Mary J. Workman letter to Donald McDonald, February 23, 1950 - Loyola Marymount University Digital Collections

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Title

Mary J. Workman letter to Donald McDonald, February 23, 1950

Creator

Workman, Mary J. (Mary Julia), 1871-1964

Date

23 February 1950

Description

A carbon copy of a typewritten letter, criticizing the usually smug, negative tone of Catholic periodicals of the time, commending an article written by McDonald in the Catholic newspaper, Commonweal, and calling for social reconstruction based on Christian principles.

Format Extent

1 leaf ; 25 cm

Subject

Church and social problems--Catholic Church; Social advocacy--Religious aspects--Catholic Church; Catholic press; Social justice;

Note

Born into a politically prominent Los Angeles family, Mary Julia Workman founded the Brownson House Settlement Association in 1901 and led it for 19 years. She became the first woman to join the Municipal League, a civic watchdog group. A Roman Catholic who built cooperative relationships with church leaders, she founded the diocesan chapter of the National Council of Catholic Women in 1924. She led the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission from 1927 to 1928 and helped establish local chapters of the League of Women Voters and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Throughout her life Workman was active in numerous social and religious efforts in her native city. Commonweal is an independent journal of opinion published by Roman Catholic Church laypeople. Founded in 1924 by Michael Williams as The Commonweal (the journalâ€™s title was shortened to Commonweal in 1965), its purpose is to engage the principles of Catholic Christianity with contemporary thought, literature, art, and public affairs.

Collection

Workman Family Papers CSLA-9, Series 2: Margaret Workman, Box 20, Folder 16

Type

["Correspondence"]

Language

eng

Item Details
Image Details

Item Details

Title

Mary J. Workman letter to Donald McDonald, February 23, 1950

Creator

Workman, Mary J. (Mary Julia), 1871-1964

Date

23 February 1950

Description

Note

Transcription

C o p y 2424 Gramercy Park Los Angeles 18, Calif. February 23, 1950 Mr.Donald McDonald, c/o The Commonweal, 386 Fourth Ave., New York 16, N.Y. Dear Mr.McDonald: Your article in The Commonweal of February 3, "The Status of the Local Catholic Press", was read by me with great interest. Your clear, candid and just analysis was corroborated by my own limited experience as a reader of Cath-olic papers. For many years, I have been troubled by the smug, negative editorial policy that characterizes too many of our Catholic papers. This policy generates cynicism, or at least apathy in readers of these papers. They ask themselves, " What is the use? " and they do nothing, or they cease to read Catholic papers. Our world of today is sorely troubled with the accumulated end results of unsolved problems brought to a head by the most devastating war in history. We are experiencing a crisis be-cause of years of inaction and unchecked social injustice.These problems can never be solved by negation, recrimination, denun-ciation and generally destructive criticism. What the whole world needs most of all is a truly constructive policy based upon sound Christian principles and applied prac-tically to the solution of present day problems, local, nation-al and international. Communism exploits this opportunity, while we spend our time blaming others. You are absolutely right when you put humility of spirit first. We can do nothing with the self righteous spirit of the Pharisee, but we can move mountains with the humility and faith of the Publican. After all, we all have a share in responsibility for present conditions." Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." It follows that we have a corresponding responsibility for so-cial reconstruction. We who have the fulness of faith have the greatest opportunity and the greatest responsibility. With my gratitude and my good wishes for your success, and with faith in God's help, believe me, Very truly yours, (Miss) Mary J.Workman

Names

Commonweal;

Subject

Church and social problems--Catholic Church; Social advocacy--Religious aspects--Catholic Church; Catholic press; Social justice;

Type

["Correspondence"]

Format Extent

1 leaf ; 25 cm

Language

eng

Digital Identifier

LML_CSLA-09-000060001

Collection

Workman Family Papers CSLA-9, Series 2: Margaret Workman, Box 20, Folder 16

Source

Department of Archives & Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University

Sponsorship

Funding for a portion of this collection came from a Local History Digital Resource Project grant . The Local History Digital Resource Project is supported by the U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. For more information, please visit: http://www.califa.org/lhdrp.php

Rights

https://library.lmu.edu/archivesandspecialcollections/copyrightandreproductionpolicy/

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