< 1 min readfrom National Catholic Reporter, July 31-Aug13, 2015 And we beg you to read the front page story from the same issue at: http://ncronline.org/news/global/will-pope-francis-strong-message-meet-resistance-us  We at the Casa Maria Catholic Worker feel that this story is an affirmation of our ministry from a most humble and holy man. We also take it as  a challenge to humble ourselves, deepen our faith in Jesus, and walk with Him further and more fearlessly to the margins of this beautiful hell-forsaken world. Animo! ______________________________________________________________ Casa Maria quiere que todos lean esta historia de la National Catholic Reporter at: http://ncronline.org/news/global/will-pope-francis-strong-message-meet-resistance-us El Titulo es ¿La mensaje muy fuerte del

3 min readby Brian Flagg The syndicated national columnist Esther Cepeda wrote an editorial in Saturday’s Daily Star entitled “On immigration, most people can’t handle the truth.” She gives it up to Angela Merkel, the President of Germany, for being so honest in saying that all of the world’s immigrants cant come to Germany (or the U.S. for that matter). The question should not be how many immigrants can come to Germany (or the U.S). The real question is how come the U.S. and Germany don’t use all of their power and might to make it so that poor people now forced

6 min readby Anita Timpani Since March 2013 when Pope Francis was elected we have consistently seen/heard his name throughout the media… Jo Piazza, in her book, I​f Nuns Ruled the World: Ten Sisters on a Mission,​writes about ten nuns, most of which names you have never heard in the media. She profiles these nuns who have dedicated their lives to following in the footsteps of Christ. One of the goals of the author is to show nuns as people as opposed to stereotypes (20); she believes they each should individually be featured on their own magazine cover (7). I highly recommend

2 min readby Brian Flagg I feel bad because I was stupid enough to allow a reporter to take my words out of context and misrepresent me (“Early Reactions to Ronstadt Plan Positive” Arizona Daily Star, 7/27/2015, http://tucson.com/news/blogs/road_runner/early-reactions-to-ronstadt-plan-positive/article_bd1028a0-55ff-5c75-828e-9ed345103ec4.html) I should have known better. I should have been more disciplined. He quoted me to the effect that both plans were fine with me. What I told him was that I would be most happy if both plans disappeared from the face of this earth because ultimately they both mean more gentrification (the process by which those with capital invest in lower income places, gradually

4 min readby Barbie Urias My Comrade Brian Flagg sent me on the second week of July 2015 to an eight day retreat in Los Altos Hills, California, a Jesuit Retreat Center. The retreat was based on spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. The exercises are for prayer, reflection, and spiritual direction. I was able to attend this retreat after I became jealous when Brian went for the third time to this Jesuit retreat center. I had wanted to attend a good retreat myself. So Brian said I could attend the next year. And I did. The Jesuit retreat center was a

2 min readby Brian Flagg I know of no one who would argue that. Laura has lived and worked here at Casa Maria for the last 9 years, with her mom Librada, her grandpa the 94 year old comedian Antonio, and her youngest daughter Yanseli, the tennis star from Pima College. She works fast. She works hard. She never complains and is liked by everyone. She is 100% Mexicana and proud of it. She also has a team of chicas whom are ready to cook anytime people come together to fight the forces of evil. Birria, barbacoa, fajitas, super nachos, hot dogs,

4 min readby Brian Flagg A year ago I was in the midst of a 30 day silent retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos, CA. This week Barbi Urias from Casa Maria is going to do an 8 day silent retreat there. One year later I’m still feeling like I’m on a path of being transformed, thanks be to God. Almost daily I still feel the love of Jesus I experienced there. I would hope that if anyone came down to Casa Maria and asked, my friends, comrades, and co-workers would say something like, “Oh yeah, he is significantly