemary Broughton.
May Day, 1933
An account of the birth of the Catholic Worker Movement on May 1, 1933, in New York City’s Union Square, from the opening paragraphs of “All Is Grace: a Biography…