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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Describes how Catholic Worker houses are run and the struggles with living the ideal of Christian love. Reflects on reconciling freedom and order. Maintains the primacy of the spiritual. Gives her positions on cooperation, house leadership, handling money, and the relation of the Catholic Worker to the hierarchy. Concludes by emphasizing the little way and voluntary poverty. (The Catholic Worker, Jan 1948, 2,8. DDLW #183).
Summary: An account of the conversion of Ammon Hennacy. Profiles his anarchist and pacifist beliefs, sensitivity to oppression, effect on people, and journey to Baptism. (The Catholic Worker, January 1953, 2.DDLW #642).
Summary: Shares her enthusiasm for Raisa Maritain’s autobiography, We Have Been Friends Together. Defends their reaching out to all the poor, not just those deemed “deserving” of assistance. Reviews the positions taken on World War II by various Catholic Worker houses throughout the country, admitting that not all have their “in season, out of season” pacifism. (The Catholic Worker, February 1942, 1, 4, 7. DDLW #380).
Summary: Enumerates all the things people send, especially clothes, that are rapidly distributed. Laments that “Holy Mother the State” requires them to submit an accounting since they make appeals. Notes the need to keep voluntary poverty in mind and thanks all who send anonymous gifts. (The Catholic Worker, February 1956, 8. DDLW #699).
Summary: Notes the assassination of President Kennedy. Says she wants to write a book about how the retreats of the 1940s strengthened her. Goes on to stress the need for spiritual training. Acknowledges Peter Maurin’s influence on her. (DDLW #810). The Catholic Worker, December 1963, 2, 6.
Summary: Reflects on the massacre of forty-two in the Attica prison uprising and sees new repression and brutality forthcoming. Asks us to reflect on Jesus who forgave his torturers. Suggests that no one would know the majority profess being Christians in this country. (The Catholic Worker, September 1971, 1. DDLW #512).
