Robert Ellsberg recalls Day saying this in a lecture preserved by the Catholic Worker. That is a named recollection with institutional provenance, rather than an unsourced inspirational card. Source and attribution evidence ↗
Image direction — grounded in this quote’s real context; paste into your image tool
In context
Evoking the world of Dorothy Day — Writer or quoted figure. Theme: "Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
The source
Source
Robert Ellsberg’s Dorothy Day centenary lecture
Evidence
Source trail checked; limitations stated
Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily
An excerpt of the wording under discussion; see the source and attribution limitations below.
Robert Ellsberg recalls Day saying this in a lecture preserved by the Catholic Worker. That is a named recollection with institutional provenance, rather than an unsourced inspirational card. Source and attribution evidence ↗
Ellsberg explains her objection to being treated as an exceptional saint whose example ordinary people could dismiss. The source is his recollection, not a dated recording of Day uttering the sentence. Read the supporting source ↗
The identified text or film belongs to the modern copyright period. This short quotation is presented for identification and criticism; no general reuse permission is claimed.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Explore
Filed under
More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
Dorothy Day’s words and example are the subject of Robert Ellsberg’s centenary lecture. His recollection connects her resistance to being called a saint with her insistence that ordinary people could follow demanding moral examples.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Robert Ellsberg’s Dorothy Day centenary lecture. See the linked evidence for the wording and attribution limitations.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/dont-call-me-a-saint-i-dont-want-to-be-dismissed-so-easily/