Life work of Day continues in Diocese

She opened the first hospitality house in New York City, with many others following in cities across the United States. Day wrote about social justice in her newspaper, The Catholic Worker.

When she died in 1980, The New York Times called her the most influential person in the history of American Catholicism. Many Catholics consider her a saint.

The Catholic Worker movement lives on in the Albany Diocese through Emmaus House in Albany, a temporary home for women and families who are homeless.

"We offer hospitality to the area's homeless in a grassroots way," said co-founder Fred Boehrer. "Emmaus House is an alternative to the dehumanizing aspect of today's many helping institutions. Instead of completing paperwork and recording statistics, we provide our guests with practical help, emotional support and advocacy, if they wish."

Diana Conroy, his wife and co-founder of Emmaus House, said, "Our lives are based on the principles of non-violence, personalism and voluntary poverty. Our house of hospitality strives to live out the Works of Mercy. We meet regularly for prayer, hold roundtable discussions, publish newsletters and activity speak out on issues of social and economic injustice."

Following in Day's path, the two live at Emmaus House with their two young children. They don't receive a salary but rely on the community's generosity. They are currently hosts to a family from Mexico and a woman from Vermont. They expect a family from Peru to join them soon. For information, call 482-4966. (LB)

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