Dorothy Day: We Are Urging Revolutionary Change
A response to David F. Evans’ “Damned Whiteness” with consideration to Dorothy Day’s own words by Brian Terrell of Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Farm in Maloy, Iowa.
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Exploring Anarchism with Judith Gregory
Judith Gregory, a former editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper from 1960-1970, discusses anarchism in light of contemporary political philosophy in “What Political Principle?” originally published in May 1961. Gregory also explores the complex relationship between the individual and the State.
An addendum, published six months later, “Further Clarification” continues the discussion. -
Nina Polcyn Moore Shares Memories of Dorothy Day, an Interview By Rosalie Riegle – June 1998
Nina Polcyn Moore, lifelong friend to the Catholic Worker movement and Dorothy Day, gave this interview to Rosalie Riegle on June 28th, 1998. This wide-ranging conversation includes recounting a trip that Nina took to Russia with Dorothy Day. Nina and Rosalie review correspondence that Dorothy and Nina had exchanged over the years, relating bits of Catholic Worker history as well as revealing a more human side of Dorothy in her later years.
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A Conversation with Nina Polcyn Moore, 1986, by Rosalie Riegle
What golden thread connects Dorothy Day’s radical vision to the Catholic Worker houses still serving the poor today? In this 1986 interview conducted by Rosalie Riegle, Nina Polcyn Moore—one of the movement’s pioneering voices—traces that “golden cord” of providence through five decades of Catholic Worker history.
Moore offers firsthand accounts of the movement’s Depression-era struggles, the daily realities of running houses of hospitality in Milwaukee and Chicago, and her remarkable 1970 journey to Russia alongside Dorothy Day herself. But she also confronts the movement’s tensions: Can families truly flourish in houses of hospitality? How has women’s leadership evolved in a movement founded by a laywoman? And what does authentic lay leadership look like when living out the radical works of mercy? -
It’s May 1. Do You Know How Many Catholic Workers There Are?
We can count the years there has been a Catholic Worker movement (92, as of today), but can we count how many Catholic Worker houses are in it? Jerry Windley-Daoust tackles the question.
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The Aims and Purposes of the Catholic Worker (1943)
Summary: On the tenth anniversary of The Catholic Worker she explains their purpose as promoting love of God and our brother. Their work expresses the beauty of Christianity in supporting the worker, the poor, and eschewing violence. She highlights instances of violent racism. (DDLW #919) The Catholic Worker, May 1943, 4
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The Beliefs, Values, and Commitments of the L.A. Catholic Worker
The following statement of beliefs, values, and commitments from the June 2023 Catholic Agitator (newspaper of the L.A. Catholic Worker) offers another take on how different Catholic Worker communities frame what they do.
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A Catholic Worker Primer (Chuck Trapkus)
“A Catholic Worker Primer” was originally drawn by Chuck Trapkus in 1986 and continues to be distributed and reprinted in Catholic Worker circles as much for its ability to distill the essence of the Movement as for its fun and irreverent style.
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Catholic Worker Newspaper Archive
Complete scans of the newspaper from its first issue in 1933 through 2021 are available at the Catholic News Archive, which is maintained by the Catholic Research Resources Alliance.
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Catholic Worker Archives (Marquette University)
The Catholic Worker Archives comprises more than 200 cubic feet, including the personal papers of Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin, and others involved in the movement; records of past and present Catholic Worker communities; photographs; audio and video recordings of interviews, talks, television programs, and peace demonstrations; and a wide variety of publications.
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The Works of Mercy
The Works of Mercy are an abiding norm for the Catholic Worker Movement. Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin lived lives of “active love” built on these precepts.
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On Aims and Purposes
Here are some key articles by Dorothy Day on the theme of the Catholic Worker’s “Aims and Purposes.”
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Timeline of the Life of Dorothy Day
A timeline of the life of Dorothy Day cin the context of the history of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Worker Movement, and the world. Created by Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty.
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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.
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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?”
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About Dorothy Day | About the Catholic Worker | Dorothy Day | History of the Catholic Worker Movement
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.
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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.
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Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker Movement
- Reprinted from The Catholic Worker newspaper, May 2019, 86th Anniversary Issue
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The Catholic Worker Movement in 140 Words
The Catholic Worker Movement began simply enough on May 1, 1933, when a journalist named Dorothy Day and a philosopher…
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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.
