St. Christopher Ladies Guild Woman of the Month

Dorothy Gauchat 1921-2000

Dorothy Schmitt was born on February 22, 1921, into a large Catholic family in Cleveland, Ohio. Even as a high school student she was moved by a desire to help the less fortunate and began volunteering at a Catholic Worker house in Cleveland. It was there that she was introduced to the Catholic Worker teachings of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin and there too that she met her future husband, Bill Gauchat. Dorothy was a talented artist and briefly moved to Newport, Rhode Island to study liturgical art with Ade Bethune. Bill followed her to Newport and the couple soon married in 1941. They returned to Cleveland, purchasing a small farm in Avon, Ohio where they hoped to live the Catholic Worker vision of a farming community.

Dorothy and Bill continued practicing the works of mercy while they raised their six children. One day a call came from a Catholic hospital asking if they would care for a severely disabled infant who was not expected to survive. Dorothy and Bill took the infant in, caring for him because, as Dorothy said, this was “one of God’s immortal creations: hurt, yes; sick, yes; hopelessly handicapped, yes; but immortal.” This loving decision began their lifelong vocation as foster parents to many other children, often labeled as hopeless cases. One such boy with severe cerebral palsy they adopted as their own son. In 1968 Dorothy and Bill founded Our Lady of the Wayside home in order to expand their care of these children. In this way Dorothy and Bill put into practice the message of the Catholic Worker: “Christ comes to us disguised as our neighbor.” Her 1976 book All God’s Children describes the couple’s lives of service. When Bill died of cancer, Dorothy carried on this work without him. In 1987 she founded the Colette Marie Hospice for infants with HIV/AIDS, named for a beloved daughter who had passed away. Dorothy had a deep devotion to Mary, especially to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a vibrant prayer life. It was this that sustained her in her tireless work. As Dorothy said, “Our faith supported our actions: If one does not love his neighbor, he cannot love God. These unwanted waifs are our neighbors.” Dorothy died in 2000 after a stroke. Our Lady of the Wayside continues on to this day. Her life beautifully exemplifies Christ’s command for us all to care for the “least of our neighbors”, because in doing so we care for Him.

Works Consulted

“Dorothy Gauchat” Give Us This Day. Liturgical Press, February 2026, p. 223.
“Dorothy Gauchat”. The Catholic Worker. Vol. LXII, No. 3, May 2000.