Almost immediately after her death in 1980 controversy arose about whether Dorothy Day should be canonized a Saint by the…
Almost immediately after her death in 1980 controversy arose about whether Dorothy Day should be canonized a Saint by the Church.
Many voices are in support of the canonization process, citing Dorothy Day’s life as an example that has inspired them to prayer and action for social justice. Her faithfulness to the Gospel, living the “preferential option for the poor” and showing that a lay person can achieve heroic virtue are often cited.
Dorothy Day icon by Nicholas Tsai
Voices opposing the process say that Dorothy Day shunned the suggestion she was a saint and believe she would rather have any money spent on her canonization given to the poor. Others are concerned that her radical vision will be sanitized and spun to support Catholic traditionalism and a narrow anti-abortion stance, neutralizing her ardent pacifism, radical critique of society, and love of the poor.
“Dorothy Day is already a saint” is a common refrain, which reminds us that the Church doesn’t make saints, but only recognizes what the faithful acknowledge as the action of God’s grace in a person’s life.
Organizations supporting canonization
Dorothy Day Canonization Support Network Includes prayers, links to resources about CW news and Dorothy Day, and a list of current groups, organizations and communities who are members.
The Dorothy Day Guild Includes information about the canonization process, her life and words, and a blog anyone can participate in.
Many Catholic Workers support the process of adding Dorothy Day to the Church’s official roster of canonized saints—but not all do. While this opposition to the canonization process is often acknowledged, the reasons behind it are rarely detailed. In the spirit of “clarification of thought,” then, here are some of the those reasons.
Presented at the Dorothy Day Centenary Conference, Marquette University, October 10, 1997. This article also appeared in a shorter form as “The Trouble With Saint Dorothy“, U.S. Catholic, November 1997.
Text of Cardinal O’Connor’s homily at Sunday Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral November 9, 1997. Reprinted with permission from Catholic New York, November 13, p. 13-14.
Dorothy Day, saint and troublemaker. Most saints lived in the distant past, and have been presented to us with all blemishes removed. The record of Dorothy was, what she was like, and what she did is too complete and accessible to for to be hidden in the wedding-cake icing.
Article by Robert Elsberg in The Catholic Worker, May 2015, pp 1, 5 . He writes in support of the cause for Dorothy Day’s canonization, addressing “the many deep admirers and even followers of Dorothy Day who have no doubts about her holiness but are skeptical or suspicious of the process of canonization. “
In this classic essay from the May 2015 issue of The Catholic Worker, Robert Ellsberg reflects on what saints meant to Dorothy Day, what they mean for the Church, and why the question of her canonization ultimately comes down to whether it will draw people to live out the radical love of Jesus.
Jim Allaire is a retired psychologist and software developer. In addition to raising two sons with his wife, Barbara, he co-founded the Winona Catholic Worker (Winona, Minnesota). At about the same time, he began developing CatholicWorker.org with the help of many volunteers. He is also the author of two books: Praying With Dorothy Day (Word Among Us Press, 1995) and Costly Grace (iUniverse, 2009), a mystery novel. He currently resides in Newton, MA, near Boston.
Summary: Considers the difficult task of reflecting on her life and recounting her path to conversion. Some markers along her way included praying the Psalms, reading Dostoyvsky’s and Mauriac’s novels, and seeing the love of the poor found among those who don’t consciously accept Christ. Links her suffering with others to Christ’s within His Mystical Body. (DDLW #201).
Summary: Attends the trial of Catholic Worker Bob Ludlow who was arrested for picketing with others outside a school. Notes how the judge handles numerous cases of public drunkenness and vagrancy related to homelessness. The judge dismisses the picketers after voicing his opposition to their views. She thinks of Thomas Moore’s trial and martyrdom. (The Catholic Worker, October 1948, 1, 7. DDLW #488).
Summary: Repeats P. Maurin’s fear that increased state regulation leads to fascism and undermines personal responsibility. However, agrees with Pius XI in his encyclical “Forty Years After”, that the state may intervene when a particular group is threatened and no other means are available to them. (DDLW #13) The Catholic Worker, April 1934, 3-4.
Summary: Meditation on dying and praying for the dead. Enumerates the many people on a list kept in her missal. Recalls that Fr. Zachery, her confessor, taught her that “There is no time with God.” (The Catholic Worker, November 1953, 1, 7. DDLW #657).
Summary: Tells the story of their travails with the city courts after being fined for operating “a fire trap.” Reaffirms personal responsibility as the way to care for the poor, decrying “Holy Mother the State’s” taking over such care. (The Catholic Worker, April 1956, 3, 6. DDLW #702).
Summary: After cataloging the “little miracles” of gifts that arrive just in time–blankets, food, clothes, offer of a moose–she asks for bill money. She rejects business approaches to fund raising and says their method comes from the gospel and the “importunity” suggested. They trust they will receive. (DDLW #937: The Catholic Worker, Feb 1934, page 4)
