After its closure in 1936, de Hueck moved to Harlem, where others again joined her—living among the black community, responding to the needs they encountered, and challenging the racial discrimination of the times.
[5] Catherine had conceived her call as a solitary vocation, but when others, attracted by her Christian vision, asked to join her, the archbishop confirmed that this was God's will.
They organized activities for the children and youth, opened a Catholic lending library, offered English classes for immigrants, and meals for the homeless.
Clashes with local clergy and laity—partly in reaction to Catherine's advocacy of the poor, partly sparked by her inexperience and personality—as well as rumors and outright calumny, led to the closure of Friendship House in 1936.
[13] Motivated by the gospel, they sought to serve Christ in “the least of [his] brothers.” [14] Through her work, lectures, and writing, Catherine became one of the leading proponents of interracial justice in the pre-civil rights era, challenging Catholic leaders and laity alike to abandon the sin of racial discrimination.
[15] In 1942 at the request of Auxiliary Bishop Bernard J. Sheil, Friendship House opened a branch in Chicago, headed by Ann Harrigan and Ellen Tarry.
[16] However, dissensions caused by personal rifts and differences in vision increased,[17] and these were heightened by Catherine's 1943 marriage to newspaper reporter Eddie Doherty.
[22] Catherine de Hueck Doherty resigned from the council and executive board in October 1956, severing her association with the American branch.