Dorothy Day: Building a Dwelling Place for God's People

Our lives are like houses.  When we build and create we are at the core of answering God’s call.  When we invite others into our homes we are like Christ. This is the witness of Dorothy Day’s calling.

In the 2001 movie Life as a House Kevin Kline plays a father and architect, George, with terminal cancer.  His life is falling apart and so is his house.  Seeking to rebuild both he tears down his old home and is granted custody of his son for one last summer.  Throughout the movie we see George reconstruct and reconcile his life through the image of his home, and both journeys are not without setback. 

When examined, Dorothy Day’s life and calling presents a similar image, and fittingly so because a profound part of her legacy are the Catholic Worker Houses.  Saints today are often conveyed or thought of as ‘perfect’ examples of what it means to follow God’s call.  We think of their stories primarily in two parts: 1) God called, and 2) He/She answered.  This is not the case with Dorothy Day.  Her story, like the building of a house, did not unfold instantly, but was a gradual turn towards the Almighty (with the occasional turn away); it was not foreseen or foretold, rather she had a rough sketch of God’s call and adjusted the plans as new circumstances arose.  And like the various rooms in a home she integrated the elements of various aspects of her calling (contemplative and action oriented; Catholic and Protestant; Socialist and faithful). 

Her Life & Call…
Born shortly before the turn of the century on November 8, 1897 in San Francisco, her family moved to Chicago in 1906 for her father’s work.  While growing up in Chicago Day developed three traits that would form the foundation of her calling: a positive opinion of Catholics, an aptitude towards reading and writing, and a heart for the poor. 

Dorothy received a college scholarship for writing at the age of 16, but before she could graduate she dropped out and began reporting for a socialist newspaper in New York named The Call.  In writing for socialist papers Dorothy developed a voice for the poor and vulnerable but questioned the socialist denial of God.  Despite this she continued reporting the movement and gradually became more personally involved.  She was arrested numerous times and married through common-law a fellow participant, Forster Batterham. She became pregnant with Batterham’s child, but eventually they parted ways because of Day’s growing Christian beliefs and desire to baptize the baby.

At this time Day was searching for a way to reconcile her Catholic faith and Socialist views, and began writing for magazines like Commonweal and America.  She would pray desperately “that some way would open up for me to use what talents I possessed for my fellow workers, for the poor.”  In response to this prayer Dorothy met Peter Maurin and they began the Catholic Worker Movement. 

The Catholic Worker Movement started as a paper speaking for worker issues from a Catholic perspective.  Day quickly learned God’s faithfulness to those who answer the call:  Catholic Worker’s first printing of 2,500 copies was May 1933, and by December that same year the print run was up to 100,000.  Again seeking to integrate her call by practicing what she was preaching, Day and Maurin began housing needy individuals and the Catholic Worker House was born.  Over time thirty-three houses were developed and thriving across the country.

With this basic vision of the Catholic Worker Movement in place Day would address a variety of social issues in the coming years.  As the national debate grew over entering WWII Dorothy was staunchly pacifist in her opinions; in this stance she learned the cost of discipleship as half of the Catholic Worker Houses disbanded in opposition.  Despite this she remained true to what she believed was her calling.  Likewise, in the developments of the Cold War Day was prominently against the use of the atomic bomb.  In 1965 she traveled to Vatican II and pleaded for a statement against nuclear arms, and found such a statement in the document Gaudium et Spes.  Also during the sixties amidst the Civil Rights Movement Day promoted their pacifist cause via the Catholic Worker paper.

Dorothy Day was well aware that in life we are not called once and asked to respond only once, but in every moment and person met there is an opportunity to respond.  Even at the age of 76 Day was being arrested for acting on her call.  By the time she died in 1980 she had gained world renown for her efforts on behalf of the poor.

Her house…
We believe it most necessary to give a sense of family life to those who come to us. We believe a sense of security is as necessary as bread or shelter. We believe that when we undertake the responsibility of caring for a [person] who comes to us, we are accepting it for good. We know that [people] cannot be changed in a day or three days, nor in three months. We are trying "to make men." And this cannot be done overnight. Some, indeed, are shiftless and some dishonest; but our aim is to try to see Christ in these [people] and to change them by our love for them; and the more hopeless a case seems the more we are driven to prayer, which as it should be.

These are Dorothy Day’s foundational thoughts on the Catholic Worker House.  These could be words describing Dorothy Day herself, and her call.  She was open, welcoming, and giving to the most vulnerable in her own day.  She did not objectify those whom she served, but treated them with their full dignity in mind.  She adjusted as new circumstances arose, but stayed true to her calling.

Adam Setmeyer

Adam Setmeyer is a Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union studying for a Master of Arts Degree.  In addition to his studies he directs the youth ministry program at St. Joseph Church in Libertyville, IL.