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Welcome to the Peter Maurin Center!
| Peter Maurin |
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| In front of the original CW storefront |
Peter Maurin was born into a peasant family in southern France, on May 9, 1877. At
sixteen, he entered the Christian Brothers, a teaching order which stressed simplicity of life, piety and service to the poor.
In 1898-99, his community life was interrupted by obligatory military service, in the course of which Maurin perceived a tension
between religious and political duties. Later, when the French goverment closed many religious schools, Maurin left the order
and became active in Le Sillon, a Catholic lay movement, which advocated Christian democracy and supported cooperatives and
unions. In 1908, disenchanted with the movement's increasingly political character, Maurin resigned and immigrated to Canada
first, and the U.S. later.He took whatever work he could find, digging ditches, quarrying stone, harvesting wheat, cutting
lumber and laying track. He worked in brickyards, steel mills and coalmines. At times, he traded French lessons for his necessities.
He was jailed for vagrancy and for riding the rails. He never married. In 1932, he was a handyman at a Catholic boy's camp
in upstate New York, receiving meals, use of the chaplain's library and living space in the barn. Not long after, in December of
1932, Peter found Dorothy Day. Together they started The Catholic Worker newspaper in 1933. Peter Maurin was well
read, especially in the vein of the French personalists. These writings emphasized the tremendous dignity of the human person,
together with a profound understanding of each person's vocation in freedom and personal responsibilty. Peter challenged
the priority of economics and consumerism in daily life.The perspective that Peter brought to Dororthy, still a new convert
to Catholicism, was a radical following of the Gospel at a time that he described as chaos. Peter is also well known for a
compilation of his body of writings, known as his "Easy Essays", If you wish to know more about Peter Maurin, Dororthy
Day or The Catholic Worker, we recommend as a book; The Catholic Worker Movement, Intellectual and Spiritual Origins
by Mark and Louis Zwick. We have found this to be a good resource. You can click on the pictures for a link.
 Peter Maurin Center
The Peter Maurin Center, located at 1096 South Main Street in Akron, was purchased in February,
2006. This 1913 building had been a mortuary, bar, restaurant and most recently, a bar and grill. It had been vacant for ten
years. It has a bus stop at the front door and is situated in one of the poorest residential areas of Akron. Following
extensive renovation, the center opened in late November 2006. It has a second-floor, three-room efficiency apartment. Our
chief cook and bottle washer resides here as the caretaker and Center manager.The building was purchased as a result
of a benefactor who had offered to help us purchase another house. At the time our core members felt that another house
would stretch our abilities and resources to staff it. The members did present another dream over dinner. Like Dorothy and
Peter, they wished to have a "Store Front", or as we call it, a "drop-in-center". A place where people can come in to share
a meal, but more importantly to find caring people who will "listen" and love them.These two gentleman liked
the idea and graciously helped us to obtain it. Through the center we also try to provide resources for our friends,
from transportation, medical, dental, clothing and needed household goods.
We recently celebrated our first year here and we rejoice in the many blessing's we have experienced. There
is so much to share, but not enough space on this page. We welcome anyone to come by and visit and share with us, you just
might be led to jump in and join us. Our hours and needs can be found on our "Contact Us" and "Getting
Involved" pages.
David Conley shown here next to a portrait of Peter Maurin, is our Center Manager
and Chef Extraordinaire'. In the future we hope to have links to our past newsletters. David's incredible story can be found
in our Lent/Easter 2007 edition. Entitled, "Among the Lilies"
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| Our Center (PMC) |
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| David Conley |
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