The Dorothea Project, an apolitical group of about 450 Catholic women across the United States, is taking the world of Catholic Social Teaching and bringing it to the brink. They describe as: “a community of Catholic women formed by Catholic Social Teaching, called to speak truth and defend human dignity.” This has played out, so far, in zoom meetings, formation of committees, prayer, and calls to action.
Their first call to action was writing to their Catholic bishops about the injustices happening in immigration. The letter stated: “I respectfully urge you to stand publicly and actively in solidarity with our migrant brothers and sisters. As a shepherd of the Church, your voice carries moral authority and hope. In light of the Church’s teachings on human dignity, the preferential option for the poor, and the call to welcome the stranger, I believe now is the time for bold and courageous leadership in defense of the marginalized. In the words of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, ‘Remember who you are, and whose you are.’” Over 70 bishops received the letters.
Some of the bishops have begun responding to the letters, some handwritten! All of the bishops have been supportive of the Dorothea Project’s mission and positive in their call to speak on these issues. Archbishop Perez of Philadelphia said, “I recently spoke with my auxiliary bishops and my senior staff about [the immigration crisis], and the importance of providing pastoral care and comfort in our parishes and communities. We have been discussing ways to speak to our brothers and sisters directly, as well as to speak about the issues at stake more broadly.” Other bishops have shared similar sentiments.
The Dorothea Project’s next action item is specific to a saint who was himself wrongly imprisoned, St. Maximilian Kolbe. Kolbe is famous for being a Polish Catholic priest held at Auschwitz and for giving his life in place of another prisoner’s. This is what the Dorothea Project is asking for: “We invite you to join us on Thursday, August 14th [St. Maximillian Kolbe’s feast day] by standing in solidarity with our imprisoned brothers and sisters. The tasks are simple and can be done at home, in public, or on Zoom with us. We’re praying one rosary, calling our representatives, and emailing our priests. Our goal is to pray 16,670 Hail Marys in honor of his Auschwitz concentration camp number. This only amounts to about 314 rosaries. Join us!”
The Dorothea Project is formed by adherence to Catholic Social Teaching and the example of their patrons, Servant of God Dorothy Day, Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, and the Sorrowful Heart of Mary. Bowman and Day are notable for their social action. “[Sr. Thea Bowman] with song, truth, and fire…bore prophetic witness to racial injustice and cultural dignity—showing us what it means to show up fully, faithfully, and unafraid…Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, lived through injustice that pierced her heart. She did not look away. She stood at the foot of the Cross and held the world’s grief in fierce, faithful love…[Dorothy Day] lived the Gospel with fierce clarity, insisting that faith must lead to hospitality, resistance, and solidarity with the poor. Her witness invites us to a life of simplicity, mercy, and holy defiance.” With patronesses like this, how could the devil dare to make a stand?
The next meeting of the Dorothea Project will be held on the first Thursday of the month, September 4, at 8pm ET. We encourage you to join us in solidarity, prayer, and action. Find us on Instagram for the latest news and updates.