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
Exhausted Catholic Workers rest with social distancing
Our CW’s at Casa Juan Diego, pictured below, are risking much to provide food to the poor and continue housing immigrants and refugees. One man walked from east Houston to receive food this morning because so many pantries have closed. We are preparing many things also for the sick and injured each day, the paralyzed… continue reading
The Joy at Casa Juan Diego Is Fuller With You In It and With Your Help
Meg is a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego. She graduated last year from the University of Notre Dame. “The only answer in this life, to the loneliness we are all bound to feel, is community.” Dorothy Day, The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day, p. 184 Passing through the front door to… continue reading
Thanksgiving Letter
Life at Casa Juan Diego is like being in front of an eternal conveyor belt with countless people, with never ending needs passing by. People come for food, for hospitality, for advice, for help to survive, for ways to engage the legal system, for ways to help children succeed in school, for a wheel chair… continue reading