What would it look like to build “a society where it is easier for people to be good?”
“The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker Movement” attempts to describe what such a society might look like and the means by which the movement aspires to create such a society. First articulated as the “Aims and Purposes” in 1940, this statement has evolved over the years. The version presented here is the most recent iteration developed by the New York Catholic Worker and is taken from the May 2019 edition of The Catholic Worker newspaper published by that community.
Because the Catholic Worker movement is a decentralized movement and not a coherent centralized organization, this statement of the Aims and Means is not the “definitive” statement of the movement as a whole. Other communities occasionally develop similar statements that attempt to capture the values, principles, and goals of the movement, or at least that particular Catholic Worker community. However, because the first versions of the document were drafted by the movement’s founders in the New York community, they continue to be regarded as a helpful reference point for Catholic Worker communities everywhere.
For a web-friendly version, see The Aims and Means of the Catholic Worker Movement at CatholicWorker.org. This PDF version has been formatted for ease of printing. It is available free of charge and not subject to copyright.