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
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
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
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
Catholic Worker Personalism And the Sick and Injured
One of the ideas at the heart of the Catholic Worker movement is communitarian personalism. Combined with the traditional living out of the Works of Mercy, Catholic Worker personalism provides a unique opportunity for serving some of the most desperate in our society – those on the peripheries, those who have no one else to… continue reading
Thanksgiving Letter 2015
We hoped for a response from our Christmas letter of appeal for approval for another year at Casa Juan Diego. Our readers voted a resounding “yes.” You responded positively and generously, getting us off to a good start in 2015. Thanksgiving gets short shrift, not only in our acquisitive culture, but in non-acquisitive Casa Juan… continue reading
Living the Gospel At Casa Juan Diego
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