Ambassadors of God

In a world I won't see, but I wish I would, the biographies of some others here, including a few whom we serve lunch to, would be written and be read as eagerly as you say one of me would be read. --Dorothy Day

Ambassadors of God is a collection of remarkable obituaries taken from The Catholic Worker newspaper. Rich in anecdote, detail, and unexpected humor, they tell stories of men and women, living in poverty and distress, who were part of the New York Catholic Worker community. Written between 1936 and 2012, these essays shed light on people who might otherwise have been forgotten, but whose lives had a great impact on those who knew them and loved them.

The Catholic Worker and the movement that grew out of it were founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. As Catholics, they sought to live out the Works of Mercy, following the Gospel and the example of the saints. Even years after their deaths, the movement continues to welcome the poor and the stranger in a spirit of nonviolence. These obituaries honor those who came to the doors of The Catholic Worker in great need, and they offer a meditation on our shared humanity.