Dorothea Project Brings Catholic Social Teaching to Life

Heartbroken by the treatment of migrants and immigrants in the United States and compelled by her Catholic faith, in Spring of this year social worker, activist, and mom Katie Holler knew she couldn’t stay silent. Though not certain how her efforts would unfold, Katie knew that she was being called to speak out on behalf of the marginalized. “I felt that I couldn’t not do something,” said Katie, and “I didn’t want the Catholic Church to be complicit or to be silent in the way that immigrants, migrants, refugees are being treated.” So Katie turned to her experience as a community organizer and began searching for other Catholic women who were lamenting the treatment of immigrants. About 15 women responded to her first social media posts and gathered via Zoom to discern how best to live out Catholic Social Teaching in this moment. Lauren Winter was one of these women. “Katie spoke directly,” she stated, “and that spoke to me. It helped me feel empowered to continue the conversation.” 

As word continued to spread and more and more women were drawn to join their efforts, Katie, Lauren, and the growing cohort decided on their first action: a letter-writing campaign. Over the summer the Dorothea Project organized a campaign that resulted in 150+ letters sent to over 75+ dioceses across the country, asking church leaders to speak out publicly on behalf of migrants and against unjust deportations. As the campaign expanded, so did the number of women involved. In just six months, the Project’s mailing list grew to over 550+ women. And they are just getting started. 

While the next action of the Project is still in discernment, the energy is palpable. And the group agrees that the flexibility of its direction is a gift. “It gives us the opportunity to really try to be attuned to the promptings of the Spirit,” shared Lauren. But even as the details are in-process, one thing is for sure: the group is committed to staying grounded in Catholic Social Teaching. “Our mission,” said Katie, “is to share Catholic Social Teaching so that people can speak truth and take action to defend dignity. And so one of the things that we are very excited to start working on and start planning is ways to get Catholic Social Teaching into local parishes to incorporate that catechesis at the most local level, with the support of the hierarchy of our church.”  

In just the six months since its inception, one of the gifts that the Project has birthed is a growing intergenerational and diverse community. What started as a mostly homogenous group of women in their late 30s has grown to include women of all ages and races. One of these women is Teri Boza-Fernandez, a Cuban American in her mid-60s. Formerly very active in social justice activism, Teri was searching for a group to connect with to bridge some of her skills in social work, her passion for immigration, and her Catholic faith. “I was searching and I was praying,” shared Teri, “and I was asking God to lead me to something that I can be active in.”   Though Teri is still new to the Project, she already feels hopeful about the good that it can do. She shared, “For me, it’s been gratifying and empowering to find so many people in the group from throughout the United States that have taken up this cause because it’s easy to feel very alone here. This Project that has taken off so rapidly to me is like witnessing the work of the Holy Spirit.”

In addition to the inspiration drawn from the Project’s rapidly expanding network, the group is also inspired by its patrons: Dorothy Day, Thea Bowman, and the Sorrowful Heart of Mary. With the Project’s three-pronged approach to Catholic Social Teaching– action, education, and prayer– there could be no better patrons to inspire their work. “Many of us have strong admiration for Dorothy Day and Sister Thea Bowman,” said Katie. “And Mary saw the sufferings that her son went through,” added Lauren, “and she lived in that grief and that sorrow. And many of us are feeling that grief and that sorrow as well. So what better way to grieve than uniting our hearts with Mary?” And just like their namesakes Dorothy Day and Thea Bowman, the Dorothea Project is committed to ensuring that the Catholic faith is the foundation of all of its social justice efforts. “At the core of it,” says Lauren, “we are a Catholic group. It’s not a Democratic group. It’s not a Republican group. We are Catholic.” And from that rootedness, the group seeks to put pressure on Catholic leaders– both in the church and in the government– to live and work from that foundation as well.  

Though the Dorothea Project just began in Spring of this year, its rapid growth has been a testament of hope for all those who desire to join social actions from a place rooted in faith. It is open to all Catholic women who feel the pull to be part of the growing movement. “We are open to you,” says Katie, “no matter how you have voted in the past, no matter how you have spoken in the past. If right now you are like, ‘this is not okay, and my faith says this is not okay, and something needs to be done,’ you are welcome here.” “And,” Lauren added, “I hope anyone who is thinking about it understands that, not only are you welcome to join us, but you’re needed. We need you. We want you there because we believe in you and we believe in the things that you can do to make a difference in our world and in our church. You actually can make a difference.”

Interested in getting involved with the Dorothea Project? Visit their website at: https://dorotheaproject.com/. 

Do you know of or belong to a community that you would like to see highlighted? Reach out to Martha at martha@futurechurch.org.