Biblical scholars have suggested that the day laborers of Jesus’ time were at the very bottom of the working ladder. Even slaves were better off, in the sense that they had someone to protect them – they had value as the owner’s investment. I knew before I came to Casa Juan Diego that the day… continue reading
There Is No Line
February 9, 2012 by
In the presidential debates some of the candidates have insisted that the only answer to the question of undocumented immigrants in the country is to have them deported or to ask everyone to go back home to their countries to “get in line with everyone else.” The problem with this idea is that there virtually… continue reading
We Were Surprised by Much Work and Harrassment By Inspectors
February 9, 2012 by
We started Casa Juan Diego because we wanted to help the poor, to receive the refugees and immigrants who were arriving in Houston to escape cruel wars. They were sleeping in used car lots along Washington Avenue. We responded to pregnant immigrant women, battered immigrant women and their children and to fathers of families trying… continue reading
Dorothy Day Miracle Visits Casa Juan Diego
February 5, 2012 by
The Cancerous Tumor Disappeared Through Dorothy’s Intercession Sarah Maple of Antlers, Oklahoma recently visited Casa Juan Diego with Richard Fossey and his wife Kim. She shared the story of the healing of her cancerous brain tumor through the intercession of Dorothy Day. She glowed as she recounted the events. It was Richard Fossey… continue reading
New website of the Houston Catholic Worker
January 24, 2012 by
On January 29, 2012, celebrating the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales (patron saint of journalists), Casa Juan Diego, the Houston Catholic Worker launched a redesign of its website in both English and Spanish. The links to the site are: English: https://cjdengp.wpengine.com. Español: http://spanish.cjd.org. Along with the new design, the site now provides search capabilities… continue reading
Catholic Social Doctrine Could Save the Day
October 23, 2011 by
When the Catholic Worker began, one of Peter Maurin’s goals was to make the encyclicals “click.” He wanted people to know and understand the wisdom of Catholic Social Teaching in the time of the Great Depression and economic crisis. With the economic crisis of 2008-2011, we could do worse than to turn to the… continue reading
Statement by the Catholic Bishops of Texas on Capital Punishment
August 2, 2011 by
As spiritual leaders in the community we Catholic Bishops of Texas are acutely aware of the violence in our state. Despite a growing reliance on longer sentences, more prisons, and more executions, our state’s crime rate has escalated. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the United States in 1976, the Catholic Bishops of… continue reading
Secure Communities? Some Changes in ICE Policies, But What is Needed is Comprehensive Immigration Reform
August 1, 2011 by
In response to widespread criticism across the country of the Secure Communities program of ICE (U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on June 17, 2011 ICE Director John Morton issued a memorandum announ-cing some changes in the way the program is administered. Not only human rights groups, and the U. S. Catholic Bishops, but local… continue reading
A New Mandate for Immigration Reform
August 1, 2011 by
As a social scientist by trade, my tendency to categorize human behavior carries over to my work as a Catholic Worker. I have noticed that there are basically two different types of guests that receive care, support and hospitality at Casa Juan Diego: those newly arrived, and those that have been in the United States… continue reading
The Personalist (Emmanuel Mounier)
August 1, 2011 by
A personalist is a go-giver, not a go-getter. He tries to give what he has, and does not try to get what the other fellow has. He tries to be good by doing good to the other fellow. He is altro-centered, not self-centered. He has a social doctrine of the common good. He spreads the social doctrine of the common good through words and deeds. He speaks… continue reading
