Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. A political and religious radical, she rejected institutional authority.
Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. A political and religious radical, she rejected institutional authority.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
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Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
This month on Womanica, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, or reproductive control these women created paths for change.
Today we’re talking about the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. A political and religious radical, she rejected institutional authority
Let’s talk about Dorothy Day!
Dorothy Day was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 8th, 1897. In 1904, her father, John, took a job at a newspaper in California, and the family moved to Oakland. But when the 1906 San Francisco earthquake hit, John’s source of income also crumbled.
So the Day family decided to start over – in Chicago.
The earthquake had left them with nothing. They moved into a tenement apartment, above a bar on Chicago’s Southside. Dorothy was just 8 years old – and embarrassed by her family’s living situation. She would sometimes tell the bus driver to drop her off at another, nicer building. These feelings of shame would drive Dorothtry’s work for the rest of her life.
In Chicago, Dorothy discovered something else, too: religion. Though her parents rarely went to church, Dorothy was drawn to the stories of the Bible. By the time she was 12, she’d been baptized in the Episcopal Church. And in high school, she practiced Greek by translating the New Testament.
Dorothy grew into an exceptional writer, and earned a college scholarship to the University of Illinois. There, she wrote for both the local and school newspapers, and joined a literary club. She also grew politically. She got involved with a socialist group, and rejected the religion that had given her so much comfort as a child. She wanted saints who looked beyond the social order. Who cared for the poor – but also questioned why there were so many in need in the first place.
Despite her intellectual curiosity, Dorothy struggled academically. By 19, she’d dropped out of school and moved to New York.
Now back in the city of her birth, Dorothy needed a job. So she started writing for The Call, a socialist newspaper. Her first headline read: Girl Reporter, With Three Cents in her Purse, Braves Night Court Lawyers.
Dorothy, it turns out, was fearless. She was arrested at a women’s suffrage protest at the White House. She was beaten by police at an anti-war rally. By day, she was a radical, left-wing journalist. By night, she was a bar-hopping bohemian, debating in dark corners with her Marxist friends.
At one point, Dorothy had an abortion. And for a while, Dorothy thought she couldn’t have any more children.
But when she was 29, Dorothy gave birth to her only child, a daughter named Tamar. Dorothy thought it was a miracle.
So much so that she spontaneously asked a nun on the street to baptize the baby. The nun agreed to do the baptism – if Dorothy converted to Catholicism.
She spent months studying the catechism. And when she was 30 years old, she officially became a Catholic.
Dorothy kept writing, and in 1932, she traveled to Washington, D.C. to cover the Communist Party’s hunger march. While she was there she went to the Basilica of the National Shrine at Catholic University and prayed for a way to support the poor and hungry.
When she got back to New York, a man was waiting for her in her apartment. His name was Peter Maurin, and he was an activist and a Catholic radical. Peter had heard about Dorothy from other leftists, and he had a pitch for her:
a newspaper for those most in need. This was exactly what Dorothy had prayed for. The two joined forces and the first issue of the Catholic Worker was published on May 1, 1933. It sold for a penny. Today, you can buy it for the same price.
The Catholic Worker became a monthly newspaper distributed around the country. Its readers called themselves Catholic workers, and became a movement.
In 1934, Dorothy and Peter rented a four-story, 11 bedroom building. It was the height of the Great Depression. New York, like most American cities, was filled with people who’d lost their homes. So Dorothy and Peter began housing folks with nowhere else to go. These hospitality houses began cropping across the country. They accepted everyone – people struggling with their mental health, with substance abuse.
Although Dorothy remained a devout Catholic until her death, she was often at odds with Church authorities. She fought for radical equality – her activism was anti-racist, anti-war, and, often, anti-government. She hated the system so much she didn’t even vote. And she had no tolerance for religious officials who, she thought, failed to center God’s true teachings.
Dorothy died on November 29, 1980, in New York City. Currently, there’s a long-running campaign to officially make her a Catholic saint.
But Dorothy often said, “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed that easily.”
All month, we’re highlighting resistors. For more information, find us on Facebook ad Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister, and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!