Dear Friends, If we thanked everyone as much as we should for what they have done for all the poor of Casa Juan Diego, we wouldn’t have time for anything else. We could not survive without the constant support of people and parishes who celebrate their gratitude by their generosity each month and especially at… continue reading
Christmas Letter
December 9, 2017 by
Dear Friends of Casa Juan Diego, It is difficult to write our Christmas letter this year because Mark Zwick is no longer with us. His spirit lives on, however, and we share some of his thoughts and ours in this letter. From the beginning, Casa Juan Diego has depended on people who believed in Christmas,… continue reading
The Incarnation Brings God’s Prodigal Mercy to the Peripheries
December 9, 2017 by
Several years ago a priest visited us at Casa Juan Diego and noticed our book, Mercy Without Borders newly published by Paulist Press. When he asked where it was available, someone told him, through amazon.com. The priest laughed and laughed, saying how funny that was—our being down here hidden away with the poor and our… continue reading
Hurricane or No Hurricane—Why Don’t They Just Go To Work?
November 21, 2017 by
In the days and weeks after the massive floods in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey, even the harshest judge of the poor could hardly ask, “Why don’t they work?” Water, in some places deep enough to submerge grown men, trapped people in their houses, streets or neighborhoods. No one could go to work. Work places… continue reading
Portraits from the Early Catholic Worker Movement
November 21, 2017 by
Dorothy Day and The Catholic Worker: The Miracle of Our Continuance. Photographs by Vivian Cherry, Text by Dorothy Day, Edited, with an Introduction and additional text by Kate Hennessy Reviewed by Susan Gallagher More than 80 years have passed since the founding of the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933 and despite myriad challenges, its work… continue reading
Immigrant Mother Struggles to Reunite with Her Children
November 12, 2017 by
It seems like we are living in the book of Job lately. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires; suffering and loss of almost every kind throughout the continent. In response to these tragic events, our community has been sorely tested on our call to hold as sacred the life and dignity of the human person, to serve… continue reading
Mark Zwick’s Acts of Faith: Shelter From the Storm
October 20, 2017 by
Reprinted with permission from the Houston Press, January 3, 1991 Photography by Janice Rubin Thursday morning, Casa Juan Diego looks like a border Welcome Wagon. Nearly 100 Hispanic women crowd inside the front doors, toting young children. Their dress is shabby, but their faces are bright and smiling. The din of staccato, Spanish-speaking voices… continue reading
A Well-Founded Fear of Persecution: Cruel Setback for Asylum Seeker
October 18, 2017 by
Every day at Casa Juan Diego we encounter a world economic system that is out of balance. On one hand, we live in one of the world’s most affluent cities in one of the world’s most affluent nations. It is hard not to notice that many people in Houston, including us Catholic Workers, have… continue reading
Serving the Poor at the Casa Juan Diego Clinic: Entering the Wounds of Jesus
October 1, 2017 by
Holly came to Casa Juan Diego as a Catholic Worker after her graduation as a nurse from Villanova University. Being a Catholic Worker means rising every morning and, like Moses, heeding God’s call to “remove the sandals from my feet,” for truly the place where I stand is holy ground (Exodus 3:5). All day long,… continue reading
Hurricane Harvey and Casa Juan Diego
August 28, 2017 by
October 7,2017 Harvey Needs Each day there has been a long line of people coming in for help after Harvey. It is nonstop for as long as we keep receiving people. In these conversations some hair raising stories come out. Food: Food needs: We need rice. Many people are still without food, especially the undocumented. When… continue reading
