The Casa Maria Community is composed of volunteers who try to live out the Gospel values of loving one’s enemies and doing good to all, even those who do all manner of evil against us. We attempt to take responsibility for our sisters and brothers in need of the basics of life. We currently have 4 houses of hospitality on the block of North 21st Street between Juneau and Highland, in which we minister to the needs of others.
They are: Casa Maria for homeless women with children, Pat’s House for transitional living, Lazarus House for single women and Harmony House for refugees and Casa Maria volunteers. We also have community members living on a farm in Watertown, WI where we get our eggs and other crops. We have gardens at the houses and also participate in the community garden located at Lynden Hill Park.
We follow the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933 in New York City. We believe in nonviolence as a way of life, gentle personalism and the works of mercy. We choose to live a life of voluntary poverty, to live simply so that others may simply live. In addition to offering hospitality to the homeless we also provide food, clothing and furniture to those in need. Often we see people with no furniture and appliances in their homes so we pick up donated items and give them to those without.
We do not get government assistance and depend on churches and individuals, including members in the community, for our survival. We seek to root out the causes of poverty and violence by nonviolently resisting the military and weapons of mass destruction. We have monthly vigils at the Immigration office asking that families not be separated and that those who wish to live here be permitted to do so without paying a lot of money and jumping through hoops. We have vigils at gun shops because we believe guns are made for only one purpose; to intimidate, maim or kill others. Those who own guns are 5 times more likely to be shot. (New England Journal of Medicine) We also have monthly vigils at Marquette U. which still sponsors military training (R.O.T.C.) on campus while at the same time claiming to be a Christian university. We have been asking for the last 30 years that Marquette U. be faithful to the Gospel of Christian nonviolence. We regularly protest privatized W-2 agencies because of their refusal to provide basic support for families.
We refuse to pay federal income taxes for weapons, war or armed invasions of other countries. We choose, instead, to give any money over and above what we need to those in real need. We protest injustice, oppression and discrimination in the world, and work for nonviolence to be taught and lived in our homes, schools, churches and institutions. Our community members, both young and old, receive no compensation for working at the houses, and some have part-time jobs to provide for their own personal needs and the needs of the houses.
We invite others to join our community and live out a life consistent with the life of Christ and other prophetic spiritual leaders. We accept volunteers of any race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. We thank all those who have helped us for the last 48 years to live this life of giving and receiving. May this Christmas remind us again of Christ’s invitation to achieve happiness by loving all people, even our enemies, praying for them and doing good to them. This is the secret Christ gave us for living in peace and joy both here and hereafter. Christmas has little to do with commercialism and much to do with loving one another in word and deed. ---Don Timmerman
MARVIN’S JOKES
Why did Santa visit his doctor before Christmas? Because he always gets a flue shot before he slides down the chimney.
What did Santa say to the lumberjack? There are only 23 chopping days before Christmas.
Who says, “Oh, oh, oh!”? Santa walking backwards.
The other reason Santa may not be coming this year is because supposedly he is an undocumented worker and is considered an “illegal alien.” Back to the North Pole with him! Let’s build a wall or something!
Two children who were naughty all year looked in their stockings on Christmas day and found that the reindeer, not Santa, filled their stockings.
A penguin asked the big question, Why can’t we fly when we have wings, and reindeer supposedly are able to fly without wings?
Santa is not coming this year. Apparently you told him that you were all very good this year, and he died laughing!
HOUSE NEWS
Christmas Gifts… If you wish to donate Christmas presents to the families and women at Casa Maria, please donate them UNWRAPPED by December 10th if possible. We usually provide gifts to 30 to 40 families that currently or previously stayed in one of Casa Maria’s houses.
Mom’s stories… Katrina has two kids and came to us after she after she was asked to leave her mother’s apartment. She got into an argument with her mother’s boyfriend over treatment of her children and her mother asked her to leave. After having her clothing steam heated in our dryer due to bed bugs, she moved into Casa Maria and signed up for W-2 while looking for employment.
Drone Protest…Once again Casa Maria joined the monthly protests outside Volk Field at Camp William’s in northern Wisconsin. This is a drone operator training facility right in our backyard! To join the monthly protests, please contact the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice at 608-250-9240 or wnpj.org
HOUSE NEEDS: Christmas presents, women’s and kids hats, gloves and scarves, lotion, diapers size 3 and 4, cereal, juice,diapers, fruit, sugar, butter, bleach, ranch dressing, baby formula, prayers
They are: Casa Maria for homeless women with children, Pat’s House for transitional living, Lazarus House for single women and Harmony House for refugees and Casa Maria volunteers. We also have community members living on a farm in Watertown, WI where we get our eggs and other crops. We have gardens at the houses and also participate in the community garden located at Lynden Hill Park.
We follow the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933 in New York City. We believe in nonviolence as a way of life, gentle personalism and the works of mercy. We choose to live a life of voluntary poverty, to live simply so that others may simply live. In addition to offering hospitality to the homeless we also provide food, clothing and furniture to those in need. Often we see people with no furniture and appliances in their homes so we pick up donated items and give them to those without.
We do not get government assistance and depend on churches and individuals, including members in the community, for our survival. We seek to root out the causes of poverty and violence by nonviolently resisting the military and weapons of mass destruction. We have monthly vigils at the Immigration office asking that families not be separated and that those who wish to live here be permitted to do so without paying a lot of money and jumping through hoops. We have vigils at gun shops because we believe guns are made for only one purpose; to intimidate, maim or kill others. Those who own guns are 5 times more likely to be shot. (New England Journal of Medicine) We also have monthly vigils at Marquette U. which still sponsors military training (R.O.T.C.) on campus while at the same time claiming to be a Christian university. We have been asking for the last 30 years that Marquette U. be faithful to the Gospel of Christian nonviolence. We regularly protest privatized W-2 agencies because of their refusal to provide basic support for families.
We refuse to pay federal income taxes for weapons, war or armed invasions of other countries. We choose, instead, to give any money over and above what we need to those in real need. We protest injustice, oppression and discrimination in the world, and work for nonviolence to be taught and lived in our homes, schools, churches and institutions. Our community members, both young and old, receive no compensation for working at the houses, and some have part-time jobs to provide for their own personal needs and the needs of the houses.
We invite others to join our community and live out a life consistent with the life of Christ and other prophetic spiritual leaders. We accept volunteers of any race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. We thank all those who have helped us for the last 48 years to live this life of giving and receiving. May this Christmas remind us again of Christ’s invitation to achieve happiness by loving all people, even our enemies, praying for them and doing good to them. This is the secret Christ gave us for living in peace and joy both here and hereafter. Christmas has little to do with commercialism and much to do with loving one another in word and deed. ---Don Timmerman
MARVIN’S JOKES
Why did Santa visit his doctor before Christmas? Because he always gets a flue shot before he slides down the chimney.
What did Santa say to the lumberjack? There are only 23 chopping days before Christmas.
Who says, “Oh, oh, oh!”? Santa walking backwards.
The other reason Santa may not be coming this year is because supposedly he is an undocumented worker and is considered an “illegal alien.” Back to the North Pole with him! Let’s build a wall or something!
Two children who were naughty all year looked in their stockings on Christmas day and found that the reindeer, not Santa, filled their stockings.
A penguin asked the big question, Why can’t we fly when we have wings, and reindeer supposedly are able to fly without wings?
Santa is not coming this year. Apparently you told him that you were all very good this year, and he died laughing!
HOUSE NEWS
Christmas Gifts… If you wish to donate Christmas presents to the families and women at Casa Maria, please donate them UNWRAPPED by December 10th if possible. We usually provide gifts to 30 to 40 families that currently or previously stayed in one of Casa Maria’s houses.
Mom’s stories… Katrina has two kids and came to us after she after she was asked to leave her mother’s apartment. She got into an argument with her mother’s boyfriend over treatment of her children and her mother asked her to leave. After having her clothing steam heated in our dryer due to bed bugs, she moved into Casa Maria and signed up for W-2 while looking for employment.
Drone Protest…Once again Casa Maria joined the monthly protests outside Volk Field at Camp William’s in northern Wisconsin. This is a drone operator training facility right in our backyard! To join the monthly protests, please contact the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice at 608-250-9240 or wnpj.org
HOUSE NEEDS: Christmas presents, women’s and kids hats, gloves and scarves, lotion, diapers size 3 and 4, cereal, juice,diapers, fruit, sugar, butter, bleach, ranch dressing, baby formula, prayers