Future of the Catholic Worker Movement

Its future will depend on how community members adapt to a changing world, said Dan McKanan, the author of "The Catholic Worker After Dorothy: Practicing the Works of Mercy in a New Generation."

WASHINGTON (CNS) - Although the Catholic Worker Movement in all of its nuances has carried on for 75 years, its future will depend on how community members adapt to a changing world, said Dan McKanan, the author of "The Catholic Worker After Dorothy: Practicing the Works of Mercy in a New Generation," published this year.

"The Catholic Worker is at a crossroad," said McKanan, associate professor and chairman of the theology department at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University in Minnesota. "If we are headed into the worst economic crisis since the Depression, then it is a moment for the Catholic Worker to step up and articulate its vision clearly."

The fact that no one person can be considered a leader of the movement today, as co-founder Dorothy Day was between 1933 and her 1980 death, says much about the Catholic Worker's structure, or lack thereof, in McKanan's view.

"It is remarkable that it's gone on for these almost 30 years since Dorothy's death," he said. "There aren't too many movements you can say that about."

That also leaves McKanan with questions about the movement's future.

"The biggest challenge in moving forward for the Catholic Worker is to be a little less reactive and a little more proactive in putting forward a personalist vision for a new society. In the early years the Catholic Worker got a lot of attention because everybody knew the globe was in crisis and (movement co-founder) Peter (Maurin) and Dorothy put forth a very distinctive vision that you could resolve that crisis by bringing people back to the land and caring for others' needs."

McKanan also sees the movement being challenged to "transition to the next generation of leaders." Catholic Worker houses of hospitality opened during the 1980s have not survived at the same rate as those opening in the two previous decades.

As a friend of the movement, McKanan believes the Catholic Worker must promote a wider range of community models, those that "stir the enthusiasm" of young people who may be attracted to the Catholic Worker life.

"The movement is still leaning on the Vietnam generation," he said. "It will be important for a critical mass in the next generation to make a lifelong commitment to the movement."

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops