On January 22, Fulton 101 was filled to the brim for a public screening of a new documentary titled Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story, sponsored by the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College. The film is being screened nationwide in advance of broadcastings on PBS in March. Director Martin Doblmeier revealed that attendees were a part of the first public screening outside of academia.
Although Doblmeier argued that Dorothy Day likely “does not need any introduction,” he lamented that “one of the greatest champions for the poor” has not received sufficient recognition by younger generations. Day is known in particular for her work with the Catholic Worker Movement, an activist movement supported by the newspaper The Catholic Worker, focused on total pacifism and workers’ rights.
Aside from Day’s own voice, the documentary features commentary from many of Day’s contemporaries, including family members, political leaders, and Church officials. Given that Day’s cause for sainthood was opened in 2000, the documentary provides another avenue to consider her impact on the larger world.
Revolution of the Heart discussed Day’s interwoven political and theological beliefs, positing that her anarchist and communist leanings resulted from her Christian beliefs in personalism, or the notion that each individual has a duty to serve another on an individual level. Although she was under FBI surveillance for sedition, one of the documentary’s interviewees remarked that while Day had a “radical suspicion of institutions,” it was “not a formula for chaos.” In fact, Day alerted city police ahead of her peaceful demonstrations against bomb drills and the war in Vietnam.
In addition to civil disobedience, Day also opened Catholic Worker houses of hospitality, which provided food to people in need. The documentary included a reflection from Day that those who benefitted from the soup lines actually came for “human warmth.” This focus on hospitality was inspired by Day’s devotion to St. Benedict. Revolution of the Heart included a testimony from actor Martin Sheen that “everyone was treated with the utmost respect” at these houses.
Following the screening, a panel discussion was conducted among Doblmeier; Jeannine Hill Fletcher, Professor of Theology at Fordham University; and Brianne Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Theology & Religious Studies at Emmanuel College. Day’s connection to suffering through the liturgy was discussed. As a convert to Catholicism later in life, Day felt deeply connected to the process of receiving the Eucharist, and she had a strong attachment to traditional liturgical practices.
The panel also discussed the legacy of Day’s potential canonization. Day is quoted as saying, “Don’t call me a saint, I don’t want to be dismissed that easily,” a statement which causes detractors to suggest that her canonization would leave her legacy as too one-dimensional.
However, the panelists suggested that Day’s canonization could remind Catholics that sainthood is within human capacity, providing an especially strong model for religious women. Fletcher also remarked that Revolution of the Heart’s focus on personalism detracted from Day’s successes within formal institutions, ignoring the fullness of her ability to mobilize groups towards a common goal.
Overall, the strong reactions garnered by Revolution of the Heart speaks to Day’s magnetizing features as an activist woman of faith in service to the poor.
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It was a wonderful event screening the film at Boston College and my thanks to everyone who made it possible.
It was great to see a packed room to help celebrate a life well worth remembering. I look forward to being back at
BC again very soon. Martin Doblmeier