Casa Maria Catholic Workers and the community gathered at in front of St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Tuesday night to kick off a 40-day water only fast in hopes of bringing awareness to the war in Gaza and getting Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego's attention.
Casa Maria Soup Kitchen is a Catholic Worker House committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken.
Four Catholic Workers have vowed to each complete 10 days of fasting to total 40 days, with members of the community also joining them.
One of those four is South Tucson Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela.
“I’m fasting in solidarity with all of those who are struggling. I’m fasting for my own spiritual journey. I’m fasting because we are too comfortable and our comfort is coming at too high of a price, the death of innocent people," Valenzuela said.
She says the people involved with Casa Maria do not want blood on their hands, referring to Raytheon, a company in Tucson that creates bombs and missiles.
“Our money is going to fund these wars," Valenzuela said.
Mayor Valenzuela says as Catholic Workers, their faith compels them to speak out about the violence that is happening between Israel and Gaza.
"We are here to call out on all religious leaders, elected officials, and any community leader that has been entrusted to represent us," Valenzuela continued. "The City of South Tucson led the way in passing the state's first ceasefire resolution, but many elected officials still remain silent."
Mayor Valenzuela says the war in Gaza may be far from the United States, but the pain is still felt here.
“There’s no issue that has brought me to my knees like this issue," Valenzuela said. “I see my children's faces every time I see starving children from Gaza and I'm just very grateful that we are lucky. That we are lucky that we live in this side of the world."
Vincent Allen, Knights of Columbus member at St. Mark Catholic Church, came to show his support and says it’s an obligation to help people in need.
“Well how are you gonna look at yourself in ten years when all this has gone by? What are you gonna say to yourself and your children? What are you going to do?," Allen said.
Allen said those at Casa Maria are doing their part.
"They know people need help and they're aware of the people in Palestine who need help and they're not sitting on their duff. They realize that they have a responsibility to help and so they're doing it. God bless them," Allen added.
They’re hoping Congress will take action.
“That’s what they’re elected for — to do the right thing," Allen said.
On July 30, the Senate voted on S.J.Res.34, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the government of Israel of certain defense articles and services.
It did not pass with 73 NAYs, 24 YEAs, and three abstaining.
Senators Kelly and Gallego did not vote.
"We hope it reaches them. We hope that if that bill is presented again, that they do not fail us again," Valenzuela said.
Valenzuela says they will maintain a prayer presence on weekdays during the 40-day fast.
"We will be in front of the Senator's office on Pennington and Stone for the first 20 days and then the second part of our fast will be in front of Raytheon. We're trying to hit rush hour so 7:30 to 9:00 am and then again from 4:00 to 5:30 pm," Valenzuela said. "The intention is just to end the violence and the intention is to hopefully bring lasting peace to everybody who's suffering from these wars, especially everyone in Gaza."
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
