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"A saint is someone who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way." Those famous words by Dorothy Day resounded last night as an eclectic audience of students, professors, Jesuits, nuns, devout Catholics, and curious spectators gathered together to watch a screening of the documentary Dorothy Day: Don't Call Me A Saint. The diverse audience was a testament to the continuing relevance of Day's message, even 70 years after she began her life's work.
The documentary opened with a black and white photograph of the young Dorothy Day, which gave no indication of Day's strength, courage, or the amazing endeavors she would undertake throughout her 83 years of life. In the background, those who knew her spoke of her, saying that Day was "brave" and filled with "conviction" and ideas that were so advanced that they could have been "divinely inspired." From early on, Day was lead by the belief that life should not be so hard for people and that she would do all she could to help those who suffered from inequality.
When she was about 20 years old, Day was on the verge of becoming a media journalist. She said that she wanted to write so that people would see the injustices that existed. Her work as a journalist lead Day to become a social activist.
Day is probably most well known for co-founding The Catholic Worker with Paul Maurin in 1933. The Catholic Worker was a newspaper begun during the Great Depression to speak out about issues of homelessness, hunger, poverty, etc. The paper was written by individuals from all over New York City who worked for no salary. It was sold to the public for just one penny, is still around today, and is still sold for a penny. The Catholic Worker Movement has its roots in the newspaper. One of the key principles of the Catholic Worker Movement was to care for the sick, the poor, the hungry, and the homeless.
But what was truly important to Day was people's actions. Day participated in many protests and gave talks around the country about works of mercy, peace, and community. Day was arrested several times for her acts of civil disobedience, but she continued to do whatever she could to make a difference.
There is an anecdote in the documentary about two homeless women who came to Day one night looking for a place to stay. Day was forced to turn them away because there was no room for them. A few days later, one of the women came back and told Day that, after she turned the two away, her friend felt so hopeless that she threw herself onto the train tracks and took her own life.
Hearing this, Day was spurred into action. According to the movie, Day wasted no time and took the $5 that was in her pocket and used it as a down payment on an apartment where she would allow the homeless to stay. This apartment was the first "house of hospitality" ever begun at The Catholic Worker. By 1941, 30 of these houses existed in the United States, Canada, and England - today there are more than 180 around the world. "We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever-widening circle will reach around the world," said Day.
Day's life was by no means an easy one. She was kicked out of her home when her father heard she was going to become a journalist, because, at that time, it was not an appropriate job for a woman. In addition, she underwent an illegal abortion, entered into a common-law marriage, had a daughter, and was forced to leave the man she loved to follow her faith and continue with her work, all before the age of 30. In a sense, as Day struggled to save the souls of the suffering, she was also struggling to come to know her own soul.
Many consider Day's life a challenge to all and an invitation to follow a selfless life. Day asked herself what kind of world she wanted to live in and tried to model her behaviors to bring about the changes needed to live in such a world. Her life dares individuals to do the same.
After the documentary, Kathe McKenna-who founded Haley House, a support house for men established in Boston and modeled after Day's houses of hospitality-spoke briefly about the documentary. McKenna commented that the documentary is rather "dangerous" because "there is a sense in it which is so romantic," and that it "makes her [Day's] life so appealing, when, in fact, there is nothing appealing about it," said McKenna.
Another man who works at Haley House, Adam, spoke about the "pain and drama, tragedy, and fear" that encompassed Day's life, but that are merely glossed over in the film. Adam noted that these are all characteristics necessary to truly engage in service for others and live a life fighting against injustice. McKenna stressed that in order to meet Day's challenge and live out her will, one must be careful not to simple imitate Day's actions, but to imitate the spirit with which Day undertook every endeavor.
Day died in 1980, and in March 2000, the Catholic church declared her a Servant of God, which is the first step toward sainthood. The church is still undecided on whether it will bestow upon Day the full title of saint. Ironically, Day didn't want to be called a saint because she believed it gave people an excuse not to follow her example. In her own words, "Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed so easily."
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