I just recently returned from visiting the Open Door Community, on my way to attend the annual SOA Protest at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. I was greeted with an over-flowing of love and hospitality so emblematic of Catholic Worker Communities.

What struck me the most was that during my short five day stay, I personally witnessed each of the six Works of Mercy listed in Matthew 25 taking place. I was able to help Tony cook and serve the soup for their Thursday lunch meal. On Saturday I was able to ride along for their monthy Hardwick Prison trip providing transportation to low-income families to visit relatives locked up in Georgia State Prisons. Many of these families would otherwise be unable to make the trip themselves either for lack of a vehicle or due to rising gasoline prices. While the families were visiting at the prison a group of us took the opportunity to visit Flanery O’Conner’s historic home in Milledgeville.

On Sunday we drove to Columbus Georgia for the SOA Protest, where I ran into former interns Elizabeth Henricks (’05), and Chris Knesrick (’04); former LACW Community Member Sheila McCarthey, former Los Angeles JVC Sara Suman and many others.

The trip ended on a high note on Monday with a protest action outside of the grand opening of Atlanta’s new aquarium. I was amazed at how colorful their signs/costumes were, and how well they integrated singing into their protest. Especially Chad’s wonderful voice starting off the protest with This Little Light of Mine.

What struck me the most is how much the Open Door Community is exactly the same as the Los Angeles Catholic Worker only completely different. Photos from my trip can be seen here.
–David Gardner

LACW community member, David Gardner, while visiting the Open Door Community in Atlanta, joined their protest action outside of Atlanta’s new $280 million aquarium. A local reporter was on hand and interviewed him and the qoute ended up in the local paper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The article can be read online here, although he remembers sounding more articulate at the time of the interview, however sounding inteligent and wearing a giant shark head don’t always go hand-in-hand.

On the night of November 5th, several of us at the Los Angeles Catholic Worker were pleased to attend Alverno High School’s rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream staring one of our youngest volunteers, Sophie Goldstein, as Puck. It was a great production using the original script with modern stage/costumes. Appearing in the photo from left to right: Christian Belt, Clare Bellefeuille-Rice, Sarah Grab, Faustino Cruz, Sophie Goldstein (in costume), Megan Fincher and David Gardner.

We are happy to welcome the two most recent additions to our community, Christian Belt and Sarah Grab. Both are from Germany, and are enrolled in a six month community service program in the United States sponsored by The International Fellowship of Reconciliation. While Sarah was placed at our community, Christian is currently on loan to us from our Sister House in Orange County.

For several years while Manuel lived with us at the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, he would construct a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar for us. Manuel, an artist and a native of Mexico put a lot of time, energy and creativity into it. This last year he, along with Jorge Manly-Gil returned to Mexico to start a Catholic Worker there. Manuel requested that I post photos of this years altar so he can see how this tradition is continuing in his absence.
http://lacatholicworker.org/dia-de-los-muertos

The photos taken at last week’s vigil at Vandenberg Air Force Base are now online and available at http://lacatholicworker.org/g/vandenberg-10-05.

More information about future peace demonstrations at Vandenberg AFB can be found at the Vandenberg Peace Legal Defense Fund website at: http://www.vpeaceldf.org/

Last weekend the Los Angeles Catholic Worker was joined with our Sister Houses for our annual Sister House Retreat. This year we had Dee Dee Risher and Will O’Brien the former editors of The Other Side magazine. For those who are interested I posted some of the photos taken that weekend.
http://lacatholicworker.org/g/retreat05

Our Summer Internship Program just ended, and most of our interns have returned home. I just posted a collection of photos taken at our various events this summer.
Summer 2005 Gallery

Of course those who may be interested in next years Summer Program can find information about it by clicking here.

Mike from the Worcester CW did a nice little write up about one of our sister houses, the Orange County Catholic Worker, on his website pieandcoffee.org.
http://www.pieandcoffee.org/2005/08/11/isaiah-house-santa-ana/

Yesterday Catherine, along with the LACW and interns, went to court for her sentencing. Catherine gave a very passionate statement about the real crimes commited in Iraq, and how the military budget hurts the poor back home. The prosecution had recomended a fifteen day sentence, and although Catherine stated that she was fully prepared to serve a fifteen day sentence the judge sentenced her to seven days in jail. Catherine, never one to procrastinate, left the court and walked down to the U.S. Marshal’s office where she turned herself in. We are hoping to have her home next Tuesday, the 9th which is also the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki.

One of our summer inters has a blog (an online journal). In it he shares a few reflections about his stay here with us, for the curious it is worth a look: http://love-theory.blogspot.com/

This morning David Gardner appeared before Judge Chapman, and entered a guilty plea. Although it was expected that the prosecution would request a pre-sentencing report from the probation department, the prosecution instead went ahead with sentencing. The judge initially considered a sentence community service, but David explained that he considered it to be an honor to serve the poor and that is what he does at the LACW, and that he would not cooperate with community service as punishment. The judge decided on a 48 hour sentence starting this Monday, July 11th at 8:30am.