“Writing about the Catholic Church,
a radical writer says:
“Rome will have to do more
than to play a waiting game;
she will have to use
some of the dynamite
inherent in her message.”
To blow the dynamite
of a message
is the only way
to make the message dynamic.
If the Catholic Church
is not today
the dominant social dynamic force,
it is because Catholic scholars
have failed to blow the dynamite
of the Church.
Catholic scholars
have taken the dynamite of the Church,
have wrapped it up in nice phraseology,
placed it in an hermetic container
and sat on the lid.
It is about time
to blow the lid off
so the Catholic Church
may again become
the dominant social dynamic force.”
-Peter Maurin
(Co-founder of The Catholic Worker)
…Continued from page 1
Catholic
Workers
strive
to
live
a
life
of
voluntary
poverty
to
subvert
capitalism.
They
endeavor
to
live
simply
and
use
what
is
available
and
on
hand.
Workers
also
live
a
life
of
non-‐violence,
pacifism,
and
daily
acts
of
kindness.
These,
Martha
explained
are
the
basics
of
being
a
Catholic
Worker.
Martha
also
talked
about
the
Principles
of
Catholic
Social
Teaching
that
the
Worker
bases
its
goals
upon:
the
dignity
of
the
person,
community
of
common
good,
when
one
suffers
we
all
suffer.
We
experience
human
dignity
when
we
have
food,
clothing,
shelter,
work,
and
the
right
to
organize,
have
jus/ce,
and
protect
God’s
people.
Today
it
is
hard
to
understand
Christ
teaching,
“Love
Thy
Enemy”.
From
standing
up
for
prisoners
in
Guantanamo
Bay
to
visi/ng
families
in
war
torn
Afghanistan,
Martha’s
work
is
a
great
example
of
living
the
dynamite
of
the
church
within
the
confines
of
a
society
that
is
resistant
to
its
message.
Martha’s
message
to
students
at
Walsh
University
was
to
not
keep
the
teachings
of
the
church
as
theory
but
to
put
them
into
prac/ce.
She
called
the
Catholic
Worker
a
University
of
Catholic
Social
Teaching.
People
like
Martha
Hennessy
devote
their
lives
to
living
the
message
of
Christ
and
fulfilling
MaEhew
25.
“For
I
was
hungry
and
you
gave
me
food,
I
was
thirsty
and
you
gave
me
drink,
a
stranger
and
you
welcomed
me,
naked
and
you
clothed
me,
ill
and
you
cared
for
me,
in
prison
and
you
visited
me.”
-‐MaEhew
25:35-‐36
By:
Daniel
and
Laura
Schmidt