Catholic Worker House helps needy on a limited budget
Quote: "The Catholic Workers share a few similarities with the Quakers (more formally known as the Religious Society of Friends). The Catholic Workers aren't a homogenous group, and Purcell doesn't speak for all of them, but he believes that 'nothing's more important than people. ... The way I live is that people who are so-called losers are treated as if they are our brothers and sisters. If they need something and I can find it, I (provide it).'"
It's striking that the column doesn't mention Dorothy Day or the Catholic Church -- only Quakers!
There is a real affinity among Friends with the Catholic Worker movement. Our friends Carin Anderson and Chris Moore-Backman lived at the very same Redwood City house for a while. Forrest Curo recently wrote about the LA Catholic Worker and speculated about why there's no Quaker Worker movement at A Quaker Watering Hole. Stephen at our meeting subscribes to the LA Worker's newsletter. When I was at 15th Street Meeting in New York in the early 1990s, John and Vince had great stories to tell about volunteering at the Lower East Side Worker house.
In the blog post linked to above, Forrest wrote, "Despite minor hardships and inconvenience, we are drawn to the Catholic Worker way of life because it 'makes sense' where the so-called 'American Way of Life' doesn't."
Yep. Makes sense to me. Even if I don't live that way, much.
May we all treat so-called losers as our brothers and sisters. May we labor -- together, side by side -- for peace and justice and dignity for all creation.
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PS May the Lord bless and keep the members of the India team from Newberg Friends Church, including Gregg Koskela, who are on their way to or in India right now. May they travel safely and may they open hearts -- their own and others'.
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