San Antonio Catholic Worker Community
will list later....
We refer to ourselves both as the Catholic Worker Community and as the Catholic Worker House.
We were originally called the Catholic Worker House, but because our community now consists of three houses, it often makes more sense to call ourselves the Catholic Worker Community.
Since opening our house in 1985, we have sought to provide care, comfort, and support to the homeless of San Antonio.
Our ministries offer a temporary home to homeless families and a weekday soupline to individuals in need.
We do our work following the philosophy of the Catholic Worker Movement which emphasizes faith-centered action, personalism, community building, nonviolence, simple living, and a respect for the environment. As an independent and faith-based community, we do our work with the belief that God will provide for our needs through the community surrounding us - people of different faiths, races, and economic conditions. We do not accept government funding, and we are not under the auspices of any institutional church or diocese. We rely on volunteer labor and the donations of those who believe in what we are doing.
One of the most important pilosophies of the San Antonio Catholic Worker Community is that of personalism. In all aspects of Catholic Worker House life we strive to treat our fellow community members as individuals worthy of our respect, to be thought of as brothers and sisters rather than as strangers for whom we do charity work. We believe that in this way we can struggle together as a community to make our surrounding conditions better.
We are also strongly committed to living a lifestyle of nonviolence. As followers of Christ it is our sincere belief that violence for any reason is unnecessary and detrimental to humanity; there is always another, better solution to any problem that may arise. We see the violence and oppression committed against the poor of our society as directly related to the violence committed against the poor of all nations. In both cases the effects are the same: hunger, homelessness, and death. Instead, we perform works of mercy as a bold witness against such violence.
Because we seek to transform conflicts nonviolently in our everyday lives, we also oppose the use of force in larger conflicts and disputes. Corrupt and evil powers cannot be overcome with force. The use of force only destroys and leads to more problems. Guided by Christ's words in Matthew 5:43-48, we seek to love our enemies as our friends. By expressing compassion and treating others with the respect and dignity in-borne in every person, we seek to move beyond conflict toward a more equitable world where everyone is treated with equal worth.
Simply put, we oppose the use of force to resolve any conflict, whether personal confrontations or international war. From the very beginning of the Catholic Worker Movement, we have sought to end the use of force and violence and to promote peaceful means toward peaceful ends. Catholic Workers have historically stood in opposition to war and conflict in every form around the globe. We work toward the world seen by the prophet in Isaiah 2:4, where swords are beat into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.
Faith-centered Action: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Matt 25:40
This is perhaps the most often quoted passage of Scripture in the Catholic Worker Movement. It is by no means the only time that Jesus identifies himself with the poor, however. Nor is it the only time he admonishes us to serve the poor and take their burdens on as our own. We feel called, therefore, to follow his example and live out our faith by placing ourselves among those we serve.
Catholic Worker houses of hospitality the world over seek to fulfill specific needs that their particular communities have. Here in San Antonio, we see the need for a place for families to stay as a whole unit. Specifically on the East Side, we see a need for a safe and welcoming space for folks to be fed physically and spiritually. Because Christ identified himself with the marginalized and oppressed, it is in their faces and eyes we most expect to encounter him. Our search for a closer living faith with God calls us to serve Jesus and his family.
For more information on the Catholic Worker Movement, see: www.catholicworker.org.
