Catholicism and Dorthy Day

I think that one of the main things that I have learned about Catholicism since coming to Loras, is the importance of the individual, this idea is also emphasized in the book we read for class. We always talk about how important it is that we contribute to those around us, and I think that sometimes it is hard for us to truly comprehend the impact that our actions make upon others. When I was younger, I went to a Catholic school and much of the volunteer work that we became involved in was in a group setting and usually was only a day project. I think one of the things I am enjoying most about our service opportunities in this class, is the ability to form lasting relationships with people. It's been so interesting to see how placing the emphasis on those you are working with, even above the actual work itself, yields such amazing results. I am working with kids in a local elementary, and the fact of the matter is that the kids do not care that I am helping them learn patterns or working on numbers with them, they are just excited to have someone there to spend time with.
One of the things that really stuck out for me with the Dorthy Day book (as you can already tell) was the idea that the whole basis for the Catholic Workers Movement was the idea of the individual and that the means to the end would somehow work itself out. So many times in the society that we leave in, we are jaded by things that seem good on the surface but have alterior motives. So many times we see charities or other foundations with the mask of christianity or sometimes Catholicism that we later find only contribute a small fraction of what is donated to them. There are many other examples, but I think the point I am trying to get at is recently these types of foundations or work gets discredited, and it is important to remember what it started as. The original idea was that when change was needed to benefit others, strides were taken by certain individuals to make that change because it was the right thing to do. So many people today worry more about making themselves look good through the work that they do, or the gain they themselves will obtain instead of the people that they are trying to help.

Politics

When I use the term politics, I think of it as a system in which decisions are made in order to govern a group of people; this can be in government, schools, workplaces, religious groups etc. I also think of social politics in which connections are made in order to advance oneself or gain friendships. The author in the book is trying to convey his idea of politics, which is that it is too ideological for government or 'politics' to really benefit the individual. I think he is trying to say that these ideologies prove too simplistic or one-dimensional to serve people who are simply more complex than what those simple ideologies can serve. He also is trying to convey the fact that sometimes by putting ourselves under institutions that we think are working to better us or liberate us, we are actually restricting our personal freedoms more.
The second week of service went really well. I am suprised at how vastly different the children are both in what their backgrounds are, but also in personality and ability. the children are responding really well to having someone there to help out, and the staff keep expressing how grateful they are to have someone there to help, so already this early in I feel as though I making a difference.

This Weeks Service

This week I began at Marshall Elementary. Walking up to the building, I could not believe how different it was from the elementary school that I attended-- with the chain link fencing and the door locked to the public without first announcing who you are. I also notice that the surrounding area is quite different than the one surrounding my old school. Meeting everyone there was really fun-- I really think that I am going to enjoy this semester. The school itself is quite a bit smaller than the one I attended- and it is public (I attended private.) The library where I will be helping out sometimes, was very small. There also isn't an acutal cafeteria, instead they use the gym. I haven't really gotten to really interact with the kids I will be working with yet. However, I did get to interact with the staff and I think this will be a really great experience. They all seemed truly appreciative of the fact that people are willing to volunteer there, and we were told thank you over and over. As we get more into the semester, I think I will be able to talk more about the experience.