Letters to the Editor

A Dorothy Day Pew?

Dear Editor: Articles re: the progress of efforts made to canonize Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, have appeared in various periodicals.

In his book, “All Saints,” Robert Ellsberg quotes Dorothy as saying, “When they canonize you a saint,” it means basically that you’re not to be taken seriously anymore, a way of dismissing her challenge – “Dorothy can do that; she’s a saint.”

Given her wish, and reasons that seem to include an element of truth, perhaps a compromise might be to have a statue of Dorothy sitting quietly in a church pew saying her Rosary rather than having an image of her placed in a special chapel or alcove. Thus she would be perceived as closer to the average persons and the actions she chose to advocate would seem to be within reach.

A statue in a pew might even be permitted before or even if she is not canonized.

Just a reminder, St. Joseph House on East 1st St. and Mary House on East 3rd St., both in Manhattan, are still in operation.

DONALD J. YOUNG

East Elmhurst