In 2013, early in his papacy, Pope Francis’s first trip outside Rome was to minister to the immigrants who were in detention on the island of Lampedusa. There he famously decried the “culture of indifference” which allows the world to ignore the sufferings of migrants and refugees, and instead he called for a culture of… continue reading
Dorothy Day: Dissenting Voice of the American Century
August 19, 2020 by
Book Review John Loughery & Blythe Randolph, Dorothy Day: Dissenting Voice of the American Century. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2020. Can any single work capture and convey the story of Dorothy Day’s endlessly fascinating and significant life? Religiously precocious child born to nominally Christian parents. Radical journalist and activist in her teens. Bold bohemian in… continue reading
Dorothy Day at Koinonia Farm
July 30, 2020 by
“I have not yet resisted unto blood,” Dorothy Day commented, after surviving a drive-by shooting at Koinonia Farm. She had endured many hardships–jeers, threats, and insults, being shoved into paddy wagons and jailed–but her acts of protest against war and social injustice had never put her life at risk. She had never been shot… continue reading
Love in Action at Casa Juan Diego During COVID-19
June 10, 2020 by
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
Open Letter To My Friends: Reflections on the Death of George Floyd
May 31, 2020 by
In the last few months, I’ve had to have conversations with my kids about things I shouldn’t have to. They have asked questions about why black people seem to have been hated by other races from what they’ve been learning. I need to get something off my chest. Please oblige me. Let me… continue reading
Activate Catholic Antibodies Against the Coronavirus and the Virus of the Soul
May 4, 2020 by
Facing Crises With the Antibodies of Catholicism How does one continue the Works of Mercy in the midst of a pandemic? How can one help to keep faith and hope alive when people are worried and anxious and ill and some in their desperation become angry and have even sought scapegoats? We often hear of… continue reading
Exhausted Catholic Workers rest with social distancing
March 31, 2020 by
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
Solidarity and the Unity of Suffering
March 14, 2020 by
Evan is a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego. He came to us from a Trappist monastery. Growing up, it was a tradition for my family to travel into downtown Chicago to see a stage rendition of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Though I knew the story well, it never failed to excite my imagination, perhaps… continue reading
The Joy at Casa Juan Diego Is Fuller With You In It and With Your Help
March 14, 2020 by
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
January 25, 2020 by
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
