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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

The Garden of Hospitality at Casa Juan Diego, the Houston Catholic Worker

I find myself planted here at Casa Juan Diego because of the seeds of hospitality that have been graciously sown into my life. One of the gardeners who most recently pointed me in the direction of the rich soil here at Casa Juan Diego was Catherine Griffin, a former Catholic Worker who spent two years… continue reading

A Catholic Place and You Don’t Have a Couple of Miracles at Hand? Well, maybe.

  Not so long ago, we received a call from a hospital in southwest Houston. When the social worker said, I need a miracle, we responded, “We don’t do miracles.” Shocked, she exclaimed: “What, a Catholic place, and you don’t have one or two miracles on hand?”  Well, what is it that you need? “We… continue reading

A Work of Mercy and a Labor of Love: Houston Catholic Worker Newspaper

  Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are glad that we have been able to put out the Houston Catholic Worker paper every quarter. Whether we are at Casa Juan Diego or miles apart, we know there are deadlines and long hours to make sure everything we have chosen for an issue belongs in the issue and… continue reading

A Vaccine for the Heart

by Dawn McCarty, Ph.D., LMSW These days at Casa Juan Diego feel like being in a pressure cooker. Those of us who work and live in one of our houses of hospitality have mostly escaped direct harm from the virus; we adhere to and strictly enforce CDC guidelines and trust in God while we wait… continue reading

A Christmas Letter

Dear Friends of Casa Juan Diego, Casa Juan Diego is forty years old. We wish to thank you for forty years of generosity. The history of Casa Juan Diego is the history of your generosity, a history of Christmas generosity. We can do much at the Houston Catholic Worker because of you. In addition to… continue reading

The Christmas Story: Welcoming the Holy Family at Casa Juan Diego

The Christmas story of my childhood has changed very little in my mind. As I understood it and still understand it today, Mary and Joseph were forced by an unjust and corrupt government to take a precarious journey, one that put the mother and her unborn child into great danger. Escaping the power of a… continue reading

Casa Juan Diego and the Incarnation In Time of Crisis

The question comes to us each day: How to live the joy of the Incarnation of the eternal Word longed for and anticipated for so many centuries and a reality in our world even now, in the midst of the changes in our lives during this past year and the suffering of so many? Catholic… continue reading

A New Beginning in Uncertain Times at Casa Juan Diego

Anne joined Casa Juan Diego as a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego on August 1, 202,0 after her graduation from St. Mary’s College in Indiana. I was welcomed at Casa Juan Diego with the simple instructions given by Louise Zwick to all new Catholic Workers upon arrival: ring the doorbell when you’re here. When… continue reading

Love in Action at Casa Juan Diego During COVID-19

Weeks before the formal stay at home orders were issued, we were planning as best we could to take care of our guests and the many community members we serve. Casa Juan Diego is a literal hive of activity throughout the day, with constant interaction of staff with both guests and community. We have on… continue reading