Moses said to the people:
“Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.
—Deuteronomy 8 (from Sunday’s readings)
The SS. Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker community celebrated its 40th anniversary this weekend with a backyard mass celebrated by Msgr. Frank Scollen. Claire and Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, the pillars of this community, remain as uncompromising and joyful as ever. Here’s to another 40 years!
Blogging once seemed like the new, cool thing. Now it’s so old I can point you to my post from the 30th anniversary and all sorts of content from the 20th (Many photos, video of the recessional hymn from the 20th anniversary mass performed by Harry Duchesne and the Catholic Worker All-Stars feat. Mike Benedetti and Liz Fallon, Scott’s writeup on the first 20 years, my reflections on the 20th anniversary, a cable access news clip we made for the 20th).
Claire and Scott have posted a (partial) list of highlights from “Our Second Twenty Years”:
The Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker was founded by Carl Siciliano, Sarah Jeglosky, Dan Ethier, Claire & Scott Schaeffer-Duffy on June 5, 1986. Many volunteers, including Teresa Wheeler, Jo Massarelli, Dave Maher, Mike Benedetti, Ken Hannaford-Ricardi, Brenna Cussen, Cinnamon Sarver, Dave Maciewski, Robert Peters, and hundreds of others made it possible for the community to persist.
Brayton Shanley:
The only thing Dorothy Day ever said that was wrong was Catholic Workers weren’t for families. But you have shown it is not only for families, but you’ve raised, how many kids? (“Four.” “At least four!”) And they’re wonderful.
WORCESTER – The Sts. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker community on Mason Street celebrated its 40th anniversary this weekend with Mass in the back yard for the feast of Corpus Christi. “Thank you for your ministry,” Msgr. Francis J. Scollen, sacramental minister at St. Peter Parish, told these Catholics who have worked and sacrificed for justice and peace in multiple ways. “God has directed you. We need you.” He and house co-founders Scott and Claire Schaeffer-Duffy shared stories of the power of the Eucharist. Others shared memories of people involved over the years.
My oldest photo of Msgr. Scollen. Opening night at Worcester’s Mustard Seed Catholic Worker house, March 25, 1974. Left to right: Fr. Frank Scollen; Jeanette Noel; Geri DiNardo.