Senate Resolution No. 1493

BY: Senator SCARCELLA-SPANTON

COMMEMORATING the 45th Anniversary of the death of
Dorothy Day, venerable Catholic lay leader,
journalist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker
Movement

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize
significant anniversaries that commemorate the lives of extraordinary
individuals whose moral vision and steadfast commitment to justice have
left an enduring impact on the people of the State of New York and the
world; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the
45th Anniversary of the death of Dorothy Day; this momentous occasion
was recognized with a memorial Mass, including prayers devoted to Day's
canonization, on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at St. Peter's Roman
Catholic Church in New Brighton, New York; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Day, who died at age 83 on November 29, 1980,
continues to be evaluated for sainthood in the Catholic Church and is
recognized as a Servant of God, the first step in the multi-stage
canonization process; and

WHEREAS, Born in Brooklyn Heights, Dorothy Day maintained a deep and
abiding connection to Staten Island throughout her life; following her
conversion to Catholicism, she was baptized in 1927 at Our Lady Help of
Christians Church in Tottenville; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Day spent her youth and adult summers at Annadale
Beach and resided at her home on the corner of Zephyr and Poillon
Avenues, where she prayed, wrote, and welcomed neighbors in keeping with
her commitment to hospitality; and

WHEREAS, Together with Catholic Worker co-founder Peter Maurin,
Dorothy Day operated a cooperative farm on Bloomingdale Road in Pleasant
Plains from 1950 to 1964, a living expression of the movement's
principles of voluntary poverty, communal labor, and service to the
poor; and

WHEREAS, In later years she continued to spend her summers at
Spanish Camp in Annadale, further strengthening her ties to Staten
Island, where she is now interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Pleasant
Plains; and

WHEREAS, The Catholic Worker Movement began in 1933 during the Great
Depression, when Dorothy Day, influenced by Peter Maurin's personalist
philosophy and her Catholic faith, published the first issue of The
Catholic Worker newspaper; and

WHEREAS, Sold for a penny, The Catholic Worker quickly became a
prominent voice for economic justice, workers' rights, direct aid to the
poor, and Christian pacifism, helping to spark a nationwide movement
devoted to the Works of Mercy and nonviolence; and

WHEREAS, As the movement expanded, Dorothy Day-who openly embraced
Christian anarchism, the Church's preferential option for the poor, and
distributism as an alternative to both socialism and capitalism-became
one of the most influential Catholic lay leaders of the 20th century;
and

WHEREAS, During World War II, The Catholic Worker upheld its
pacifist principles and supported conscientious objectors, solidifying
the movement's reputation for moral clarity and courage in times of
national crisis; and

WHEREAS, Today, more than 200 Catholic Worker houses of hospitality
operate around the world, each shaped by local needs but unified by the
founding principles articulated by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin-mercy,
solidarity, nonviolence, and the belief in the inherent dignity of every
person; and

WHEREAS, The Staten Island Catholic Worker, founded two years ago by
Deborah Sucich and headquartered at St. Peter's Church, continues this
proud tradition, offering direct service to those in need and keeping
alive Dorothy Day's legacy of radical hospitality; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 45th Anniversary of the death of Dorothy Day, to honor
her profound contributions to social justice, peace, and the spiritual
life of New York State and the nation, and to recognize the Catholic
Worker of Staten Island for its efforts to preserve and celebrate her
memory; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Catholic Worker of Staten Island and to St. Peter's
Roman Catholic Church, New Brighton, New York.