Year: 1936

Summary: Contrasts the joy at the birth of a calf to the coffee line of poor clad and unemployed men. Delights in symphonic music on the radio, Protestant visitors, and letters supporting their work. Expresses gratitude for gifts and St. Joseph, their householder. (The Catholic Worker, December 1936, 4, 7. DDLW #433).

Summary: Restatement of core Catholic Worker beliefs, distinguishing them from Fascism, Communism, and capitalism. Emphasizes voluntary, private, and personal action to improve the social order. (The Catholic Worker, December 1936, 6. DDLW #310).

Summary: Encourages parents to begin religious education at home. Admires all the hard work of workers and friends. Notes that they “picketed St. Joseph” for their needs. (The Catholic Worker, October 1936, 4. DDLW #305).

Summary: Reports on the progress of the lay apostolate, sends out an appeal for used clothing, and thanks a donor who gave her vacation money to the Catholic Worker rather than spend it on a trip to Bermuda. Children and animals continued to thrive on the Easton farm while city included a grand neighborhood fiesta. Reminds us that those who appear to be our enemies are still members of The Mystical Body of Christ. (The Catholic Worker, September 1936, 1, 2. DDLW #304).

Summary: Impressions from a fact-finding tour of Pennsylvania steel towns and interviews with such figures as Bishop Boyle of Pittsburgh; John L. Lewis, chairman of the CIO; Kathryn Lewis, his daughter; and John Brophy, Director of the CIO. For readers seeking background information on the steel/labor struggle, she recommends several books. Applauds church and government efforts to support labor in its struggle to organize and notes with satisfaction The CW’s ability to transcend race and ethnic boundaries. Keywords: labor, unions, social teaching (The Catholic Worker, August 1936, 1, 2. DDLW #302).

Summary: Wants both sides in the Spanish Civil war to cease their fighting since all are Members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Appeals for prayer and reminds us we are to love our enemies. (The Catholic Worker, August 1936, 4. DDLW #303).

Summary: Wants both sides in the Spanish Civil war to cease their fighting since all are Members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Appeals for prayer and reminds us we are to love our enemies. (DDLW #303). The Catholic Worker, August 1936, 4.

Summary: Life at the farm in Easton, Pennsylvania, described in detail–toil, joys, care of animals. While planting onions she reflects on the plight of migrant workers. (The Catholic Worker, June 1936, 2, 3. DDLW #301).

Summary: Restatement of core Catholic Worker ideals regarding private property, class war, interracial relations, atheism, Marxism, fascism, Communism, materialism, and the role of the state. (The Catholic Worker, May 1936, 1, 6. DDLW #300).

Summary: Admires Communist demonstrators, tells of speaking trips, and appreciates the youth in Kansas for their enthusiasm in learning of social issues. (The Catholic Worker, April 1936, 4. DDLW #299).

Summary: Describes her travels with the sharecroppers and the situation with which they are faced. Unions try to organize but planters violently break up meetings and evict those who participate. Depicts the conditions of tent colonies and sickness that exists among those who live there. Advocates distribution of land and farm cooperatives. (America, 54 (March 7, 1936):516,517. DDLW #60).

Summary: Heading off by train on a speaking trip she gives a vivid portrayal of the shenanigans in her car. Notes the enthusiastic spreading of the Catholic Worker movement as she meets with groups of Campions and college groups in Pittsburg, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Wichita. (The Catholic Worker, February 1936, 5, 6. DDLW #298).

Summary: Contrasts the destitution of winter and the spiritual needs for beauty and contemplation. Comments on social organization, strikes, the destitution of winter cold, the thousands fed by the city. Notes the beauty of trees in winter and an art exhibit. Quotes Maritain on beauty and contemplation and appreciates an opera on the radio in spite of truck noise and ringing phones. (The Catholic Worker, January 1936, 6. DDLW #297).

Summary: Through the Church’s liturgical prayer we can overcome individualism and experience universal brotherhood in the Mystical Body of Christ. Once this relationship has been understood, we cannot ignore the suffering of our fellow man. The liturgy is the foundation of the apostolate of the laity. (The Catholic Worker, January 1936, 5. DDLW #296).

Summary: Explains that the basic unit of society for Catholic sociology is the family, and when the family falls so does Catholicism. This is the reason for hostility to Communism and the same should be true for capitalism, since it creates a class that makes it difficult to sustain a family. Encourages family supportive programs. (The Catholic Worker, January 1936, 4. DDLW #142).