We had just returned from visiting our sick men’s houses, where many of our guests live who are greatly disabled and rejected by our society, to read in the Houston Chronicle 12/17/05 that the House of Representatives (not the Senate) had passed a bill that would declare all of these men common criminals and subject… continue reading
Helping the Poor, the Immigrant, the Injured May Be Considered Treason (According to House Bill H. R. 4437)
February 1, 2006 by
The Drawbacks of Pure Secular Reason, especially in the midst of Hurricane Katrina
October 1, 2005 by
As we were trying to write this article about putting flesh on the Gospel in the world, we were constantly interrupted by telephone calls from desperate people, a weeping, battered woman with a battered upbringing, Spanish-speaking immigrants arriving from New Orleans and Mississippi from Hurricane Katrina seeking shelter, and one person after another with serious… continue reading
The MinuteMen are Coming to Houston – Another Violence for Immigrants to Face
October 1, 2005 by
They’re coming with guns. The Minute Men are coming to the corners of Casa Juan Diego armed to the teeth to confront the immigrants who come to earn money to support their children-something we never knew was treasonous. Violence, however, is not new to immigrants. The moment they hopped on a train to come North,… continue reading
Pope Benedict: All Are Called to Solidarity with Poor and Refugees
August 1, 2005 by
Pope Benedict XVI calls all to commitment in living out the faith. He has insisted that “Christians be sensitive to the needs of everyone, without ever hiding the radical requirements of the Gospel message.” He asked that all baptized be committed, each in their own state of life, to transforming society by permeating the mentality… continue reading
Pope John Paul II’s Dream of Debt Forgiveness Partially Fulfilled
August 1, 2005 by
For decades, as financial policies were imposed upon countries around the world with strict control by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank the people were told that this neoliberal economic system will raise all boats, eventually. Each year, however, the yachts of the rich countries have become bigger and more elegant, and the… continue reading
The Love of Christ Towards Migrants through the Stories of Immigrants at Casa Juan Diego: How Did It Occur To You To Do Such a Thing?
August 1, 2005 by
The following is a talk given by Mark and Louise Zwick at the University of St. Thomas Summer Institute in Houston on Immigration. The talk was entitled “The Love of Christ Towards Migrants,” the same as the title of a document recently published by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant… continue reading
Abandonment of Injured Immigrant Workers: Appeal for Help
August 1, 2005 by
“The chicken comes home to roost” is a phrase that applies to the disaster that has attacked the immigrant community. The rejection of sick and injured immigrants by our society is among the sins that cry to heaven for vengeance. The marked increase of immigrants in recent decades has seen the employment of more and… continue reading
Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform 2005
August 1, 2005 by
In early May 2005, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington and Bishop James Tamayo of Laredo held a news conference announcing the beginning a campaign by the U. S. Catholic Bishops and 20 Catholic organizations for just immigration reform, called Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope. The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform. The goals of… continue reading
How Can We Reform the Church? Personalist Revolution Starts with “I,” Not “They”
June 1, 2005 by
At a recent gathering of Catholics who had had several intensive reflective sessions together, the participants were asked to comment upon the impact of the meetings and how they had changed them personally or deepened their faith. The group leaders were disappointed when they received the written comments. They were quite surprised that almost without… continue reading
Fraudulent Scholarship, Whether Archaeological or Neo-Gnostic, Misleads Christians
April 1, 2005 by
The headlines jumped out at us. Newspapers across the United States highlighted the indictment of four professional archaeologists and collectors in the Holy Land for fraud. Another indictment followed. Major artifacts had been forged and sold, charged the Israeli government, with the goal of changing history and religious beliefs (especially Catholic and Jewish) and to… continue reading
