Two literal books were the figurative bookends of my arriving to and exiting from Casa Juan Diego in the form of Father Gregory Boyle’s Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Choir. In the back of my copy of Tattoos on the Heart there are phone numbers of group leaders and outlines of a schedule. The… continue reading
The Sorrow and Beauty of Goodbye at Casa Juan Diego, the Houston Catholic Worker
More often than we’d like, we have to say goodbye. The work of housing people on their journey has taught me that. But the pain of parting has taught me about the importance of it too. Our houses of hospitality are temporary; they are not meant to be a permanent home. Therefore, inherent to the… continue reading
Three “Marks”: St. Mark the Evangelist, Mark Zwick the Worker, and the New Baby
Julia joined us as a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego after graduating from Tulane University. One day during the fall, Louise told me she was reading the Gospel of St. Luke from beginning to end during Mark Zwick’s last months. I had never done this before so I thought, with someone to hold… continue reading