An Undivided Heart - Dorothy Day Symposium

A few weeks ago, on Nov. 16th, a symposium on Dorothy Day titled An Undivided Heart was held at Maryknoll in NY. The speakers were all people who are or were involved in the Catholic Worker - Robert Ellsberg, Kathleen and Pat Jordon, Jackie Allen-Doucot, Amanda Dalosio and Kate Hennessy. It was, in my opinion, a great event. For those who know the Catholic Worker and Dorothy, it's a great reminder. For those wanting to find out, its a really a good way to learn from a number of different perspectives. A publisher, people who have worked and continue to work at Houses of Hospitality and a granddaughter and author who has written about Dorothy from a very special family perspective. The program was presented in four parts and has been made available on YouTube. The series begins with Ellsberg, followed by the Jordons and Allen-Doucot and Dalosio. Kate Hennessy finishes the series. So for anyone interested, I'm putting all of the links here. Something worthwhile to take a look at. Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNRR4lHHZnE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrYfNZzcmK0&t=9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLWmbeGjKaY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eghD2D0vaI

There were also some items that people shared online relative to what these people and others had learned from Dorothy. I want to share some things I learned from her when I knew her in the mid 60's: 

First, to be strong and unafraid. To support others no matter who they were or how great their need. To be kind but also angry if necessary. To realize that we can all be part of a community of saints, perhaps a bit ragged, bruised and imperfect but in the end, a community of saints. To laugh and to love writing. Those are just a few of the things I learned by being with her and watching her interact with the world as she knew it.