Life in Houses of Hospitality is full of interesting events and surprises, together with painful, even tragic, stories. We never know who will come to the door. Today a woman arrived from Iowa who was fleeing domestic violence. She had found a place to stay with a family, but the family friend she had brought… continue reading
Dorothy Day Prayer Card Inspires Migrant
September 27, 2012 by
Caleb is a student at the University of Notre Dame. He spent several months living and working at Casa Juan Diego this summer. Three months ago I was fully initiated into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation at my school, the University of Notre Dame. That day I was surrounded by… continue reading
Monseñor: The Last Journey of Oscar Romero
July 8, 2012 by
Monseñor: The Last Journey of Oscar Romero. A film by Ana Carrigan & Juliet Weber. Produced by the Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame. Reviewed by the Editors, Mark and Louise Zwick Watching the documentary, Monseñor: The Last Journey of Oscar Romero, brought back to us our intense experience of living in El… continue reading
What Dorothy Day Has Meant To Me
April 18, 2012 by
By Dawn McCarty, Ph.D., LMSW Almost every day I hear and read about the problems caused by undocumented workers. They take our jobs, overcrowd our social services, take away resources from our children and get away with breaking the law with complete abandon! You would think they are some powerful alien group who threaten the… continue reading
Works of Mercy, Psalms, and Resurrection
April 6, 2012 by
Mark’s surgery last spring was an inspiration to us in faith and a sense of God’s providence. We had hesitated for some time to proceed with an operation that he needed, but it was recommended. We worried about Mark’s heart, because it often beats very strongly, even shaking the bed. It flutters enough to get… continue reading
“For the Worker Is Worthy Of His Hire”: Reflections On Day Laborers
February 18, 2012 by
Biblical scholars have suggested that the day laborers of Jesus’ time were at the very bottom of the working ladder. Even slaves were better off, in the sense that they had someone to protect them – they had value as the owner’s investment. I knew before I came to Casa Juan Diego that the day… continue reading
We Were Surprised by Much Work and Harrassment By Inspectors
February 9, 2012 by
We started Casa Juan Diego because we wanted to help the poor, to receive the refugees and immigrants who were arriving in Houston to escape cruel wars. They were sleeping in used car lots along Washington Avenue. We responded to pregnant immigrant women, battered immigrant women and their children and to fathers of families trying… continue reading
Works of Mercy: Casa Juan Diego Volunteers Help Paralyzed Immigrants
April 1, 2011 by
A neighbor brought Carmen (not her real name) to Casa Juan Diego. She was distraught. Her husband had had an aneuyrism and had spent two months in the hospital. They are from Guatemala and have no family here to help them. Carmen hoped that she could place her husband somewhere and that she could go… continue reading
Prayer Sustains the Works of Mercy at a Catholic Worker House of Hospitality
February 1, 2011 by
People often ask what exactly it is that we do at Casa Juan Diego, and it’s easy to begin by listing off the activities that fill our days. We tend to the needs of the men, women, and children living in our Houses of Hospitality, we distribute food to the community, we receive and organize… continue reading
The Blessings of Saint Juan Diego at Casa Juan Diego
February 1, 2010 by
Jennifer is a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego, a recent graduate from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. On December 9 th , the feast day of Saint Juan Diego, the staff of Casa Juan Diego was given numerous opportunities to see Christ in the poor and to grow in the virtues of… continue reading
