From Mary’s fiat to the prophets of the Old Testament, God repeatedly calls His people to “be not afraid.” Yet, despite the blessings of a comfortable life, I am prone to fear. As a newlywed with plans to attend medical school and dreams of building a family, I have spent the last few years in… continue reading
Sacrifice, Creativity, Availability in Bulgakov, Mounier, Dorothy Day, and Fr. John Hugo
April 20, 2025 by
“Good and evil are not, after all, two equal and opposing forces” (Sergei Bulgakov) Someone recently asked us if we were going to write about politicians, oligarchs, and technology czars, about their speeches and policies that hurt many. Hundreds of people, however, are already writing about that. We are trying to look more deeply at… continue reading
Welcome Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez
March 25, 2025 by
When Archbishop Vésquez was Auxiliary Bishop of Galveston-Houston, he celebrated Mass at Casa Juan Diego for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He is pictured here at that Mass with Fr. Italo Dell’Oro, who is now our Auxiliary Bishop. All of us at Casa Juan Diego add our voices to the many who welcome… continue reading
Catholic Worker Principles and the Precarity of Migrants
March 17, 2025 by
I live in two worlds. For the past 16 years, I have been serving immigrant communities at the Houston Catholic Worker, offering the Works of Mercy, both Corporal[1] and Spiritual[2] to all that cross our door. My day job is directing the social work program at a local university. This is a juggling act—the changing… continue reading
The Legacy of Pope Francis
March 9, 2025 by
UPDATE: We mourn the passing of Pope Francis. Praying to the Holy Spirit for the selection of a good man at the conclave. As we write, Pope Francis is very ill in the hospital with double pneumonia. The world is praying for him. We recall that on March 13, 2013, when the white smoke… continue reading
A Haiku: Reflection After Mass at Casa Juan Diego
February 16, 2025 by
Parents gathering Candlelight consolation Tearful Eucharist
Thy Will be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven: Eschatology and Our World Today
February 12, 2025 by
When I became a Catholic many years ago, somehow I got the idea that earthly concerns were not very important in the light of eternity. My instruction in the faith did not teach that, but the very idea of the transcendent reality of God and life someday in the beatific vision led my mind to… continue reading
Living Beyond Politics: A Post-Election Reflection On Dorothy Day
February 7, 2025 by
Last fall, political pundits of various stripes informed us that the upcoming 2024 election would be the most important one of our lifetimes. Never mind that we have been told this every presidential election year in this century—this time it was really true. Many of us heeded the warning, absorbed ourselves in the promises of… continue reading
Gustavo Gutierrez. R.I.P.
January 15, 2025 by
When I arrived at the University of Notre Dame to begin my Ph.D. in Theology, the very first course I took was with the Peruvian father of liberation theology Gustavo Gutiérrez. I knew him by reputation since I had read his groundbreaking first book, A Theology of Liberation, and I was very excited to meet… continue reading
Christmas Letter
November 29, 2024 by
Dear Friends of Casa Juan Diego, The joy of Christmas comes as a great gift, breaking into the despair, sadness, and fear of violence that surrounds us and others in many parts of the world. All the hype about Christmas shopping (since July 4) simply cannot drown out the Good News of this Silent Night:… continue reading
