The Catholic Worker movement, centered in Christ and the Gospels and Catholic social teaching, was founded during the 1930s when the economic crisis made life difficult, if not unbearable, for many. The movement has continued to respond to changing situations in the United States and the world over the years, including leading protests against the… continue reading
Beyond Walls of Fear: Catholic Worker Movement Turns to Resistance to Unjust Immigration Policies and Practices
August 1, 2008 by
NAFTA Key to Immigration Problems in the United States
June 1, 2008 by
Dawn McCarty teaches at the University of Houston-Downtown. “Illegal” immigration has become a hot-button political topic, but one aspect of the issue is rarely discussed: what happens to the families left behind in Mexico when the husband/father (and increasingly, the mother) immigrates to the United States? To find out, I traveled to 15 different communities… continue reading
The Most Dangerous Journey in the World
June 1, 2008 by
The man’s voice on the phone asked for help. He was very tired, having walked the 90 miles from Livingston, Texas, to Houston. When he was arrested he did not have his permanent residency card with him. He had been jailed for three months for an “immigration violation” and when released was put out on… continue reading
Many Profit from Immigrants’ Misery: Imprisoning Immigrants in Private Prisons and County Jails
June 1, 2008 by
From National Geographic to The New Yorker , more and more publications are featuring stories about immigrants coming to the United States, putting a human face on a group of people which are being demonized and dehumanized by our government’s current policies. The New Yorker article (Margaret Talbot, “The Lost Children: What Do Tougher Detention Policies Mean… continue reading
Dorothy Day on Women’s Right to Choose
June 1, 2008 by
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, was grounded in her faith, and she resisted any attempt to dilute the truth she practiced. We were struck by this little vignette, sent to us by a friend in the mid-west, because it shows us an unvarnished Dorothy, speaking her mind forthrightly and not always tactfully…. continue reading
Symposium on Mark and Louise Zwick’s Book, The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins
June 1, 2008 by
October 9, 2008 at the University of St. Thomas in Houston The panel discussion of the book, The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins by Mark and Louise Zwick (Paulist Press) at the University of St. Thomas, Houston, was cancelled because of Hurricane Ike. It has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 9, from 7:00 to… continue reading
May 1 March for Immigrants in Houston – Most of the Press Got It Wrong
May 1, 2008 by
The march for human rights for immigrants and in favor of comprehensive immigration reform took place on May 1, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. in Houston. The march drew almost 300 people from various groups. A handful of people against immigrants showed up to shout and attack with mega bull horns starting an hour before the… continue reading
Endgame for Millions of Immigrants
April 1, 2008 by
A local Catholic businessman, concerned about passage of immigration reform told us recently, “At least we have the consolation that it is not possible to deport 12 million people undocumented people. A solution for comprehensive immigration reform must be found, it will be found.” Unknown to us all, the administration began to deport the 12… continue reading
Immigration and the Law
April 1, 2008 by
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. Sister Fran Wilhelm is an Ursuline Sister of Mount St. Joseph, Maple Mount, Kentucky. What a plethora of opinions exploded at the time of the attempt… continue reading
Guest Worker is not the Answer for Exploited and Displaced Workers
April 1, 2008 by
It would be a terrible thing if, in the name of immigration reform, a “guest worker” program were to be imple-mented that would include few protections for imported workers who would be transient, working no more than six years, with no path to residency, with workers tied to one employer, without legal representation, and without… continue reading
