2 min readby Alicia Nunez We at Casa Maria have gotten to know a grupo de young people from Barrio Centro who are passionate about growing their own food, defending their barrio, and preserving their roots and culture. Last week Casa Maria workers were invited to see the garden of Dora Martinez and Tito Romero (from Flowers and Bullets). We were allowed to take our kids, my daughter went with us, Amalia Tovar went also and she took her daughter Zaira Tovar. It was an interesting experience to know how we can produce our own vegetables at home in our garden and

< 1 min readby Brian Flagg Here are the 4 biggest issues looming as we move farther into 2016. This was agreed upon by everyone at the last Bus Rider Union meeting. If we don’t organize, mobilize, and throw down on these issues, bus riders will be screwed. 1. Dedicated funding source for transit We the BRU have not been pro-active, so, in the minds of the Mayor and Council, it’s basically a half cent sales tax for transit and/or cops and/or parks. The Mayor is currently leading an effort to poll voters as to their support. 2. Will a new management company

< 1 min readThe solution to climate change has much to do with people changing to alternate modes of transportation – THE BUS! Please attend the free screening of This Changes Everything and wear your yellow Bus Riders Union t-shirt.  

3 min readHey Catholics, The Holy Father told Americans to pay attention not only to the life of Dorothy Day, but also to the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.! Study and reflect on his life – let it inspire and afflict you. And may it lead you to ask yourself “Am I doing enough for the struggle?” Lately I’ve been reflecting on this past year and how absolutely awful the bus strike was for bus riders. And how to learn from that and act so that such suffering is never again put on mostly poor people, in this case

< 1 min readBrittany Jones, starter on the UA Women’s Basketball team, visited and worked in the Kitchen at Casa Maria this week! She was here the day after the Wildcats destroyed #21 ranked CAL. The Lady Wildcats are 10-3 so far this year. She is a junior from Dallas, Texas. She was gracious, articulate, and very patient answering all our questions and posing for pictures. We are all going to go see her play this year!              

3 min readSonia McReynolds, a life-long Tucsonan from the Westside, and her husband Herb McReynolds, chief of staff at the Emergency Room at St. Marys Hospital, share here about their recent trip to Cuba. Sonia organizes a monthly lunch brigade to Casa Maria from her parish, Most Holy Trinity. Thanks to Sonia and Most Holy Trinity! by Sonia McReynolds Our trip to Cuba was everything we expected and much more. My husband and I went to Cuba solely as a humanitarian, educational, and cultural trip and not for political reasons. We visited Cuba with a tour company, which was the only method

2 min readby Brian Flagg and Cesar Aguirre Thanks to Lupita Parra, Alexis Olalde and Barbara Truman from Santa Catalina Parish in Oro Valley for fixing the Jesus Mural. Some fool had defaced the big face of Jesus with the Crown of Thorns that greats those who enter Casa Maria. This mural was done with spray paint in 2004 by Fr. Robert Barcelo OCDS when he was still a brother and doing time at Santa Cruz parish that summer. This work of art really seems to fit this place and the ministry here. Art and culture really is the way to touch

3 min readby Teresa Ornelas, Chair of the Counseling Department at Pueblo High School for the last 10 years I want to begin by saying it’s been an honor to serve the Casa Maria staff and community for almost 30 years. It all began quite simply. I was a sophomore at Salpointe Catholic High School and my social responsibilities teacher said we had to take part in a community service project. Not knowing what to do, I asked my dad, Dr. Richard L. Ornelas for ideas and without hesitation, he said “Casa Maria Soup Kitchen!” I was 14-years-old, but Brian Flagg put

4 min readBy Brian Flagg It kinda feels like our Bishop Gerald Kicanas has been hanging out with the Holy Father! He sounded just like the Pope when he wrote in this month’s Catholic Vision: “Advent awakens in people a sense of urgency to become involved in addressing the challenges and issues of our day that rob people of their dignity and that make the world unlike the world God intended for people. Advent invites us to address the widening gap between the world as it is and the world Chirst came to bring about. Advent calls us to open our eyes