Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed that easily. - Servant of God Dorothy Day
A couple months ago I read that a new Staten Island ferry named for Dorothy Day was soon to be launched. At the launching earlier this month most of the reasons given for naming the new ferry in her honor were also reasons her cause for sainthood was put forward in 2000; she was a brave social activist who lived a life of selfless service to the poor and oppressed.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1897, Dorothy and her family moved to California and then Chicago when she was a child. She returned to New York and eventually made Staten Island her home. Her parents did not attend church often but as a young child Dorothy read the Bible regularly and started going to an Episcopal Church. In 1927 she converted to Catholicism. She co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement and The Catholic Worker Newspaper with Peter Maurin in 1933 which focused on promoting Catholic social teaching and pacifism.
In the past I have not been a big admirer of Day, but in recent years I have come to see her in a new light after listening to something Pope Francis said. In his address to Congress during his 2015 visit he remarked about her leadership. In that address, Francis said, "In these times when social concerns are so important, I cannot fail to mention the Servant of God Dorothy Day...Her social activism, her passion for justice and the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints."
Another reason goes back to what I said last month; sometimes sainthood seems unreachable. Saints, though, as Pope Francis said, are people who lived life with their feet on the ground. Dorothy Day had a gruff side and her work was often criticized, but she continued doing God's work in the face of it all - her feet were on the ground.
Showcasing SHA talent: Even an earthquake can't keep saint Emma in 4th from having her feet firmly on the ground.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide