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Christmas Letter and Appeal

Dear Friends, The joy of Christmas comes as a great gift, breaking into the despair and sadness that surrounds us and others in many parts of the world. The joy of Christmas brings us into the Spirit of giving, which allows us to give rather than receive, whether it means giving one’s gift or one’s… continue reading

Mary, Model of Hospitality

Lauren, a recent graduate from Villanova University, is a Catholic Worker in Houston. At the Annunciation, Mary responded to Gabriel’s announcement of her role in salvation history with perfect humility, wisdom, and faith, saying, “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” With that statement, she offered herself as the vessel that would shelter,… continue reading

Our Lady of Guadalupe in My Life – and Answer to Prayers

    It was exactly one year ago that I moved to the city of Houston. Starting a new life is not easy. One has to start from zero and try to adapt as quickly as possible. When I arrived here, I felt very alone, without realizing that I never was. Besides having my husband,… continue reading

Photos of Mark and Louise Zwick Speaking About Their Book at Mt. Union College

Photos of Mark and Louise Zwick speaking about their book, The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins, at Mt. Union College in Ohio.                                                            

A Mother’s Commitment: Inspired by Dorothy Day and a Hurting Mother

  A mother’s path of selfless loving and caring for others could lead to true spiritual heights, Dorothy Day observed in her journal in 1948. She was staying in the West Virginia farm house of her daughter Tamar, who was expecting her third child. Dorothy had come to help care for the house and her… continue reading

Deferred Action: Half a Loaf is Way Better Than None, But It Is Still Half a Loaf

Like 9/11, the June 15th announcement of the new policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was, for me, one of those moments when something so shocking happens that you remember forever where you were and what you were doing. I have so much invested, professionally and personally, in meaningful immigration reform that my reaction… continue reading

Rural Roads to Distributism and Family/Community Farms

Richard Aleman is the Editor of the Distributist Review. Peter Maurin’s program for the Catholic Worker had an important agricultural aspect. Catholic Workers have always been interested in the Catholic Rural Life Program under the inspiration of Msgr. Luigi Ligutti. Thanks to David S. Bovee’s new book about the illustrious history of the National Catholic… continue reading

The Homeless, the Sick, and the Injured

 Life in Houses of Hospitality is full of interesting events and surprises, together with painful, even tragic, stories. We never know who will come to the door. Today a woman arrived from Iowa who was fleeing domestic violence. She had found a place to stay with a family, but the family friend she had brought… continue reading

Hospitality Takes Us Beyond Our Limits, Generates Conversion

A man returning from a long and difficult trip looks for someone who will be waiting for him at the station or airport. Everyone wants to tell his story and share moments of sorrow and joy with someone who awaits his return. A person can maintain his mental health and continue to live when there… continue reading

Book Review: Saved By Beauty: A Spiritual Journey with Dorothy Day

Saved by Beauty: A Spiritual Journey with Dorothy Day by Michael O’Neill McGrath. World Library Publications, the Music and Liturgy Division of the J. S. Paluch Company, 2012. Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath, artist and Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, has just published a book entitled with the famous saying from Dostoevsky frequently quoted by… continue reading