Remembering David Stein
Friends remember the life of David Stein, artist of wood and word, and a longtime Catholic Worker who passed away unexpectedly on January 2, 2025.
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Norfolk Catholic Worker Fall/Winter 2024 Newsletter
Here’s the Fall/Winter 2024 issue f Simplicity, newsletter of the Norfolk Catholic Worker.
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We Are Not Too Late to Give Room to Christ
In this 1945 meditation on Christmas, Dorothy Day reflects that it is not too late for any of us to welcome Christ, “who is always asking for room in our hearts” in the guise of our contemporaries, especially the poor.
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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 how the “Code Red” summer of 2021 led him to devote the rest of his time and energy to the Earth.
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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 deeper truths of Dorothy’s spirituality. Brian Terrell explains what this enduring tale gets wrong—and why the reality of Dorothy’s faith offers a more profound lesson than any legend.
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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 she found.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 the house since its beginning in 1978, are stepping back after several years of efforts to attract new stewards for the community did not work out.
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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 by large impersonal institutions in what Miller calls “radical monopolies.”
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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 major focus since its inception. McCarty traces this history from its 1980 founding sheltering Salvadoran refugees to today’s massive food distribution program serving 1,200 families weekly.
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New Book Collects the Poetry of Anne Montgomery, RSCJ, Plowshares Pioneer
People mostly know Sr. Anne Montgomery. RSCJ, as an educator and peace activist who worked with poor youth in New York City and was among the eight individuals who participated in the very first Plowshares action. But she was less well known for her poetry, until now. This new volume of her poetry should help to change that, as Rosalie Riegle writes in her review.
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Marj Humphrey, Former CW Editor, Heads to East Africa on Restorative Justice Mission
Marj Humphrey will return to Uganda and Kenya on a mission to promote restorative justice as a Maryknoll lay missioner. Humphrey was part of the New York Catholic Worker from 1976 to 1984, and served as editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper during part of that time. This article is reprinted with permission from Maryknoll Lay Missioners.
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What If CWs Could Connect Directly to Gaza Communities?
Could direct cash aid from people in affluent countries bring relief to families under siege in Gaza? That’s the question driving musician Garry Jones, husband of Kate Hennessy (granddaughter of Dorothy Day), as he partners with Palestinian poet and journalist Yusuf El-Mbayed and Vermont videographer Michael Hanish to bring essentials like food, clean water, and small comforts to Gazans facing extreme deprivation. Working around restricted aid channels, Jones has launched a crowdfunding initiative to deliver critical funds directly to Gaza, providing a lifeline to El-Mbayed’s community relief projects. Their vision goes beyond immediate aid, hoping to create ongoing, meaningful connections between communities across borders.
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The Sower (Fall-Winter 2024)
Here’s the Fall-Winter 2024 issue of THE SOWER, the newsletter of Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Farm.
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The Catholic Worker and the 2024 Vote
As the 2024 election looms, Liam Myers examines the Catholic Worker’s legacy of resistance to systems of violence, reflecting on figures like Dorothy Day and the Catonsville Nine. In a time of political disillusionment, he challenges us to rethink “false joy” and rediscover solidarity outside conventional power structures. Can we, like the third servant in the parable of the talents, reject complicity in systems of suffering?
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Lessons Learned from 50 Years at St. Francis Catholic Worker
“Lessons Learned from 50 Years of St. Francis House” was the title of a panel at the National Catholic Worker Gathering in Chicago on October 5th. Panelists from different eras of the St. Francis House Catholic Worker community shared stories and reflections, providing insights into the daily work of hospitality and what enables a Catholic Worker community to thrive for fifty years.
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The Path to Passing a Climate Emergency Resolution in Duluth
In this fourth installment of his journey into climate activism, Anthony Lanzillo of Duluth’s Bread and Roses Catholic Worker describes how a Chicago training session catalyzed his involvement with the local Climate Mobilization Campaign. Despite initial resistance from city council members who viewed Duluth as a “climate haven,” their persistent grassroots campaign succeeded in passing a climate emergency resolution and establishing new environmental initiatives, proving that dedicated local advocacy can create meaningful change.
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Rise and Go: A Spiritual Knapsack for the Times
In this introspective essay, Claire Lewandowski explores how to maintain hope in dark times through the lens of Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert’s work. She unpacks her “spiritual knapsack” – the essential tools for facing despair – including sacred texts, ritual practices, and purposeful work.
