Casa María schools American Evangelicals…
“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 (King James Version)
Evangelicals: hypocrisy is thy middle name…
80% of white American Evangelicals support Donald Trump and his blatantly un-Christian behavior.
Someone needs to school white American Evangelicals, re: the teachings of Jesus Christ. They claim their beliefs and behavior are rooted in Christ’s teachings, yet polls reveal that circa 80% of white American Evangelicals support Donald Trump, poster child of blatantly un-Christian behavior. For example:
* Rather than welcoming immigrants as Jesus taught, Trump demonizes immigrants and foments hate toward immigrants.
* Jesus Christ valued children. Trump callously tore close to 4,000 children from their parents and locked them up in cages. No tracking system that could help reconcile the families was established. About 1,400 of the seized children have not been (and may never be) reunited with their parents.
* Jesus condemned lying (bearing false witness) and taught that his followers be honest in their words and actions. Yet Trump is an inveterate and profligate liar.
I could go on, but the above make the point.
Mohandas Gandhi could have been talking about these evangelicals (and their Republican friends) when he noted: “I like your Christ (but) your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
The Catholic Workers Movement, which has a presence here in my home base, Tucson, AZ., could school the “evangelical” Trump cultists about Christian behavior.
The Catholic Worker Movement – practicing Christ’s teachings…
Trump callously tore close to 4,000 children from their parents and locked them up in cages.
The Catholic Worker Movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is active in over 200 communities. Its aim is to practice the teachings of Jesus Christ, to serve and advocate in behalf of those on the margins of society, i.e., those Christ referred to as “the least of my brethren.” In urban communities, a staple of the movement is the establishment of houses of hospitality for the immediate relief of those who are in need.
Tucson’s Casa María walks the talk…
The Casa María Catholic Worker House, located in South Tucson, a one-square-mile city within the city of Tucson, Arizona, walks the talk. Casa María was founded in 1981 by the Rev. David Innocenti, a Carmelite priest, as an independent ministry operating under the auspices of the Tucson Roman Catholic Diocese. Demographically, South Tucson is overwhelmingly Mexican American (72%), and per the 2020 census, 66% of South Tucson households are renters and 35% of the population lives below the federal poverty line.
Casa María is committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken. Its mission is to manifest, through action, the love and compassion of Jesus Christ and to implement his teachings and the social doctrine of the church.
Casa María workers engage in acts of mercy and live simple lives. Six (6) workers live and work at Casa María and receive a stipend of $10 per week plus room and board. Two community organizers are paid a modest salary. Via its “Soup Kitchen,” Casa María serves a bag lunch to as many as 500 people every day.
In addition, Casa María distributes approximately 80 family food bags daily to local families in need.
But it’s not all about food…
Casa María is a voice, a fierce advocate, for the poor, for those ignored by the powers-that-be.
But Casa María goes beyond providing free lunches and family food bags. Casa María is a voice, a fierce advocate, for the poor, for those ignored by the powers-that-be.
Some examples:
* In 2013, when the City of Tucson, which operates the local bus system, was contemplating raising bus fares, eliminating some bus routes, and moving the bus terminal from Downtown, Casa María workers organized a Bus Riders Union (bus riders, community activists, etc.) and launched a campaign to convince the City Council to not implement the proposed changes. The BRU mobilized hundreds of people to attend City Council meetings, press conferences, and other events. The BRU campaign was successful.
* In 2022, the Tucson Tenants Union (TTU), comprised of Casa María and several other activist organizations, conducted a “No Gentrification” campaign whose aim was to urge immediate action by elected officials regarding issues such as supporting rent control measures, building affordable housing units, etc. The TTU held several rallies at the Tucson City Hall and the Pima County Government Building. The campaign succeeded in getting local officials to bring the issues raised by the TTU to the table.
* In 2024, maintaining a certain South Tucson motel was a hotbed of illegal activity and that the owners are slumlords, Casa María led protests outside the motel. At the same time, the City of South Tucson sued the property owners, citing several infractions involving safety and other issues. The protests and the lawsuit resulted in the property owners entering an agreement with the City of South Tucson whereby the property owners would, among other things, employ security guards, install bright lighting at the property, and upgrade the current security camera systems.
Gentrificators – be gone!…
Casa María lobbies for decent affordable housing in South Tucson and fights gentrification.
Casa María lobbies for decent affordable housing in South Tucson and fights gentrification whereby outside investors and real-estate speculators buy up and renovate local properties, driving up home prices as well as rents. This prices out vulnerable residents and leaves many homeless. To combat this, Casa María formed the Barrios Unidos Land Trust and embarked on a strategic plan to purchase residential properties, removing them from the speculative real estate market.
As a frame of reference: Casa María does not accept government grants. It exists solely on donations. [Casa María recently refused a $2,000 donation from a national enterprise, citing that company’s anti-union policy and practices.]
Due to its frugality, Casa María has been able to put together sufficient funds to purchase 18 housing units, thus keeping them out of the hands of outside speculators. One of these properties was the El Camino Motel (which itself has 20 units). These units are rented at affordable rates to low-income families, prioritizing those who have been pushed out (or are about to be pushed out) of their homes due to soaring housing prices. Some of the El Camino units are kept vacant for people who need an emergency, temporary place to stay. Casa María intends to acquire more motels and turn them into affordable housing.
Casa María also fights gentrification by working with the “Mi Barrio No Se Vende” (My barrio is not for sale) campaign of the Barrio Neighborhood Coalition. This campaign is aimed at “flippers,” outsiders who get homeowners to sell their properties and then renovate them and sell them at much higher prices to gentrifiers. Casa María got people throughout South Tucson to put up “Mi Casa No Se Vende” (My house is not for sale) yard signs. [The “Mi Casa No Se Vende” idea caught on quickly, and people in other barrios put up these signs in their yards.]
Let’s go votin’…
Casa María candidates decisively garnered a large majority of the vote.
In 2022, Casa María decided to get involved in the making of policy rather than merely influencing policy. Casa María put together a slate of three of its stalwart workers – César Aguirre, Roxanna Valenzuela, and Brian Flagg – to challenge three incumbent South Tucson City Council members. Flagg has been an activist with Catholic Charities and with Casa Maria for over thirty years (and with the Pima County Interfaith Council, a socially and politically active coalition of faith-based communities, churches, synagogues, mosques and other socially minded organizations). Aguirre, a rapper and activist, lived and worked at Casa María, practicing the works of mercy and justice, for over 7 years. Valenzuela is a hair stylist who once owned her own salon and now works to protect South Tucson residents from financial predators.
Casa María is well known in South Tucson and enjoys a good reputation due to its good work. Thus, the Casa María slate had a leg up when they launched their candidacies. The Casa María slate went door-to-door soliciting the support of registered voters – who had voted in previous elections as well as those who had not – and they registered people who were not registered.
Casa María’s good reputation and the slate’s (and their volunteers’) hard work paid off. Newcomers with no political experience rarely, if ever, beat incumbents. But the Casa María slate did. And they did so decisively, garnering a large majority of the vote. Casa María is now a major player in the making of policy in South Tucson.
Indeed, the Catholic Worker Movement, as exemplified by Casa María, could school the Trump cultist “evangelicals” as to what constitutes Christian behavior. c/s
As noted, Casa María exists solely on donations. If you want to donate to Casa María, make your check out to Casa Maria and Mail to: 401 East 26th Street, Tucson, AZ 85713.
Special Thanks to Brian Flagg (Casa María) and Scott Egan (Barrio Neighborhood Coalition and Barrio Hollywood Neighborhood Association) for their assistance.
_________________________________________________________