Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was born Brooklyn, New York in 1897. As a child she knew little about religion and faith, and her lifestyle did not reflect Gospel values. However, as young Dorothy grew into adulthood she developed a strong passion for the marginalized and oppressed of society. As a journalist, her commitment to helping the less fortunate grew, and she often wrote about contemporary radical causes, such as women's right to vote.

After the birth of her child, Day turned to a life of prayer, meditating daily on the Scriptures. Transformed by the belief that love for God moves one to love one's neighbor, Dorothy chose a life of voluntary poverty, saying, "The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge and belief in love."

Her search for a way to make a difference in the world led Dorothy, along with Peter Maurin, a former Christian Brother from France, to found the Catholc Worker Movement and the Catholic Worker, a newspaper that challenged people to live the teachings of Jesus. Dorothy and Peter opened the first Catholic Worker House,
where they extended hospitality to the poor, homeless, and marginalized of society in 1933. The Catholic Worker Movement grew as its commitment to nonviolent social change spread. Dorothy Day died in 1980, but her vision and mission live on in the 185 Catholic Worker Movement communities in the United States.

Resource: Journey Through The New Testament, LeCompte, Teresa ( Harcourt Religion
Publishers, 2002).