Established in 1933 as a platform for the Catholic Worker Movement by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, the newspaper operates without formal leadership following the passing of its founders and is currently managed by editors Amanda Daloisio and Joanne Kennedy.

In 1928, Dorothy Day's conversion to Roman Catholicism marked a pivotal moment where her religious convictions intertwined with her political aspirations.

This movement officially began in 1933 with the inception of The Catholic Worker newspaper, a platform they envisioned during their extensive discussions and deliberations.

Drawing from his knowledge of European socialism and personalist philosophy, Maurin collaborated with Day, leveraging her journalistic skills and understanding of American culture.

[2] In the initial stages of planning the publication, there was a divergence in opinions between Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin regarding the name of the newspaper.

[3] She elaborated that the term "Worker" in the paper's title included individuals engaged in physical, mental, or spiritual labor, particularly emphasizing the poor, the dispossessed, and the exploited.

However, she also criticized the Allies during World War II for failing to acknowledge the presence of Christ in their adversaries or to recognize God's existence amidst evil.

She argued that standing in solidarity with all individuals, whether they be poor, allies, or enemies, as part of the mystical body of Christ, also entails sharing responsibility for their actions.

Her commitment to nonviolence prompted her to actively protest against the nuclear arms race, the Korean War, and other major conflicts of the time.

[15][16] The Catholic Worker covered the Civil rights movement in great depth as liturgically based social action.

[17] In 1950 it published a letter from Helen Caldwell Day Riley that led to her founding an African American Catholic Worker house in Memphis, Tennessee.

Additionally, the collective movement has expanded significantly from its origins as a newspaper and a single small house in New York to encompassing 187 communities in a decentralized network, collaborating with numerous partners worldwide.

[27] The development of CatholicWorker.org, a website not officially affiliated with the movement but created by Jim Allaire to serve as a digital hub for Catholic Worker communities.