By Norman S. Jaques

It was appropriate that the premiere showing of the new documentary film "Dorothy Day: Don't Call Me a Saint" was at Marquette University. Marquette recognized her in the first years of her Catholic Worker movement.

Three Marquette faculty members were responsible for this: J.L. O'Sullivan, dean of the College of Journalism; the Rev. Raphael Hamilton, regent of the College of Journalism; and David Host, instructor of English for all freshmen journalism students.

This triumvirate frequently invited Dorothy to Marquette in the 1930s. The meetings were held in S100 in Science Hall. The meetings did not draw big crowds. These were depression years and practically all students had jobs of some kind. (I had three part-time jobs.)

But some of the students who attended these meetings formed the nucleus of the formation of the first Catholic Worker facility in Milwaukee. It opened as the House of Hospitality at 1019 N. 5th St. Soup was served and homeless people slept on the floor at night.

Many students who first met Dorothy at Marquette in the 1930s followed her and supported her throughout the years. In later years, my trips to New York always included a visit to her soup kitchen in on of the poorest parts of New York, 115 Mott St. in the Bowery.

Marquette should be proud of its support of Dorothy Day for more than 70 years. Her papers are now permanently in the John P. Raynor, S.J. Library. Her mission continues and will always need help.