Jonah House

Exterior photograph of Jonah House.

After Philip “Phil” Berrigan's release from Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in 1972, he, Elizabeth “Liz” McAlister, and four other individuals established a Christian, nonviolent resistance community in 1973.

Known as Jonah House, the community operated out of inner-city Baltimore. Jonah House is associated with the Catholic Worker Movement, which serves the poor and homeless, and other Christian individuals and organizations along the East Coast.

Philip Berrigan, Jerome Berrigan, Kate Berrigan, Frida Berrigan, and Elizabeth McAlister at Jonah House.

Article from The DePaulia describing a talk given by Jerry and Kate Berrigan at DePaul University. During Human Dignity Week in 2002, they spoke about their experiences growing up at Jonah House.

Community. Nonviolence. Resistance.

Phil and Liz’s three children—Frida, Jerome "Jerry", and Kate—were born and raised at Jonah House, and went on to speak about the experience through their own peace activism.

For instance, Jerry participated in a panel at Elizabethtown College. At the panel, he explained that, “Generally, Jonah House is committed to three very Biblical, very Catholic principles, which we believe are interdependent: community, nonviolence, and resistance.”

Frida Berrigan's article "My Brother's Blood Remains" from Year One.

One of Jonah House’s central tenets was using collective action to resist warmaking. At first, the community’s resistance focused on the Vietnam War, but later shifted to nuclear weapons. Organizing around anti-nuclear issues helped to create a foundation for the Plowshares movement.

Jonah House produced two publications, Year One and And How Do We Begin. The publication Year One featured individual and community acts of peace activism around the world. And How Do We Begin primarily focused on women's issues and experiences within the peace movement.