Dorothy Day Residence Hall to be dedicated

Lewis University will dedicate its newest residence hall Thursday, Sept. 10, on the Lewis University main campus in Romeoville. The twelfth student residence at Lewis will be named Dorothy Day Residence Hall in honor of the late social activist who founded the Catholic Worker Movement, an organization that combines direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action on their behalf.

“Dorothy Day was selected for recognition at Lewis University because of her deep faith, devotion to others, effective promotion of justice, and insistence on respect for every individual,” said Brother James Gaffney, FSC, President of Lewis University. “Her beliefs reflect the Lewis Mission and the values of Saint John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers.”

Dedication ceremonies for Dorothy Day Hall will begin at 4 p.m. with guided tours of the new building. A program, scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m., will include a blessing of the building and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a reception for faculty, staff, students, and guests.

Click this link to take a look at the building during its many phases of construction.

Dorothy Day Hall is the third new residence hall constructed on the Lewis main campus in the past four years to meet a burgeoning student population. The building has an additional level compared to the similar structures of Pope John Paul II Hall and Mother Teresa Hall, built in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Dorothy Day Hall can accommodate approximately 130 residents. It includes four floors of apartment-style living space with each floor consisting of single and double occupancy rooms, two study/conference areas, a lounge area, laundry facilities, and a kitchen. The first floor also has a game room and offers an expanded kitchen facility.

The lower level of the building is being utilized for additional classrooms, office space and meeting areas.

“A number of environmentally-friendly features were incorporated into the new residence hall,” added Donald Castello, Director of Facilities and a designated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional. Recycled materials were used in construction of the building; paints and other surface covering made from low emission materials were utilized to reduce indoor air contaminants; and energy consumption reduction features were designed into the building’s exterior, windows and primary building heating, ventilation and cooling systems. The hall is connected to a centrally located HVAC Digital Control System that monitors systems around the clock and makes changes in temperature remotely as needed. A bio-swale system located near the parking lot filters pollutants from storm water runoff. There also is an eco-friendly lighting system that operates with occupancy sensor lighting plus locations on each floor designated for recycling.

Despite a tumultuous early life, Dorothy Day dedicated herself completely to the poor, co-founding the Catholic Worker newspaper in 1933 and developing the publication into a movement that built Catholic Worker houses across the country to provide sustenance and direction for thousands of needy and homeless people throughout the United States. A dedicated social activist, she was a pioneer in promoting civil rights and pacifism while opposing nuclear weapons. She persisted as a peace advocate throughout the Cold War and also protested against the war in Viet Nam, being jailed for her peaceful demonstrations. In 1973, the 75-year-old was imprisoned after taking part in a banned picket line in support of the United Farm Workers in California.

Her work to promote peace was cited by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in their 1983 peace pastoral, The Challenge of Peace which affirms pacifism and conscientious objection as a legitimate expression of the Christian faith. Cardinal John O’Connor, then Catholic Archbishop of New York, initiated the proposal for a declaration of sainthood for Dorothy Day. In 2000, the Vatican officially opened the cause of sainthood for this remarkable woman, now to be known as “Dorothy Day, Servant of God.”

A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers approximately 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.