Saludos Mi Familia de San Vicente de Pablo,
On Monday, I landed in Oakland, California, and began a two-month stay at the Catholic Worker, Obrero Católico de Oakland.
I didn’t know what to expect, and that’s what made me nervous. What would living in one actually be like? The words of Dorothy Day could only take me so far. Her writings etched themselves into my spirit, but I needed to know — with my actual guts and hands in the everyday work know — what it’s like.
The mission of this Catholic Worker is to accompany guests (migrants) as they gain self-sufficiency. There are about 20 people in two houses, and everyone works with a case manager to achieve different goals over 6-8 months. This way, guests start life in the U.S. with stability and sustainability (finding a job and apartment, savings plan). Then, others move in and have the same opportunity. Thank you so much for taking this journey with me! (Thank you Joan for the invitation!)
Keep us in your prayers! Paz de Cristo,
Tinamarie
Tinamarie Stolz is a Campus Minister at St. Joseph’s University and a parishioner at St. Vincent De Paul in Germantown. She is spending the summer at the Oakland Catholic Worker in Oakland, California. Check back for more updates.
