Mark Zwick, who 36 years ago turned a tumble-down building on Washington Avenue into a thriving international refuge for immigrants and refugees, died Friday, November 18, 2016, at his home in Houston after battling Parkinson’s Disease. He was 88. In 1980, Mark and his wife Louise founded Casa Juan Diego, a Catholic Worker House of… continue reading
Mark Zwick, Founder of Casa Juan Diego, is On Hospice
November 12, 2016 by
Update: November 18, 2016 Mark passed away this morning peacefully at home. Information about his life and the funeral services will be available in a separate post. Update: November 12, 2016 Mark continues to rest at his home, but is in decline. We will be updating this page with information on services. Update: November 2, 2016… continue reading
Stepping Out Of the Boat At Casa Juan Diego
November 11, 2016 by
Joanna was a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego last year. She has recently joined the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. My time as an active Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego drew to a close in the middle of May, and I had a speech to prepare. It’s a… continue reading
Personalism in Our Daily Lives
May 3, 2016 by
Joanna, a graduate of Wyoming Catholic College, is a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego. I came to Casa Juan Diego some months ago, and as I made the long drive from home down to Houston, Texas, I began to wonder more and more as the wheels of the car brought me closer and closer… continue reading
Christmas All Year Long at Casa Juan Diego
February 9, 2016 by
As I finished my seventh Christmas season at Casa Juan Diego, I was amazed, just as I am amazed every year, by the generosity of our supporting community. The people of Houston give their money and their time open-handedly to keep our doors open and our pantry full, not just at Christmas, but throughout the… continue reading
From the Inside Of the Inn Door
February 9, 2016 by
Shannon McPherson came to join in the work of Casa Juan Diego from the Bruderhof Community There’s one character in the Christmas story who really dropped the ball. The inn keeper of Bethlehem had this incredible opportunity to show hospitality to the baby son of God, and he shut the door on him. I, however,… continue reading
Letter of Thanksgiving
January 31, 2016 by
Recently, a prominent theologian from a seminary was visiting us. When the issue of how we raise money for Casa Juan Diego came up, a Catholic Worker blurted out, “We pray a lot.” “Give me a copy of those prayers. I demand a copy of those prayers,” the theologian humorously insisted. Unfortunately, there is no… continue reading
Casa Juan Diego Christmas Letter 2015
December 1, 2015 by
Dear Friends of Casa Juan Diego, Many thanks for allowing us to remain open for another year. We are grateful. We keep hearing that you can tell a good Catholic by the way they love the poor (or a good Presbyterian or a good Jewish person). The “goods” keep us going. But it… continue reading
Christ’s Presence Illumines Sorrows and Joys at the Houston Catholic Worker
September 16, 2015 by
Kathleen is a student at the Univ. of Notre Dame. She spent eight weeks at Casa Juan Diego this summer. The last of the women had just gone upstairs after coming down for a nighttime glass of water, and it was finally quiet. I shut off the kitchen lights, checked the lock on the back… continue reading
The Catholic Worker Today: Q & A with Mark and Louise Zwick in America Magazine
April 15, 2015 by
America Magazine Sean Salai, S.J. Mark and Louise Zwick are the founding directors of Houston Catholic Worker in Texas, a local affiliate of the Catholic Worker movement founded in New York City by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. In 1980 they rented a building where they started Casa Juan Diego mission to provide emergency food, clothing… continue reading
