Dorothy Day
(1897-1980)

American Social Worker, Pacifist
1972 Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award
National Women's Hall of Fame
Gandhi Peace Award Winner

birthdate: November 8
birthplace:
Brooklyn New York

Dorothy Day lived in a tiny room with just a few possessions, but when she died, hundreds of thousands mourned. The New York Times declared that her passing was the end of an era, and her legacy was compared to the lives of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dorothy Day was a journalist who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement with Father Peter Maurin. Their newspaper, The Catholic Worker advocated social and economic justice and reached over 185,000 people. But talking about a better world wasn't enough - they set up hospitality houses across the country to help the homeless. Dorothy Day's passion for a better world was awakened when she read Tolstoy and Upton Sinclair's works about the suffering of the poor. She had a spiritual awakening after her daughter was born and converted to Catholicism, later taking a vow of poverty and service to the poor. Throughout her life she worked for women's and worker's rights and the peace movement. Her passion and dedication helped awaken social concern in many Catholics and other people of faith.

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