Greetings Friends,
Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!! These words adorn the gravestone of Dorothy Day. Why? Well, I feel it’s because these words echo the secret that prophetesses, old and new, held in their hearts. Absolutely everything springs from a deep realization that all is grace. And that it is in gratitude for this gift that true joy is to be found.
Our St. Bakhita Community is deeply grateful for so much. First, and foremost, we are grateful to the women in our community who have the courage to take those first difficult steps toward healing. And they allow us to walk with them in many every day kind of ways. Second, we are grateful to you for praying for us, working with us, and sharing your hard-earned resources with us. We sent out our annual appeal a couple weeks back and are so profoundly grateful for your incredible generosity.
And it is in this deep spirit of gratitude that we invite you to the St. Bakhita Catholic Worker One Year Anniversary Open House Celebration being held on October 1st from 11:00-200pm. We will have Bishop Jeff lead us in prayer and snacks and fellowship will ensue. It will be a joyful afternoon as people of good will come together and say Deo Gratias with their presence! And, we strategically scheduled this event so that there will be no Packer or Badger game conflicts. The Brewers do play the Cubs at 2:10 that day, but we don’t expect that to be relevant at this point in the season. Especially if Bishop Jeff’s prayers really do work.
Finally, as promised, we are grateful to have the opportunity to invite you to our eight-month “Dorothy Day Deep Dive” entitled Dorothy Day—Patron Saint of Both/And. It will involve a cohort group of up to 20 people who will gather once a month, for eight months, learning about Dorothy and the Catholic Worker Movement. It is designed for those who have already read The Long Loneliness and want to take a deeper historical dive into the theological, intellectual, historical, and spiritual roots of the Catholic Worker. The first 20 people to email only register will be in the first of hopefully many cohort opportunities to come. We are closing registration on September 20th and will then begin to notify people as to whether they registered in the first 20 emails. Please see the syllabus and registration information below.
Deo Gratias. Thanks be to God. Yes, indeed. May you feel this as you lay your head on your pillow at night and as you rise from slumber in the morning.
Blessings and peace,
Anne
Dorothy Day-Patron Saint of Both/And- An Eight Month Study
It is our hope that this experience will broaden and deepen your understanding of the Catholic Worker Movement that was cofounded by Dorothy Day. With this in mind, we hope that you will feel a “revolution of the heart”. And in turn, may her life witness personally inspire you to act!
October 11, 2023 View DOCUMENTARIES: Don’t Call Me a Saint/Revolution of of the Heart
November 8, 2023 Discuss DOROTHY DAY: A BIOGRAPHY by William Miller-Part I
December 13, 2023 Attend RETREAT: Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes (6:00-9:00pm)
January 10, 2024 Discuss DOROTHY DAY: A BIOGRAPHY by William Miller-Part II
February 21, 2024(TBD) Visit MU Archives: Dorothy Day-Collection
March 13, 2024 Discuss A HARSH AND DREADFUL LOVE by William Miller-Part I
April 10, 2024 Participate in ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION: Topic TBD
May 8, 2024 Discuss A HARSH AND DREADFUL LOVE by William Miller-Part II
*Most Sessions run on Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at St. Bakhita House with the exception of the Retreat and the MU Archives visit. Please include the following information in your email to anne@bakhitahouse.org :
Full Name/Email/Phone #
*PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ THE LONG LONLINESS by Dorothy Day PRIOR TO THE FIRST SESSION. If you anticipate missing more than two Wednesdays please wait until the next 8 week session. All materials will be lent to participants. A $35 donation is appreciated. Scholarships are available. There may be a small additional charge for the visit to the MU Archives.
