Hello! The air has shifted and the leaves are starting to change, and it’s definitely autumn in New York. The Guild is in the midst of a season of transitions and reorganization right now, and we’re looking forward to continuing to share updates with you over the coming weeks, so stay tuned! Speaking of reorganization, however, our co-chair Dr. Kevin Ahern has been working with our friends at the New York Catholic Worker, the Dorothy Day Center at Manhattan College, and members of Dorothy’s family to organize and inventory Dorothy’s bedroom at Maryhouse. This work has revealed a number of tiny, intimate glimpses of what Kevin calls “a saint next door.” Some of these objects will eventually become part of a permanent educational exhibit at Manhattan College, which will be open to spiritual seekers, school groups, researchers, and members of the public.

Dorothy’s lifelong love of reading and writing meant that she was constantly exchanging books, cards, and letters with friends. One of our favorite finds so far is a note tucked between pages of Dorothy’s bible, from St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata. The text reads, “Dear Dorothy, My love, prayer, and sacrifice is close to you. If you go to Jesus first, tell Him I love Him. If I go, I will tell Him you love Him. God bless you.” Wow! Dorothy understood herself to be surrounded at all times by the love and support of the communion of saints; sometimes that was through prayer, and sometimes that meant the saints sat and visited in the Maryhouse living room. Many thanks for the hospitality of the Maryhouse community in allowing us to encounter these objects from Dorothy’s life up close. We look forward to welcoming you all to Manhattan College for the exhibit soon!

Finally, we look forward to welcoming Dr. Lincoln Rice to Manhattan College for the annual Dorothy Day Lecture. Lincoln received his doctorate in moral theology from Marquette University in 2013 and has been a member of Milwaukee’s Casa Maria Catholic Worker community since 1998. He is the author of Healing the Divide: A Catholic Racial Justice Framework Inspired by Dr. Arthur Falls, and editor of The Forgotten Radical Peter Maurin: Easy Essays From The Catholic Worker. Lincoln will speak to us this year on Peter Maurin’s philosophy, his significance for the Catholic Worker movement, and what we can learn from Peter today. This year’s lecture will take place on Thursday, November 2nd at 6:30 pm in the Alumni Room at Manhattan College’s O’Malley library.