Peace visit to Faslane by Dorothy Day's granddaughters

Last May marked the 90th anniversary of the Catholic Worker movement, co-founded by the radical journalist and peace activist Dorothy Day. In 2000, Day was denoted as a Servant of God and her cause for sainthood has progressed rapidly over the last two years. From 14th to 21st March this year two of Dorothy Day's granddaughters, Martha and Kate Hennessy, visited Scotland to share Day's message of Gospel nonviolence and the practice of the works of mercy.

Audiences included students and staff from the University of Glasgow, Catholic and Episcopal parishes in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and members of the Scottish Parliament, hosted by Bill Kidd MSP. During this timely visit, hosted by the Glasgow Catholic Worker, Martha and Kate spoke about the legacy of Dorothy and memories of their grandmother, her canonization and wider legacy within both the Church and Catholic Worker movement, as well as the importance of the message of nonviolence in the world today.

Martha and Kate also emphasised the impact that Dorothy had made on their own lives. Martha is now a prominent peace activist in her own right, having been arrested and imprisoned for resisting the use of violence, such as the use of torture in Iraq and Guantanamo, the use of military drones, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. She volunteers at the Maryhouse Catholic Worker in New York where

Dorothy spent the last years of her life. Kate, the youngest of Dorothy's nine grandchildren, follows in Dorothy's footsteps as a writer, notably having given a portrayal of her grandmother in her book Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty, and as an artist following the long artistic tradition within the Catholic Worker.

The last weekend of Martha and Kate's visit featured a roundtable discussion, a prominent feature of the Catholic Worker movement, on the nonviolence of Christ in today's world of current wars. Attendees included Archbishop Nolan, the Archbishop of Glasgow, Just and Peace Glasgow and Scotland, Pax Christi Scotland, SCIAF, and members of the Glasgow Catholic Worker.

Fittingly the visit concluded with a prayerful act of witness at Faslane naval base, the home of Britain's nuclear weapons system. Participants reflected on Dorothy's writing on 'The Use of Force' which speaks of how 'Christ is being crucified today, everyday'. In this spirit, the act of resistance included prayers for peace in the Middle East, all victims of war, the end of nuclear defence, and for the strength to be peacemakers.

Though the visit of Martha and Kate touched on difficult themes of violence and injustice in the world today, ultimately it was marked by a spirit of hope. As Martha reflected during the roundtable, the story of Christ does not end with the Crucifixion but continues through the Resurrection. This echoes Dorothy's own words in On Pilgrimage; 'We begin to live again each morning. We rise from the dead, the sun rises, spring comes around - there is always that cycle of birth and growth and death, and then resurrection'. During the season of Easter these reminders of the call to repentance and renewal are particularly poignant.

Anna Blackman is a Lecturer in Catholic Religious Education at the School of Education of the University of Glasgow.

LINK

Glasgow Catholic Worker: www.catholicworker.org.uk/