Healing the Shockwaves of Abortion

The Long Loneliness: Understanding Dorothy Day's Mission in Light of her Abortion Loss












Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day (1897-1980), Servant of God, co-founded the Catholic Worker newspaper and established houses of hospitality and farming communes where she lived with and served the poor and destitute. Prior to this time, Dorothy Day sadly experienced a pregnancy that ended with an abortion, which she lamented.

In a letter to a woman written on February 6, 1973, she wrote:

“Twice I tried to take my own life, and the dear Lord pulled me through that darkness — I was rescued from that darkness. My sickness was physical too, since I had had an abortion with bad after-effects, and in a way my sickness of mind was a penance I had to endure…” Read More: