Peter Maurin: Difference between revisions
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Peter was very optimistic about the newspaper. When Dorothy was unsure about funds for printing, he assured her that God would provide for them. Before the paper was first distributed, Peter also had certain ideas about what it would consist of. For the first issue of ''The Catholic Worker'' Peter requested that his name not be on the list of editors as he found the paper lacking in some areas. He believed it was inadequate in the areas of ideas, principles, and strategies for new social order. Most of it, to him, was simply another protest journal. | Peter was very optimistic about the newspaper. When Dorothy was unsure about funds for printing, he assured her that God would provide for them. Before the paper was first distributed, Peter also had certain ideas about what it would consist of. For the first issue of ''The Catholic Worker'' Peter requested that his name not be on the list of editors as he found the paper lacking in some areas. He believed it was inadequate in the areas of ideas, principles, and strategies for new social order. Most of it, to him, was simply another protest journal. | ||
What the paper should be, he thought, was something that would provoke major social change, not just another paper of complaints. It should consist of specific steps to be taken to work for what he called "the green revolution." The paper should stress cooperation of all people, from factory workers to agricultural workers, from artisans to craftsmen and to scholars [[sources|[5]]]. Through their work together, Dorothy became more open to his ideas and the newspaper began to take more of the spin he had hoped. | What the paper should be, he thought, was something that would provoke major social change, not just another paper of complaints. It should consist of specific steps to be taken to work for what he called "the green revolution." The paper should stress cooperation of all people, from factory workers to agricultural workers, from artisans to craftsmen and to scholars [[sources|[5]]]. Through their work together, Dorothy became more open to his ideas and the newspaper began to take more of the spin he had hoped. Together they made a team dedicated to taking whatever steps they could to bring the world closer to a community where people work together, instead of against one another. | ||
Revision as of 07:04, 11 May 2006
Background
Peter Maurin came into the world on May 9, 1877 in Outlet, a village in the Languedoc region of southern France. His devotion to religion came much earlier, as he joined the Christian Brothers, a teaching order which stressed simplicity of life, piety, and service to the poor [1]. After leaving the order he took part in a Catholic movement called Le Sillon in France. The idea of this movement was that with strong Christian committment, love, responsibilty, and action for social justice, problems would be gone. Christian love would spread all over [2].
Peter faced a difficult time in his life when, because of law, he was forced to serve in the French military service. The army went against everything he believed and was, for him, a contradiction of religious and political duties. He got through this time, though, and in 1909 moved to Canada where he would not have to serve in the military. After a few years and odd jobs in Canada, he relocated to the United States where he continued the search for odd jobs. It was in these years of hard work that he came to embrace poverty as a gift from God. He had a lot of time for studying and prayer and he began to formulate his vision of a social order taken from the basic values of the Gospels [3].
Peter found time to often visit NYC where he would spend time in the public library or telling his ideas to anyone he could. His natural humor, friendly nature, and teaching ability made it easier for people to want to listen to him. George Shuster of Commonweal magazine was one such listener and he gave him the address of Dorothy Day [4].
The Catholic Worker
Peter was very optimistic about the newspaper. When Dorothy was unsure about funds for printing, he assured her that God would provide for them. Before the paper was first distributed, Peter also had certain ideas about what it would consist of. For the first issue of The Catholic Worker Peter requested that his name not be on the list of editors as he found the paper lacking in some areas. He believed it was inadequate in the areas of ideas, principles, and strategies for new social order. Most of it, to him, was simply another protest journal.
What the paper should be, he thought, was something that would provoke major social change, not just another paper of complaints. It should consist of specific steps to be taken to work for what he called "the green revolution." The paper should stress cooperation of all people, from factory workers to agricultural workers, from artisans to craftsmen and to scholars [5]. Through their work together, Dorothy became more open to his ideas and the newspaper began to take more of the spin he had hoped. Together they made a team dedicated to taking whatever steps they could to bring the world closer to a community where people work together, instead of against one another.
