We, like many others, were surprised when Pope Francis declared a Year of Jubilee to begin on December 8 this fall. We were especially surprised and moved when he revealed that the theme of the Jubilee Year would be mercy. In the ancient tradition of a Year of Jubilee, slaves and prisoners were to be… continue reading
Vatican Document Jolts Church: Themes of Jubilee Year of Mercy Inspired Catholic Worker
July 22, 2015 by
Cuban Guest of Casa Juan Diego Survives Journey, Most Terrible Moments
July 9, 2015 by
My name is Sandra Lidia (actually not my real name) and this is my story. I was born in Amarillas, a small town in the province of Matanza in Cuba. Also, like so many Cubans, I had to live with hardships and limitations of every kind, with dreams that at the moment seemed impossible…. continue reading
Agribusiness vs. the Worker: The Business and the Bond of Food
July 6, 2015 by
We have a beautiful garden here at Casa Juan Diego. It is always a highlight of our visitor tours. We grow fruits, vegetables and herbs, the soil is cultivated with organic ingredients, we capture rainwater for irrigation, we have an ever-growing bee colony, we compost, and everything that is planted in the ground produces something… continue reading
What Pope Francis Means By a Culture of Encounter
July 1, 2015 by
In a homily given on his first Pentecost as our pontiff, Pope Francis suggested that the word “encounter” is central to the way he thinks of Christian relationships. In the homily he encourages the faithful to be fearless in the ways in which they look beyond their own needs and wants to those of others…. continue reading
Friend of Casa Juan Diego Becomes Bishop of Victoria
June 16, 2015 by
Casa Juan Diego receives encouragement from many sources. but especially has received encouragement from Fr. Brendan Cahilll, who will be ordained the new Bishop of the Diocese of Victoria, Texas, on June 29. Fr. Brendan has impressive credentials. He has served in several parishes. He has more recently been Director of Clergy Formation and Chaplaincy… continue reading
Vulnerable Migrant Groups Should Not Be Detained
June 14, 2015 by
WASHINGTON—The U.S. immigrant detention system, which treats vulnerable immigrant detainees as criminals, needs extensive reforms, said representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Center for Migration Studies as they released a report and policy recommendations. They urged Congress and the administration to build a system that affords due process protections, honors… continue reading
Beatification of Oscar Romero: Cause of Great Joy and Examination of Conscience
June 1, 2015 by
We are rejoicing and the world is rejoicing because of the beatification of Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980. We pray that the world will now be better able to hear his voice. Pope Francis declared Archbishop Romero a martyr for the faith. He is also… 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
Joys and Tragedies at Casa Juan Diego
April 12, 2015 by
“In the tender compassion of our God The dawn from on high shall break upon us To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death And to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Marisol (is tough. Not in a negative sense, but in the sense that she has survived. … continue reading
Catholic Worker Personalism And the Sick and Injured
April 6, 2015 by
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
