“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
Great Turning CW Reaches Goal, Acquires 2nd House
After raising more than $195,000 to purchase a second house, The Great Turning CW turns to the work of hospitality and expanding its urban farming operation.
Whose Confession?
Forty-five years after the publication of Michael Garvey’s “Confessions of a Catholic Worker,” Larry Chapp has written his own “Confession.” But his attempt to link the theology of Joseph Ratzinger and Hans Urs von Balthasar to the vision of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin is far off the mark, writes Brian Terrell.
Free Consulting for Catholic Workers Interested in Nonprofit Development
Michael Doyle, co-founder of Dorothy Day Tampa, offers free consulting services for Catholic Worker communities interested in pursuing nonprofit status or assessing other practical aspects of their organization.
Theo the Roamin’ Catholic Worker: European CW Gathering 2023
Theo travels to the Netherlands for the 2023 European Catholic Worker Gathering, where he finds a CW sensibility not unlike the Sugar Creek Midwest Catholic Worker Gathering.
Heard Around the Catholic Worker (#8)
In this issue: The Institute for Religious Peace and Justice changes its name to honor Jim Forest; Amistad Catholic Worker raises money for tiny houses; Theo Kayser is live-blogging the Catholic Worker Eurogathering; and Brian Terrell makes the case that Catholic Worker communities need to go beyond “hyper-local” activism.
On Its 40th Anniversary, a New Intro for “Reluctant Resister”
On the 40th anniversary of “Reluctant Resister,” a collection of L.A. Catholic Worker Jeff Dietrich’s letters from prison, the book has been republished with a new Introduction, reprinted here with the permission of the author. This article first appeared in the April 2023 edition of the Catholic Agitator, newspaper of the L.A., Catholic Worker.
Is Going “Hyper-Local” Enough?
A recent article in The Nation celebrates the hyper-local focus of new Catholic Worker communities. But is this really a “new” trend in the Catholic Worker? And more importantly, in the face of rampant militarism, is it enough by itself?
Lincoln Rice Explores the Good and Bad of Peter Maurin’s Philosophy (CCW Ep 16)
For this 90th anniversary episode, Theo and Lydia interview Rosalie Riegle about the origins of the Catholic Worker, the Catholic Worker’s early involvement with the labor movement, and why the contemporary Catholic Worker has turned to other issues.
Heard Around the Catholic Worker (#7)
In this issue: The Nation runs a long piece on the state of the movement; two new Catholic Worker communities now listed, bringing number of CW communities to 177; Iowa City raises $30,000 for new living space; Great Turning signs purchase agreement for second house; Chapp publishes “Confession of a Catholic Worker; death of Tampa CW co-founder Ann Doyle; Casa Maria preaches Christian nonviolence to gun owners; a conversation about voting; and more.
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 many forms over the years; the following are some of its iterations.
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 managing editor of The Catholic Worker, is the author of Love is the Measure: a Biography of Dorothy Day; and Living With Wisdom: a Biography of Thomas Merton. Both are published by Orbis.
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 of Dorothy Day,” by Jim Forest. “Dorothy found more bewilderment than enthusiasm from those who had the paper thrust into their hands. They all knew The Daily Worker, a Communist paper that was a militant supporter of unions and strikes. But a radical paper, a paper for workers, put out by Catholics?”