Homeboy

“You always imitate the kind of God you believe in,” says Father Gregory Boyle. “If you believe that your God loves you without measure and without regret and in an unconditional way, then you generally behave that way towards others.” The “others” in Father Boyle’s life are some of the toughest gang members from some of the meanest streets of East Los Angeles. As Pastor for six years at Dolores Mission, the poorest parish in the city of Los Angeles, Father Boyle confronts daily the challenges and tragic casualties of young men and women trapped in lives without vision and hope. 

“Father G,” as the homeboys in East LA call him, left as Pastor of Dolores Mission in 1992, after his six-year stint. His departure caused a political controversy in the community, as parents, kids and community leaders came forward to demand that the Provincial administration keep him among those who loved him. 

After an 18-month detour as Chaplain at the Islas Penal Colony in Mexico and as Chaplain at Folsom Prison, Father Boyle returned to his “home” in Los Angeles. Now he attends to the material and the spiritual well being of the community. As director of Jobs For A Future, a non-profit employment referral center, and HomeBoy Industries, Boyle is now connecting the desperate need for meaningful work with the equally necessary spiritual sustenance. Their motto is “Jobs Not Jails.” 

Father Boyle laughs when he describes himself as having an Irish background but a Mexican heart. “I’m bi-lingual (not Gaelic) and have worked in Mexico and in East LA for so many years the people around here think I’m one of them,” he adds. 

Boyle visited Ireland in 1992 and headed north to Antrim to the home of his paternal great-great-grandfather. “It was a great experience,” Boyle said. “Many of my relatives there are simple farming folk and it was quit an event to have me and my friends there. There was a lot of hoopla.” 

But Boyle’s Northern family has also been touched by tragedy. A young cousin who discovered a bomb in a cemetery was shot and killed by British soldiers when he returned to the cemetery after telling his father of the discovery. The killing was a celebrated case in Northern Ireland and an unfortunate violent link between Father Boyle’s daily experience in East Los Angeles and the ongoing strife of the “Troubles”. 

The most profound and lasting connection for Boyle between East Los Angeles and Ireland were the people. “I found a graciousness and hospitality and sense of fun with the Irish that is remarkably similar with Mexican people,” Boyle observed. “I grew up around a strong Irish presence. All of my uncles were members of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. And I’ve worked in Mexico and East Los Angeles for some time. I guess there’s a reason I feel so comfortable among both the Irish and Mexicans.” Recently, Father Boyle has committed himself to finding out more about the San Patricio Battalion, the Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico during the Mexican American war.