by Angel Valdez Angel has spent several months working and living at Casa Juan Diego before entering the seminary. I do not want to sound pretentious with this title and elevate this simple writing to the level of those hagiographers who wrote the inspired books of our Holy Scripture. I ask God to stop my… continue reading
Feeding the Hungry and Caring for the Sick at Casa Juan Diego
July 1, 2014 by
It was the last day of the month. We knew it was going to be a busy morning, but it exceeded our expectations. We have all gotten to know the persons whom we have been helping for some time now who are very sick or have injuries that make it impossible for them to work…. continue reading
To Give Is Greater
April 21, 2014 by
Bridget is a Catholic Worker in Houston. She came to live and work at Casa Juan Diego after graduation from the University of Mary Washington. So much of our lives in this world are centered on what we can get. “Buy one, get one free!” “Get your money’s worth!” “Come and get it!” Growing up,… continue reading
International Interest in the Canonization of Dorothy Day
March 11, 2014 by
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
The Trickle Down Economy Is Alive and Well at Casa Juan Diego With So Many Poor: Tears Roll Down Instead of Wealth
February 24, 2014 by
On a Tuesday last November I was in a planning meeting with some executives of a local social service agency who were talking about the problem of food insecurity in Houston. It is a growing problem and an interesting discussion, but I said nothing, partially because I was late but mostly because I was exhausted…. continue reading
The Perils of Professionalism Or a Revolution of the Heart
October 2, 2013 by
My most recent trip to the Mexican Consulate was to accompany one of our guests who needed their help. At Casa Juan Diego, we spend a lot of time waiting in lines at various Consulates. Our guests need the services they offer, but the Consulates often seem overwhelmed by the number of supplicants. We did… continue reading
Hospitality and Honeybees: Worker Bees Inspire Catholic Worker
July 3, 2013 by
Casa Juan Diego’s hospitality has been stretched to new limits in recent months as we welcomed a colony of honeybees to make themselves at home in our garden. The ecological importance of bees is undisputed, but so are the heart-wrenching obstacles to their survival. An absence of honeybees and their pollination work would greatly destabilize… continue reading
How It All Began
June 18, 2013 by
We debated about calling the new/old section in the Archives, “What Were You Thinking?” or “The Early Years” or “Our Kids Think This Is Normal?” or “Giving It All Away” or “The Fire Years,” or “Youthful Energy,” but we chose “How It All Began.” In 1980 something very profound was happening in our community. Homeless refugees… continue reading
End Forced Medical Deportations with Houses of Hospitality
June 12, 2013 by
Robby Caceres was a young, undocumented day laborer who was cut down by a heat stroke while working on a roof last summer. Dazed with grief and fear, his brother and a cousin, also young 20-somethings, came to Casa Juan Diego with a plea for help. It turned out Robby’s heat stroke was no ordinary… continue reading
Why Are Cuban Refugees Coming to Casa Juan Diego and Catholic Charities in Houston?
April 9, 2013 by
For more and more new Cuban refugees, the perilous journey to the U.S. is coming to an official end at Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Over the past ten months, the agency’s midtown office has brimmed with scores of bedraggled immigrants, many having just made the 2,400-mile journey from Ecuador by any means… continue reading
