The Dorothy Day Guild asks its members and others to “spiritually gather” (in the words of Pope Francis) to pray a novena for solidarity and compassion in this challenging time. During the influenza epidemic of 1918, Dorothy worked for a year as a nurse in Brooklyn. Only 21, she experienced first-hand what healthcare workers today are facing. She wrote of the daily tragedies which she witnessed continuously, and which weighed upon her. Yet, she had no time to mourn, being so busy and overwhelmed with the work at hand: care for the sick and dying.

We pray for the repose of the loved ones we have lost during this tragic time and the consolation of their families and friends. Today, we also keep in our prayers healthcare workers and all those risking their lives to serve and heal in this moment of crisis. We ask that they be kept safe and their efforts be strengthened. May their work be appreciated and enabled.

“I had been a good and sympathetic nurse. I knew that I loved the work, and that if I had not had the irresistible urge to write, I would have clung to the profession of nursing as the most noble work.” – Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness

Let us pray…Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be OR the Holy Rosary

Prayer for the Canonization of Servant of God Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980)

God our Father,
Your servant Dorothy Day exemplified
the Catholic faith by her life
of prayer, voluntary poverty,
works of mercy, and
witness to the justice and peace
of the Gospel of Jesus.
May her life inspire your people
to turn to Christ as their Savior,
to see His face in the world’s poor, and
to raise their voices for the justice
of God’s kingdom.
I pray that her holiness may be recognized by your Church
And that you grant the following favor that I humbly ask through her intercession:
(here mention your request)
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.