Margaret F. Grace Lecture Featured in Crux
4/13/2016
John L. Allen Jr. emphasizes his view on Dorothy Day’s sainthood candidacy
Riverdale, N.Y. – Mount Saint Vincent’s Margaret F. Grace Lecture, “Dorothy Day and the Solution of Love: A Conversation with Robert Ellsberg, John L. Allen Jr., and Sr. Simone Campbell,” has been featured in Crux, in the analysis piece, “Dorothy Day would be ideal American saint for Pope Francis,” by John L. Allen Jr.
John L. Allen Jr. is the editor of Crux, an independent Catholic news site in partnership with the Knights of Columbus, and was one of three highly regarded speakers to present at the Margaret F. Grace Lecture hosted by the University of Mount Saint Vincent on April 12. He previously served both as a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and later as associate editor of The Boston Globe. He is the senior Vatican analyst for CNN, the author of ten books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs, and a popular speaker both in the United States and abroad.
The story highlights Mr. Allen’s support of Dorothy Day being “the ideal American sainthood candidate in the Francis era,” though there was much discussion and opposition from his fellow panelists at the lecture at Mount Saint Vincent.
“I appreciate the objections. It’s a fact that the tab for high-end sainthood causes can run to around $1 million, including travel to collect testimony, paying canon lawyers, putting together the paperwork, and staging both a beatification and a canonization ceremony. I can see why spending such a sum on a personal honor just doesn’t feel very ‘Catholic Worker-ish,’” he said.
“On the other hand, saints are quite literally priceless in shaping the Catholic imagination, and there’s a strong case that seeing Day formally canonized would be a boost to the things she stood for well worth the investment.”
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.