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On Making Metro in Houston Less Expensive for the Good of the Poor, for the Good of All

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

Volunteer Opportunities

How You Can Help: Full-time Catholic Workers  – Live and work at Casa Juan Diego. Assist Catholic Workers on a half-day weekend shift Volunteer doctors and dentists needed for our clinic. Assistants need to help organize charts. Help distribute food once a week early Tuesday mornings Assist our master gardener in our organic garden Be… continue reading

Priest’s Brother Healed Through Prayers to Dorothy Day: A Letter

Greetings Friends at the Houston Catholic Worker, I just thought I’d tell you of my brother’s healing. Last year, doctors said my 72 year old brother Paul had a serious heel-bone infection which caused the achilles tendon to tear off the heel bone. Doctors said they needed to do a biopsy to confirm their diagnosis…. continue reading

A Mother’s Dream and a Plea for Immigration Reform

I give thanks to God every day for his great love and protection. For many years Casa Juan Diego has given us refuge and we are grateful for all they do for us. I am a mother who loves her two sons. The older was born in Mexico and the younger was born here in… continue reading

Pope Francis Made His First Trip Outside the Vatican To Visit Migrants

Where Is Your Brother? Who Is Responsible For This Blood?  (Vatican Radio) In his homily at Mass celebrated with the residents of Lampedusa and the immigrants who have sought refuge there, Pope Francis spoke out against the “globalization of indifference” that leads to tragedies like the deaths of so many migrants seeking a better life…. continue reading

The Perils of Professionalism Or a Revolution of the Heart

My most recent trip to the Mexican Consulate was to accompany one of our guests who needed their help. At Casa Juan Diego, we spend a lot of time waiting in lines at various Consulates. Our guests need the services they offer, but the Consulates often seem overwhelmed by the number of supplicants. We did… continue reading

Justice For The Poor: Chesterton and Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching really does not have a lot of nuance to it. It basically boils down to one thing: justice for the poor. The Church has always emphasized the corporal works of mercy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, tending to the sick, and so on, but as important as those things are, this… continue reading

Let Us Join Pope Francis: On Why President Obama Should Not Bomb Syria

Tom Cornell is at Peter Maurin Farm and a Deacon of the Archdiocese of New York   In his last two Sunday Angelus messages, Pope Francis condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict that is tearing that country apart.  That riled Mark Phillips of CBS… continue reading

Pope Francis’ Call to Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Syria

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, in the entire Mideast region, and throughout the whole world to be held this coming Saturday, September 7th, 2013. The Pope made the announcement during the course of remarks ahead of the traditional Angelus prayer this Sunday. Below,… continue reading

Immigration And the Next America: Renewing the Soul of Our Nation

Reviewed by Mark and Louise Zwick Amid discussions about comprehensive immigration reform our thoughts go to the people we know, especially the families which have been torn apart in recent years by an unprecedented number of deportations. Two-parent working families have suddenly become separated. Mothers and children now live in poverty and may not see… continue reading