Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Worker Movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is a collection of autonomous communities that aim to live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ. The movement, which started with the Catholic Worker newspaper, now has more than 200 communities worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Mexico. Each community is unique, guided by a commitment to pacifism and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Some communities focus on anti-racist and anti-war activism, while others operate soup kitchens or practice organic farming. While not all Catholic Worker communities are Catholic, they all share a commitment to hospitality and solidarity with the poor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Autonomous communities | Hospitality |
| No hierarchy or central governing body | Pacifism |
| Unique charism | Nonviolence |
| Social services | Opposition to war and unequal global distribution of wealth |
| Houses of hospitality | Solidarity with the poor |
| Communes | Prayer |
| Christian anarchist movement | Church fidelity |
| Grassroots social movement | Christian social order |
| Online presence | Community |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Worker Movement
The movement's aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ", with a focus on hospitality towards those on society's margins. Each of the over 240 local Catholic Worker communities provides social services in its own unique way, suited to its local region. They are not official organs of the Catholic Church, and their activities may vary in religious tone and inspiration. The movement campaigns for nonviolence and opposes war and the unequal global distribution of wealth. Some communities engage in anti-racist and anti-war activism, operate soup kitchens, or restore land through organic farming.
Catholic Worker houses are typically founded by a small group of faithful people who commit to living and working for the ministry in a “main house” or an extended community of additional houses. They are funded by donations of time, skills, and financial resources, rather than government funding. The movement has spread beyond the United States to countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Mexico, with well over 200 communities existing today.
The Catholic Worker provides a compelling encounter with the Catholic Church for those struggling with homelessness or poverty. Interestingly, not all Catholic Worker communities are Catholic, and some openly question Church teachings. However, several houses founded in the Catholic Worker spirit embrace both liturgical life and the principles of Day and Maurin.
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Hospitality and houses
The Catholic Worker Movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is a collection of autonomous communities that aim to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ". One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on the margins of society, based on the principles of communitarianism and personalism.
The movement started with the Catholic Worker newspaper, created by Day to advance Catholic social teaching and take a neutral, Christian pacifist position in the 1930s. Day put her words into action through "houses of hospitality" and communes or farms where people could live together. The idea of voluntary poverty was advocated for those who worked at the houses of hospitality. Over time, some basic rules and policies were established, and Day appointed the directors of each house, which operated autonomously and varied in size and character.
Today, there are more than 200 Catholic Worker communities in the United States and at least 30 in other countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Sweden. Each community is unique, with a unique charism, but all are guided by a commitment to pacifism and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Some communities focus on anti-racist and anti-war activism, some operate soup kitchens, and some restore the land through organic farming practices.
Catholic Worker houses are typically founded by a small group of faithful people who commit to living and working for the ministry in a "main house" where the works of mercy are performed, or in an extended community of additional houses. Homeless guests often live with volunteers, and most leadership is lay. Some houses are for men and some for women.
The Peter Claver House in South Bend, Indiana, for example, has a general invitation to dinner at 6:30 every evening and serves breakfast on Friday and Saturday mornings. The Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania, is a working farm that also holds classes for visitors to learn concrete skills like combing wool.
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Christian anarchist movement
The Catholic Worker Movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is a Christian anarchist movement. It is a collection of autonomous communities that aim to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ". The movement is based on the principles of communitarianism and personalism, with a guiding principle of hospitality towards those on the margins of society.
Christian anarchism is a Christian movement in political theology that claims anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels. It is grounded in the belief that God, as embodied in the teachings of Jesus, is the only source of authority to which Christians are answerable. This leads to a rejection of the idea that human governments have ultimate authority over human societies. Christian anarchists denounce the state, believing it to be violent, deceitful, and idolatrous. They hold that the "Kingdom of God" is the proper expression of the relationship between God and humanity, characterised by horizontal organisation, servant leadership, and universal compassion.
The Catholic Worker Movement is not the only Christian anarchist movement. There are various libertarian socialist authors who have identified the work of Gerrard Winstanley and his involvement with the Digger movement as anticipating Christian anarchist thought. Thomas Müntzer, a spokesman for the German Peasant Wars, is also considered a Christian anarchist. The 19th-century Christian abolitionists Adin Ballou and William Lloyd Garrison believed that human governments would eventually be supplanted by a new order in which individuals are guided solely by their love for God.
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) included Christian anarchists such as Ammon Hennacy and Dorothy Day, who was also a co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. Day's social justice campaigns in defence of the poor were influenced by anarchocommunists like Léonce Crenier. Simone Weil, a French philosopher, is another example of a Christian anarchist. She converted to Christianity in the 1930s, feeling that it was the religion of the slaves.
Christian anarchists emphasise community and seek justice for the marginalised. They reject violence and view the "Kingdom of God" as an alternative to the hierarchical and authoritarian structures of organised religion.
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Catholic Worker Farms
The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the United States in 1933. It is considered a Christian anarchist movement, with all authority coming from God. The Catholic Worker Farms are another form of outreach for the movement. One such farm is the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania, which is a working farm that grows vegetables and raises chickens, as well as holding classes for visitors to learn skills like combing wool.
The Catholic Worker Movement aims to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ". It is guided by a commitment to pacifism and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Each community is unique, with each house having a different mission suited to its local region. The movement campaigns for nonviolence and opposes war and the unequal global distribution of wealth.
The movement started with the Catholic Worker newspaper, created by Dorothy Day to advance Catholic social teaching and take a neutral, Christian pacifist stance in the 1930s. Day put her words into action through houses of hospitality and a series of farms for people to live together on communes. These houses of hospitality were founded by small groups or communities of faithful people who committed themselves to living and working for the ministry. The idea of voluntary poverty was advocated for those who volunteered at these houses.
The Catholic Worker Movement provides a compelling encounter with the Catholic Church for those struggling with homelessness or poverty. There are more than 200 Catholic Worker communities in the United States and at least 30 in other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Australia. These communities are not afraid to question the status quo and take innovative approaches to helping those in need. For example, the Catholic Worker in South Bend has an initiative called Motels4Now, which moved 72 people from a local tent encampment into motel rooms in 2020.
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Catholic Worker communities
The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the United States in 1933. It is considered a Christian anarchist movement, with all authority coming from God. The Catholic Worker communities aim to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ". They are guided by a commitment to pacifism and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
The movement started with the Catholic Worker newspaper, created by Dorothy Day to advance Catholic social teaching and take a neutral, Christian pacifist position in the 1930s. The newspaper spread the idea to other cities in the United States and internationally through reports printed by those who had experienced working in the houses of hospitality. These houses of hospitality, along with a series of communes, were established to put Day's words from the Catholic Worker into action.
Today, there are more than 200 Catholic Worker communities in the United States and at least 30 in other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, New Zealand, and Sweden. These communities are not limited to those who are Catholic, and they may question Church teachings on issues relating to gender and sexuality. Despite this, they remain committed to hospitality and solidarity with the poor, integrating these values with prayer and Church fidelity.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Catholic Worker Movement has over 240 local communities in the United States and at least 30 in other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Each Catholic Worker community is unique, with a unique charism, guided by a commitment to pacifism and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Some communities focus on anti-racist and anti-war activism, while others operate soup kitchens or restore land through organic farming practices.
Catholic Worker communities are typically founded by a small group of faithful people who commit to living and working for the ministry in a ""main house" or an extended community of additional houses. If you are interested in joining a community, you can reach out to existing communities to inquire about volunteer opportunities or starting a new house.
