By Very Rev. Thomas H. Smolich, S.J., president of the Jesuit Conference of the United States. As President Obama’s administration approaches a record-setting two millionth deportation, an immigration enforcement “accomplishment” never achieved by any other president, many faith leaders are rightly focusing on the hardship that each of these deportations inflicts on families and communities… continue reading
Pope Francis and Peter Maurin on Usury
March 27, 2014 by
Pope Francis Calls Usury a Scourge, a Plague, as Did Peter Maurin On January 29, 2014, Pope Francis greeted the National Council of Anti-Usury Foundations, speaking strongly about the scourge, the plague of usury, the charging of interest, especially exorbitant interest, calling it a dramatic social ill: “I hope that these institutions may intensify their… continue reading
Crossing from Guatemala to Casa Juan Diego With Much Faith
March 15, 2014 by
By an Immigrant Woman From Guatemala Many, like us, day by day see the great need to immigrate to the United States. There are many reasons. We want to better our quality of life for our families and ourselves. We want our children to have a profession, and we want to offer them what perhaps… continue reading
International Interest in the Canonization of Dorothy Day
March 11, 2014 by
International interest seems to be growing in Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. We are receiving requests from various countries for our new translation in Spanish of The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins. We wondered what was in the package from Germany. When we opened it, we found a copy of Concilium in German with a blue… continue reading
Dorothy Day and Pope Francis on Advertising
March 8, 2014 by
Dorothy Day famously said, “There have been many sins against the poor which cry out to high heaven for vengeance. The one listed as one of the seven deadly sins is depriving the laborer of his share. There is another one, that is, instilling in him the paltry desires to satisfy that for which he… continue reading
The Trickle Down Economy Is Alive and Well at Casa Juan Diego With So Many Poor: Tears Roll Down Instead of Wealth
February 24, 2014 by
On a Tuesday last November I was in a planning meeting with some executives of a local social service agency who were talking about the problem of food insecurity in Houston. It is a growing problem and an interesting discussion, but I said nothing, partially because I was late but mostly because I was exhausted…. continue reading
The Joy of the Gospel – Option For the Poor is Fundamental; Wealth Does Not Trickle Down
February 10, 2014 by
The message of Pope Francis has swept the world, inspiring Catholics and the media, some previously disillusioned Catholics, and even atheists. His new Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, profoundly illustrates why this is so. In the style which has become familiar in his papacy of less than a year, Francis challenges us to… continue reading
Christmas Letter 2013
December 14, 2013 by
Dear Friends, The spirit of Christmas – Jesus being born poor in a stable – is an indomitable force, despite the efforts of consumerism. The poor tell us “that God chose his Son to be born like the rest of us so that we can realize that we are important.” But Jesus and Christmas belong… continue reading
A Devastating Journey North for a Migrant from Honduras to the United States
November 24, 2013 by
I left Honduras with a plan of arriving in the United States. When I got to Guatemala, that same day I crossed Guatemala, arriving at the border with Mexico. I crossed the river in a large inner tube of a tire of a tractor or car. After crossing the river, I arrived in Tapachula, Chiapas,… continue reading
On Making Metro in Houston Less Expensive for the Good of the Poor, for the Good of All
November 24, 2013 by
The Houston Chronicle had an interesting headline on the front of the City and State section in September: Metro: Free Fare Days Are Signpost to Future, it read. The story told of the great results of a plan by Metro over the Labor Day Weekend to promote ridership on its buses and light rail by… continue reading
