From Mother to Daughter…Passing the Torch of Social Justice

“To have known Dorothy is to spend the rest of your life wondering what hit you.”

By the time Kate Hennessy finished her presentation on Feb. 5 at Mount Carmel in Dubuque, Iowa, everyone in the audience echoed her sentiment about her grandmother.

BVM sisters had gathered to hear Kate, writer and youngest grandchild of social activist Dorothy Day, share touching moments of her grandmother’s life.

Kate is the author of Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved By Beauty: An Intimate Portrait of My Grandmother, published by Scribner. She has traveled and worked around the world, and divides her time between Vermont and Ireland.

One of the founders of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy Day’s ministry in social justice work spanned nearly half a century, encompassing the lives of her daughter, Tamar Hennessy, and granddaughter, Kate.

Through anecdotes and passages from her book, Kate brought her grandmother and mother to life for the audience, sharing their love for those living on the margins. BVM Roberta White (Caritas) says, “Kate appreciated Dorothy’s way of working with those ‘discarded by society’—her respect for those people was so inspiring.”

Some sisters shared their memories of ministry at Catholic Worker houses. “Kate’s presentation helped me reconnect with my experiences with Catholic Worker,” says BVM Carol Cook (Conrad Ann). Mary Jean Ferry, BVM (St. Christopher) who served at Catholic Worker houses in Denver and Los Angeles, agrees, saying, “Miracles happen when the need is there.”

Today, there are over 240 operating Catholic Worker houses and farms. The 1933 Catholic Worker newspaper, edited by Dorothy Day from its inception until her death, is still available and sells for 1 cent per copy!

Mary Jean speaks for many when she says, “I was inspired by Kate’s stories of her mother and grandmother—Kate herself emanates Dorothy Day’s spirit.”