University of Colorado
Thanks for supporting Roundtable with your paid subscription! Catholic Workers Cry “Shame” on War, Call for Repair, HealingInside: Catholic Workers across the country respond to Iran strikes; two talks from the 2026 Catholic Worker Farm Gathering on regenerative hospitality toward land and guests; Dorothy Day on love
“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.”The unintended consequences of war are far-reaching. My husband was embarking on his journey home from a weeks-long work trip to India when the first bombs fell on Iran. Flights through Dubai were cancelled; he was lucky that his return home—through Australia—was only delayed by two days. But he was safe. Coworkers who departed the previous day were stuck indefinitely in Dubai as bombs fell there. Wives were home with small children, not knowing when daddy would walk through the door. But they were mostly safe. These folks were traveling to collaborate on the design of medical diagnostic equipment, yet so many were impacted in concrete ways by bombs falling in Iran—and those effects pale in comparison to the devastation being wrought in the Middle East. On a weekend in India, Adam visited the home—now a museum—of Indira Gandhi. He brought me home a simple tote bag featuring her quote, “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” What a powerful statement during these days of so many, many clenched fists. So *much* cannot be done with clenched fists: You cannot make a meal for a family managing a loved one’s hospitalization. You cannot hand a mom in need a set of school clothes for her child. You cannot love your neighbor. You cannot stop bombs falling. You cannot bring peace. This is what I hope to convey in my art structured around the words of Indira Gandhi. I used a lettering style evocative of Persian(Farsi), Urdu, and Hindi—beautiful styles of writing that share common roots, symbolizing the beauty that connects us across cultures. The missile’s trajectory is based in the clenching of fists. The hands, based in the heavens, might seem less substantial than the armaments—but they are larger, resilient, and can stop the violence. A Muslim friend of mine once asked how Christians pray. She found folded hands to be an odd posture—she, along with many Muslims, prays with her hands open, cupped, ready to receive. Clenched fists disable love, and—as reflected in my second piece of art, included below with today’s Words from the Elders—“Hell is not to love any more.” May we all open our hands, and accomplish through love what clenched fists cannot achieve. Monica Thanks for reading Roundtable! Help us spread the word about the Catholic Worker by sharing this post with a friend
FEATUREDCW Reads: War on the Land and the Work of RepairDan Guenthner, of Common Harvest Farm, gave the keynote address at the Catholic Worker Farm Gathering last month at Anathoth Community Farm in Luck, Wisconsin. Common Harvest Farm has been a neighbor and co-conspirator with the Anathoth community in regenerative, restorative agriculture. Guenthner called on Catholic Worker farmers at the gathering to be chaplains of repair in the “war on the land” happening under our feet. He said:
In response, Guenthner said that it was time to raise up a new generation to carry on the work of the “Rural Chaplains of America,” an ecumenical group that responded to the farm crisis of the 1980’s. He said:
Read the full keynote here. CW Reads: Hospitality on a Catholic Worker FarmThis week’s CW Reads also featured another talk from the Catholic Worker Farm Gathering. This time, Sara Freid, of Lake City Catholic Worker Farm, shared several stories of hospitality on a Catholic Worker farm: what makes it unique and the same as serving in the houses of hospitality in the city. Sara opened with a story of a three sacred interruption:
Read Sara’s full talk here. Catholic Workers Protest Iran StrikesFrom Los Angeles to New York City, Catholic Worker Communities protested President Trump’s and Israel’s strikes on Iran. In New York City, Cathy Breen, of Maryhouse, took to Times Square with thousands of others to protest the strikes. “I feel shame for being from the United States right now,” she told Al Jazeera. “We didn’t learn from the Iraq War.” You can watch her interview here. Ozark Foothills Catholic Worker Farm in Catawissa, Missouri, shared an original piece of art to their Instagram page with the statement “Like water and oil, Christianity and war don’t mix.” In Des Moines, Mohammed Salah Mahdi shared a Facebook reel posing questions about the tactics and the motivations of President Trump and Israel’s attacks. “How many regimes in the Middle East have been changed by force?” Salah asked. He noted that regimes that were anointed by the United States or sprang up after U.S. regime change still cause pain and suffering. “What does it mean to change a regime?” he asked. Roundtable reached out to Lincoln Rice (Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Milwaukee) and Chrissy Kirchhoefer (St. Louis Catholic Worker) for an update about interest in tax resistance during this tax season; both work for the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee. War tax resistance has grown in popularity since October 2023, and as the United States’ support of Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza has provoked domestic and international outrage. Rice, national coordinator of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, said in an email to Roundtable that, a week in, it is too early to tell whether the attacks on Iran will pique more interest. “But I can state that the recent surge in war tax resistance that began with the ICE invasion in Minnesota has not waned,” Rice added:
For more information about war tax resistance or to find a schedule of Pie Day tax events near you, he urged readers to visit their website or Instagram page. In Duluth, Minnesota, Michele Naar-Obed of Hildegard House sent the following statement via email to Roundtable:
CWers Keep an Eye on Escalating West Bank ViolenceMeanwhile, as the war with Iran grabs the world’s attention, Catholic Workers who have spent time in the West Bank have been keeping an eye on the situation there. Cassandra Dixon, who does prison hospitality at Mary House (Oxford, Wisconsin) and has traveled to the West Bank annually for more than fifteen years with Operation Dove, reports rapidly deteriorating conditions across the occupied territory. Settlers shot and killed one man and critically injured another, while Israeli forces simultaneously locked down all village gates and checkpoints throughout the region—including blocking ambulances from responding to emergencies. The situation is particularly bad in Masafer Yatta, the area where Dixon has built close relationships with Palestinian farming families over many years. According to an update from The Villages Group, settlers have cut the only water pipeline serving the area and routinely damage storage tanks. Organized attacks on villages are occurring at least weekly, with large groups of settlers arriving by vehicle to kill and steal livestock, injure residents, and destroy property. Brenna Cussen (St. Isidore Catholic Worker), who was among Catholic Workers who spent time in the West Bank this fall, suggests that people interested in following news from the area check out the Popular Resistance blog by Mazin Qumsiyeh, a friend of several Catholic Workers who lives in Beit Sahour. “Mazin is a Palestinian scientist who used to teach at Yale and moved home to Palestine during the 2nd Intifada to be part of the NV resistance,” Cussan says. “He’s amazing.”
COMMUNITY NEWS & NEWSLETTERSHouston Catholic Worker Issue Highlights “Texas Jesus”The Houston Catholic Worker featured a cover story by Louise Zwick on a Catholic vision for the reconstruction of the social order. “One would expect the social and economic situation today should be very different from the 1930s when Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin started the Catholic Worker movement,” Zwick writes, and yet she notes the striking similarities between the days of the Depression and today:
How does the Gospel speak into this world? Zwick asks. Inside the paper, readers receive some clues. A reprint of a Mark Zwicks essay in Our Sunday Visitor on being and doing illuminated the tension of being a contemplative in action. After hearing a Sunday homily emphasizing the importance of “being” rather than the capitalist emphasis on “doing” or achieving, Zwick wrote that the community resolved to concentrate on “being.” However, he wrote:
Inside, the editors share the words of the US Bishops condemning war and encouraging peace and Pope Leo XIV’s recent encomium on Dorothy Day. Herman Sutter shares their poem “Texas Jesus,” on Jesus in the face of the migrants fleeing to the United States:
Read more at CJD.org. Casa Cry Encourages War Tax ResistanceCasa Cry, the newsletter of Casa Maria Catholic Worker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, encouraged readers not to pay taxes and participate in war tax resistance in protest of the Iran strikes.
Staten Island Catholic Worker UpdatesStaten Island Catholic Worker is in a new season this spring with many new initiatives bearing fruit. Current director Anne-Louise DePalo noted many seeds of new life and initiatives springing the community. She is speaking with Staten Island’s government representatives to install a memorial to Dorothy Day’s residence at Spanish Camp, Day’s last home on her beloved Staten Island. Their most recent newsletter featured invitations to join for sandwich outreach in Tappan Park, a list of Masses for peace at nearby churches, and a reflection on Dorothy Day’s life as a model for Christian Lenten practices. “Dorothy Day lived Lent throughout her life,” DePalo wrote:
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CW IN THE MEDIACalifornia Catholic Worker: “We owe nuclear disarmament to our children.”Scott Fina, a longtime volunteer at Beatitude House Catholic Worker in Guadalupe, California, wrote an op-ed about the importance of Vandenburg Air Force Base in the U.S military’s nuclear program, calling it the “most visible venue for the American nuclear weaponry.” Fina has joined the Los Angeles Catholic Workers and others in regular protests at the base. He emphasizes the importance of protesting the U.S.’ testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles with the ending of the New START treaty last month. The New START treaty limited the world’s two largest nuclear superpowers, the U.S. and Russia, and without a new treaty in place, each nation can expand their already apocalyptic nuclear arsenals. Read Scott’s essay here. Iowa City Catholic Worker Featured in Immigrant Stories
Recently, Bishop Dennis Walsh of Davenport joined Iowa City Catholic Worker outside ICE’s Cedar Rapids Field Office in Iowa on one of their Tuesday vigils to try to bring pastoral care to detainees inside. An ICE agent refused the bishop entry. Little Village Mag has that story here. A man detained in ICE detention in Iowa for more than a year spoke with the Daily Iowan about his story and the horrors that he witnessed. The article addresses the ongoing lawsuits against Muscatine County and federal officials, including the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, regarding unlawful detainment. One of the lawsuits involves Jorge González Ochoa, a member of Iowa City Catholic Worker’s sister organization Escucha Mí Voz. Read that story here. Iowa City Catholic Worker was also featured in a second Daily Iowan story highlighting grassroots organizations supporting immigrants throughout the state. Read that story here. Podcasts Feature Catholic WorkersFr RJ Carr addresses the witness of Dorothy Day and the importance of treating all our neighbors with human dignity. The problem with the church focusing solely on sexual sin, he says, is that the church neglects to form Catholics in offenses against human dignity. Listen on YouTube here. Roundtable’s Renée Roden is featured on a bonus episode of Religion to Reality, talking about voluntary poverty as a means of community building and the works of mercy as a means of putting love into action. Listen here. Rosette Tiny Village Profiled in Local PaperMark and Luz Colville’s Rosette Tiny Village project is featured in their local news site, New Haven Today. The Colvilles opened up six tiny shelters in the backyard of their Catholic Worker house in 2023, after residents of a nearby tent encampment were evicted. Read more about this project of the Amistad Catholic Worker in New Haven, Connecticut, here. South Bend Catholic Worker Speaks on Homeless Shelter InitiativeMargie Pfeil, co-founder of St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker in South Bend, Indiana, is speaking to the League of Women Voters in South Bend about the community’s project “New Day Intake Center.” The New Day Intake Center, which began in 2020 as “Motels 4 Now,” has become a nonprofit independent from the Catholic Worker community that commits to “dignified housing and supportive services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, supporting them as they transition to long-term, stable housing,” according to the South Bend Tribune. Read more at the Tribune here. Thanks for reading Roundtable! Help us spread the word about the Catholic Worker by sharing this post with a friend!
MARK YOUR CALENDARCatholic Worker to Present Roundtable on Palestine in WinonaWinona, Minn.—Brenna Cussen Anglada will be presenting on her experience in Palestine last fall on Sunday, March 15, at 1:30 p.m. at the Winona Catholic Worker. “Brenna will share how Palestinians, indigenous to the West Bank, are committed to remaining on their land and resisting their own ethnic cleansing. She will also share what Palestinians are asking of internationals who wish to support them,” the community said in a press release published by Winona Post. Learn more online here. Panel Discussion: Civil Rights and the Catholic WorkerMemphis, Tenn.—Dorothy Day House in Memphis is holding a panel discussion on “The Intersection of the Civil Rights and Catholic Worker Movements in Memphis.” The panel will be on Thursday, March 19 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the National Civil Rights Museum. Historians, theologians, and descendants of activists will discuss “how faith and justice movements shaped Memphis history — and continue to inspire change today.” The admission is free but registration is required. Register here. Roundtable Discussion on the Bishops’ Pact for “a Poor Church”Harrisburg, Penn. — Come join us for a roundtable Discussion on the Pact of the Catacombs and the Church of the Poor at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker (1440 Market Street), Sunday, March 15, at 4 p.m. “How I wish for a Church that is poor and for the poor!” Pope Francis said in March 2013, during the first week of his pontificate. 50 years before that, several Catholic bishops gathered together to commit themselves to being a Church that loves Holy Poverty and loves the poor. Come learn about that “Pact of the Catacombs” and how we can live in that spirit today. Learn more about the Pact of the Catacombs in Renée Roden’s editorial in NCR here. Faith and Resistance Retreat: Catholic Workers Return to Protest Nuclear Bomb Production in Kansas CityKansas City — April 24-27, 2026 The Catholic Worker is returning to the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) for our annual Spring Resistance gathering. The KCNSC is where 80% of the electronic and mechanical parts for U.S. nuclear weapons are produced, including the triggering and guidance systems as part of the $2 trillion “Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan.” The danger of nuclear war has never been so imminent. In this time of global instability, the Kansas City National “Security” Campus is providing President Trump with “additional nuclear options” that would end life on this planet as we know it. Join us for a weekend of prayer, education, discernment, celebration and mourning in preparation for acts of nonviolent direct action for the sake of life on Monday morning, April 27. Contacts for more information: Henry Stoever, PeaceWorksKC, henrys...@sbcglobal.net See more at catholicworker.org here. Roundtable is a reader-supported publication. Please consider donating a paid subscription to support our work and keep Roundtable and news about the Catholic Worker movement free for all. Thank you for reading Roundtable!
WORDS FROM THE ELDERS“Notes by the Way”by Dorothy Day, from the January 1944 issue of The Catholic Worker Pius XII asked us on the feast of the Immaculate Conception to love our enemies; to overcome the spirit of hatred and revenge.
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