We, like many others, were surprised when Pope Francis declared a Year of Jubilee to begin on December 8 this fall. We were especially surprised and moved when he revealed that the theme of the Jubilee Year would be mercy. In the ancient tradition of a Year of Jubilee, slaves and prisoners were to be… continue reading
Vatican Document Jolts Church: Themes of Jubilee Year of Mercy Inspired Catholic Worker
The Catholic Worker Today: Q & A with Mark and Louise Zwick in America Magazine
America Magazine Sean Salai, S.J. Mark and Louise Zwick are the founding directors of Houston Catholic Worker in Texas, a local affiliate of the Catholic Worker movement founded in New York City by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. In 1980 they rented a building where they started Casa Juan Diego mission to provide emergency food, clothing… continue reading
Joys and Tragedies at Casa Juan Diego
“In the tender compassion of our God The dawn from on high shall break upon us To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death And to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Marisol (is tough. Not in a negative sense, but in the sense that she has survived. … continue reading
What’s New Toward Dorothy Day’s Canonization
Local members of the Advisory Board of the Guild for the Canonization of Dorothy Day, Servant of God, participated in a recent meeting which brought together Guild members and supporters and revealed and involved Guild members in new practical steps toward her canonization. We participated in the meeting by vidyo technology, thanks to our son,… continue reading
Dorothy Day’s Reflections on Advent
Advent is a time of waiting, of expectation, of silence. Waiting for our Lord to be born. A pregnant woman is so happy, so content. She lives in such a garment of silence, and it is as though she were listening to hear the stir of life within her. One always hears the stirring compared… continue reading
Conference at St. Francis College in Indiana: DOROTHY DAY AND THE CHURCH MAY 13-15, 2015
Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was famously eulogized as “the most significant, interesting and influential person in the history of American Catholicism.” Her life embodied the recent call of Pope Francis to build “a poor Church for the poor”—and her combination of political radicalism with Catholic orthodoxy has the potential to lead the Church beyond the categories… continue reading
Pope Francis and Peter Maurin on Usury
Pope Francis Calls Usury a Scourge, a Plague, as Did Peter Maurin On January 29, 2014, Pope Francis greeted the National Council of Anti-Usury Foundations, speaking strongly about the scourge, the plague of usury, the charging of interest, especially exorbitant interest, calling it a dramatic social ill: “I hope that these institutions may intensify their… continue reading
International Interest in the Canonization of Dorothy Day
International interest seems to be growing in Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. We are receiving requests from various countries for our new translation in Spanish of The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins. We wondered what was in the package from Germany. When we opened it, we found a copy of Concilium in German with a blue… continue reading
Dorothy Day and Pope Francis on Advertising
Dorothy Day famously said, “There have been many sins against the poor which cry out to high heaven for vengeance. The one listed as one of the seven deadly sins is depriving the laborer of his share. There is another one, that is, instilling in him the paltry desires to satisfy that for which he… continue reading
Priest’s Brother Healed Through Prayers to Dorothy Day: A Letter
Greetings Friends at the Houston Catholic Worker, I just thought I’d tell you of my brother’s healing. Last year, doctors said my 72 year old brother Paul had a serious heel-bone infection which caused the achilles tendon to tear off the heel bone. Doctors said they needed to do a biopsy to confirm their diagnosis…. continue reading