As a sophomore at Notre Dame, I took a theology course that drastically changed the trajectory of my life. Professor Michael Baxter, in his class "Catholic Radicalism," opened my eyes to the lives of Peter Maurin, Dorothy Day, and others who helped shape the Catholic Worker movement. I remember feeling like I had found, for the first time, a model of faithful, lay Catholicism that was both terrifying and invigorating.
The class "afflicted the comfortable," namely, me, and illustrated examples of radical responses to consumerism, militarization, racism, and class division. After taking the course and spending time at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker in South Bend throughout my time as an undergraduate, I felt moved to move into the Catholic Worker upon graduation.
Without this course, Professor Baxter, and my classmates, I am not sure I would have fallen so in love with the Catholic Worker movement. At the Catholic Worker, I feel I am most free to attempt to live the Gospel with joy, and I am grateful for the Notre Dame theology course that helped me find my way here.
No comments:
Post a Comment