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Featured Articles
Christmas Letter
Dear Friends of Casa Juan Diego, As we await the coming of the Messiah, who comes to us as a child at Christmas, we are conscious of how vulnerable the Lord was as a child and throughout his life. The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign pf cpntradotcton (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many ... continue reading
John Henry Newman: New Doctor of the Church
When we heard that Pope Leo XIV had given his approval for John Henry Newman to be made a Doctor of the Church, I looked to Dorothy Day ‘s writings for her perspective on Newman and how this momentous decision relates to the Catholic Worker movement. The references I sought were found in her diaries, published by Orbis Press as The Duty of Delight. There she recommends Louis Bouyer’s book, Newman: His Life and Spirituality (newer reprint available from Ignatius Press). Dorothy said the book ... continue reading
An Unarmed and Disarming Peace: Pope Leo XIV, the Algerian Martyrs, and Our Holiness
“Peace be with you!” These were the first words that Pope Leo XIV spoke as he emerged from the balcony of St. Peter’s on May 8, 2025. He would use the word “peace” nine more times in his short address. Peace, it was clear, would take priority in his pontificate. As Pope Leo made that priority clear, one phrase stuck out: a “peace that is unarmed and disarming” (“una pace disarmata e una pace disarmante”). The phrase has reappeared throughout the early months of Leo’s pontificate. Several days ... continue reading
Where Hope Lives: on the Margins with Casa Juan Diego
Check-in at Casa Juan Diego These days, I often find myself answering the same question: “How is Casa Juan Diego?” It’s a good question, one that deserves more than a simple answer. I could list the many difficult and frightening things happening right now: policies and practices that force individuals and entire communities into unnecessary suffering. The systematic closing of legal pathways, whether for asylum, work permits, or other forms of relief, makes it nearly impossible ... continue reading
Dorothy Day Quoting St. Augustine
Our new Pope Leo XIV belongs to the Augustinian Order Thurs., 8/28– Feast of St. Augustine, (A.D. 354-430). My favorite quotation from The Confessions of St. Augustine: “What is it that I love when I love my God? It is a certain light that I love and melody and fragrance and embrace that I love when I love my God–a light, melody, fragrance, food, embrace of the God-within, where, for my soul, that shines which space does not contain; that sounds which time does not sweep away; that is ... continue reading
