We left Venezuela together, having faith in God that we would arrive at our destination. The lack of basic necessities and the organized delinquency in our country obliged us to go out, fleeing, leaving behind our loved ones and a part of our lives. We were my husband, my son and I, but we were… continue reading
Synods and Roundtables
Peter Maurin must be smiling. Pope Francis has announced a startling new way forward for the whole church. When we think of big changes in the church, we think of shifts in theology like Vatican II or in terms of stances on major issues. But Francis’ dream of a church is ultimately transformation, and his… continue reading
The Cause of Dorothy Day
“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us? When we begin to take the lowest place, to wash the feet of others, to love our brothers with that burning love, that passion, which led to the… continue reading
Thanksgiving Letter
No government agency guarantees the future of Casa Juan Diego, but it continues to survive, thanks to you all. We have received so much. Of course, the generosity is not meant for us (we are not paid), but for the many hundreds of women, men, and children who stay at Casa Juan Diego, for the… continue reading
Thy Will Be Done
Sofía has been a volunteer at Casa Juan Diego for ten years. In January of 2021 I discovered that I was pregnant. The emotion was huge. We could not believe that soon we would be a family of five. The normal symptoms of pregnancy began. Nausea, insomnia, sleepiness… the “normal” and “expected.” During the 10th week,… continue reading
Christmas and Precarity
What we celebrate in our Christmas Masses is true. God has entered human history in the Word made flesh, the Second Person of the Triune God. As Jennifer Newsome Martin, put it in her study of the work of Charles Péguy, French poet of the Incarnation, in Communio this year, “With the resounding fact of… continue reading
Casa Juan Diego Services Disruption
Monday, November 29 to Friday, Dec 17, 2021 Because of City construction, Casa Juan Diego’s buildings on Rose Street will be closed on the above dates to all but foot traffic on the sidewalk. Rose Street between Shepherd and Durham will be closed in both directions. No vehicles of any kind will be allowed in… continue reading
‘Don’t Worry, This Is a Catholic House’
Published in Commonweal Magazine. October 25, 2021 Our work at Casa Juan Diego in Houston, Texas, changed abruptly during the first months of the pandemic. Because of the lockdowns and emergency restrictions at the U. S. Mexico border, fewer refugees arrived from Latin Amieica. We were busier than ever, however…. To Continue reading the article,… continue reading
A Summer of Mystery and Encounter
Josef is a student at the University of Notre Dame who came to Casa Juan Diego this summer as a Catholic Worker through Notre Dame’s summer learning program. Time spent at Casa Juan Diego is full of mystery and unknown. Although there are some set schedules and routines like food distribution on Tuesdays and morning… continue reading
New Migrants Arriving at Casa Juan Diego – Can you help?
I had commented to our (few) Catholic Workers last week that the Lord was having mercy on us, giving us a break, because a number of families or individuals who had been living at Casa Juan Diego were moving on. But we soon realized that some of the people among the many thousands who were… continue reading