Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was born in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. She lived with her parents in San Francisco until 1906 when an earthquake hit. Her family moved to a small flat on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. For a long period of time her father was unable to find work, leading Dorothy to understand the shame people feel when faced with failure. In Chicago Dorothy learned of Catholocism and became fond of the faith. The Day family moved to the North side of Chicago when her father was blessed with a sports editing job. Surrounded by a smug and smelly environment, Dorothy learned at a young age to find the beauty in everything, which would take her far in life. She received a scholarship to the University of Illinois, but after two years, determined to live for herself and not on her father's income, dropped out of college.
In 1916 she moved to New york to work for the socialist magazine, The Call. She next worked for the magazine, The Masses, which opposed American involvement in the First World War. In 1917 Dorothy experienced a new side of life. Se was arrested for protesting in front of the White House. She, along with forty other women were protesting women's exclusion from the electorate. After being freed from prison and feeling that journalism was a meager attempt to change society, Day took a nurse's trainig course in Brooklyn.
Dorothy Day, though, at the time was not religously active. As a child she went to an Episcopal Church, but found Catholocism interesting. When she moved to Chicago in 1922 as a reporter, she roomed with three devoted Catholics who went to church regularly and placed time out of every day to pray. she moved to New Orleans to write for a newspaper and attended Saint Louis Church regularly. Here she began her quest to become a full member of the Cahtolic Church.
In 1924 Day moved back to New York and began a common-law marriage with Forster Batterham, an atheist, who didn't belive God could exist and allow such evil in the world (the philosopher's main problem of evil). Day became pregnant and in 1927 bore a child, Tamar Theresa Day. This was a miracle to Day because she had been pregnant before from an affair with a journalist. This resulted in emotional sickness and an abortion that Day thought had left her unable to give birth. Batterham and Day permanently split soon after the birth of the baby. After Tamar's baptism, Day was fully admitted to the Catholic Church. As a member of the Church, she soon developed her love for the poor. On the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, Dorothy Day went to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and weeped in prayer for the poor.
When Day returned to her New York home she met Peter Maurin, a French immigrant. Peter Maurin moved to Canada, then America in 1908. His celibate lifestyle led him to find time for Bible study and helping a Catholic boys camp. Maurin persuaded Day to begin a magazine devoted to fighting unjust social teachings based on a Catholic model. Day found a publisher to print 2,500 copies and she decided to sell each copy for only one cent so everyone could afford it. The Catholic Worker was met with much success, not just for being a radical tabloid a religious one as well. In 1936 there were 33 Catholic Worker houses in the United States.
Not everyone, though, embraced the Catholic Worker. Some thought that they shold leave the poor alone, for the Bible said, "the poor shall always be among you." Day replied that we shouldn't be content with so many in the poverty state. When the Spanish Civil War occured and Franco claimed to be the defender of Catholocism, almost all Catholics backed Franco. The Catholic Worker did not. Day and the staff were very concerned with pacifism and changes brought about through peace. When the magazine decided not to take a side it lost two-thirds of its readers.
In the 1950s the Catholic Worker refusal to participate in the national defense drill cuased problems. Day was arested many times. Once for speaking out at City Hall saying she would not participate in these drills and would not live in fear. The Catholic Worker was also a strong supporter of the Civil Rights movement. Day's main concern with the magazine was to fight against violence and caring for the least among America. She was last arrested in 1973 for protesting for farmer's rights at the age of 75. She beilved in change and believed totally in God. She said, "If I have achieved anything in my life it is because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God." Dorothy Day expressed her faith not only in nonviolent protests, the poor, and the will to make a change, but expressed her Faith in God at the same time.
