In a society of superheroes starring in books and television around the world, what makes a true hero? Is it leadership, determination, courage, dedication or conviction? For everyone, Dorothy Day is all of the above. For many she is a saint; a woman of true selflessness, who compassionately put the lives of the broken before her own. She is the icon of the kind of leader that everyone else, anyone else, can be, not by changing other people but by changing themselves (Chittister). Throughout her life, Dorothy Day was a herald of the church, a leader of the state, and an advocate for the poor. Dorothy Day was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 8, 1897. Born to Grace and John Day, she was the third of five children. Although both of his parents were baptized Christians, he did not grow up familiar with the mysteries of religion. His parents preferred to practice a strict philosophy on parenting; Newspapers were not allowed in the house and light reading was prohibited. Despite being restricted to only Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe, Dorothy and her brothers smuggled dime novels of romance and adventure. When Dorothy was six years old, the Day family packed their bags for a long trip from New York City to the West. coast. His father's work as a sports writer settled the family first in Berkeley, California, and then in Oakland. Just as the children were beginning to call California home, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck this new home, striking their hearts as well. This life-changing disaster was Dorothy's first experience of people actually being involved in helping strangers. Unfortunately the neighbors' help wasn't enough to repair the permanent damage inside Days' Californ... middle of paper... I would never believe she was a saint, but if the world would sit down for a cuppa of having coffee with Dorothy, would make her realize that she was one of the most incredible heroines the world had ever known. Not only was she a saint and a heroine, she was also an angel to the desperate. Works Cited Forest, Jim. "A Biography of Dorothy Day." The Catholic Worker Movement. Network. 18 April 2011. .Chiesa, Carol Bauer. Dorothy Day: friend of the poor. Minneapolis: Greenhaven, 1976. Bruner, Jerome. Educational Spartacus. Web. 12 April 2011..“Her Life." Dorothy Day: Dorothy Day Guild - The Cause for Canonization. Dorothy Day Guild, 2008. Web. 18 April 2011. .Chittister, Joan. A Passion for Life: Fragments of the face of God. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 2000.