"Full-time Christians": Doing Dishes and Protesting Deportations
Catholic Workers give a good ol' college try to reconstructing the social order; creating thriving, personalist communities that even within class and race divisions, according to Harry Murray
“What to a Catholic Worker is the Fourth of July?”
This past week, the U.S. celebrated Independence Day. Catholic Workers, adherents to a movement whose co-founder declared, “We are Un-American: We are Catholics,” tend not to do a great deal of celebrating on Independence Day. Two enthusiastic Notre Dame students volunteering at Maryhouse several years ago found that out the hard way when they put up Fourth of July decorations and got an earful from an elderly resident about why a Christian anarchist community casts a hairy eyeball at flying the stars and stripes.
Several Catholic Workers spent the past week getting arrested. Others have been busy with the works of mercy rather than fireworks. Some—like our household—read Frederick Douglass’ stirring address from 1852, often titled “What to a Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Douglass addresses the crowd:
The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine.
Although Douglass was speaking over 170 years ago, his address could have been delivered yesterday.
Dorothy Day wrote in The Long Loneliness that she wanted a religion that did not sit comfortably with inequality while paying homage to justice for all. She asked: “Where were the saints to try to change the social order, not just to minister to the slaves but to do away with slavery?
That’s a tall order: to be a saint, to do away with slavery, and to change the social order. But, as we hope the stories within illustrate, a lot of good trouble and clarifying thought can result when you give it the ol’ college try.
peace,
Renée
FEATURED
“This place is too near the Ritz”: On Status at the Catholic Worker
Thursday’s CW Reads shared the final section from a chapter of Harry Murray’s book “Do Not Neglect Hospitality,” which includes his observations about status and class at St. Joseph’s House in New York City.
One guest gave Harry Murray the following critique:
I thought if one were to follow Christ one must empty himself, forget matters of status. But here, you still make judgments—judgments about status, about propriety, in answering the door. Here the com-panionship, the service, is for the people inside. The Crispy Rice is for the people inside, for the guys who work at Gimbels. I have a great sin on my soul just being inside this door, but I'm too weary to care. This place is too near the Ritz, too near the downtown businessman who doesn't want his life interrupted by those on the outside so he puts a doorman at the door to keep them out. It's lukewarm.
“A voice for the revolution”: Translating Dorothy Day
Magdalena Muñoz is leading a Spanish language book club on “From Union Square to Rome” (“Mi conversión: De Union Square a Roma”). She sat down with Roundtable to share more about how this book club came into existence and what her first year of living at St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker has taught her:
“Doing the dishes every Wednesday was actually the way for me to reconnect with my faith,” she said. “Finding out that the U.S. has this saint and movement that is so radical and politically committed, but always having the gospel at the center was amazing,” she said. “Really refreshing.”
COMMUNITY NEWS & NEWSLETTERS
Staten Island Catholic Worker Appoints New Director
Staten Island Catholic Worker has appointed a new director as the founder, Deborah Sucich, recently entered the Poor Clares in Wappingers Falls, New York. Read the June reflections of Anne-Marie, the new director, here.
Sacred Tent Catholic Worker July Newsletter
Sacred Tent Catholic Worker, in Downer’s Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, shared upcoming events, a meal train for mothers in need, and celebrated the small community events that have taken place in their July newsletter. '“There’s something holy in washing dishes together after a shared meal, in folding someone’s laundry, in making beds for strangers who become friends,” they write. Learn more at their website.
D.C. Catholic Worker Decries “Reign of Terror”
On Friday, June 27, eight wagers of peace—including several Catholic Workers—organized a small liturgy for peace and justice outside the White House Press Gate, sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.
“We are here today to proclaim the Gospel of Love, Nonviolence, Peace and Justice in resistance to the reign of terror being carried out by the Trump regime,” they wrote in their opening reflection.
Catholic Workers Arrested at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Several Catholic Workers participated in the Interfaith Action for Palestine’s protest of Christians United for Israel’s convention in Washington D.C. Christians for a Free Palestine, among other groups, protested as the Senate deliberated over the budget bill that recently passed, gutting essential services like Medicaid and food stamps. “Fund health care not genocide,” read one of their protest signs. Read more on Facebook here.
CW IN THE MEDIA
Orange Catholic Worker featured in the Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times covered clergy members’ appearances at immigration courts, attempting to accompany and protect migrants who are being disappeared after appearing for routine court dates. Recent data demonstrates that, of the roughly 60,000 immigrants in ICE detention, nearly 50% do not have any criminal record. Catch a picture of Orange County Catholic Worker praying together near immigration court here.
St. Francis Catholic Worker Former Resident Given Honors
A former resident at St. Francis House Catholic Worker in Chicago, Illinois—who went by the name of Seven—received posthumous military honors, including a 21-gun salute, at a funeral service this week. Attendees included Cook County sheriff’s investigators and Archdiocese of Chicago staff, according to Sophia Tareen of the Associated Press, who broke the story of Seven’s true identity last year. Read the full AP article here.
Los Angeles Catholic Worker Advocates for Immigration Activists
Members of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker participated in a rally on Friday, June 27, in support of Alejandro Orellana and Verita Topete. Orellana and Topete are Los Angeles immigration activists who have been raided by the FBI within the past month. You can read the article at Fight Back News here.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Dorothy Day Spanish Language Book Club
The Dorothy Day Guild is hosting four sessions of reading the Spanish translation of Day’s first autobiography, Mi conversión: De Union Square a Roma (From Union Square to Rome). The book club will meet on Tuesday evenings from July 8 to August 5, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
It is open to all those interested—you do not have to be fluent in Spanish. This reading group, which will meet on Tuesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register for the Spanish language book club, you can use this form.
WORDS FROM THE ELDERS
“Non-Catholic Catholics”
by Peter Maurin, from the January 1939 issue of The Catholic Worker
Apologetic Catholics
Some Catholics
like to apologize
for being Catholics.
Since Catholicism
is the truth,
it is foolish
to apologize
for being Catholics.
Since Catholicism
is the truth
then Catholics
ought to let non-Catholics
apologize
for not being Catholics.
To let non-Catholics apologize
for not being Catholics
is good apologetics.
To apologize
for being Catholics
is bad apologetics.Led by the Nose
Non-Catholics say
that Catholics
are led by the nose
by the clergy.
Real Catholics
follow their consciences.
I must admit
that some Catholics
are led by the nose.
These Catholics
who are led by the nose
are not led by the nose
by the clergy.
They are led by the nose
by non-Catholics.
These Catholics
who allow themselves
to be led by the nose
by non-Catholics
ought to be called
non-Catholic Catholics.
That’s why we’d rather celebrate the independent Day!
Sorry, couldn’t let it go… ;-) Greetings in solidarity from Germany in challenging times!! Keep up the good work and let’s all stand up against these forces of evil around the globe! And like always: ✊ Saoirse don Phalaistín!