For seventeen semesters from the autumn of 2006, I had the privilege of teaching one course a semester at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, a Jesuit school founded in 1910. It was a rewarding experience for me, and I grew in appreciation for the Jesuits, whose Order was formed in 1534.
I regret that I did not know about Father Gregory Boyle back then in order to introduce him to my students. He has now been a Jesuit for 50+ years and has had a remarkable ministry in Los Angeles for 35+ years. Let me share with you some highlights about this amazing man.
Gregory Joseph Boyle was born in Los
Angeles in 1954. Upon graduating
from a Jesuit high school, he joined the Society of Jesus (S.J., the Jesuits). Following his
graduation from Gonzaga University,
he then earned master’s degrees from three other Jesuit schools.
After being ordained as a priest in
1984, Boyle lived/served for a year in Bolivia. He then returned to LA, where he was appointed pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, then the poorest
Catholic parish in LA and with the highest concentration of gang activity in
the city.
In 1988, Boyle began what grew into Homeboy Industries,
which, according to their website “is the largest gang rehabilitation and
re-entry program in the world.” They go on to say,
For over 30 years, we have stood as a beacon of hope in Los Angeles to provide training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.
Fr. Boyle has written
three major books that
I highly recommend. His first book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of
Boundless Compassion (2010) became a “New York Times Bestseller.” It is a
delight to read—as is his second book, Barking to the Choir: The Power of
Radical Kinship (2017).*
The
third of Boyle’s Power trilogy doesn’t have such a catchy title, but it is an
equally engaging book. It is The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant
Tenderness (2021). Like the two predecessors, this book is also a
delightful blend of theological reflections and conversations with “homies.”
Consider
these key quotes from Boyle’s books:
**
“Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have
to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.” (Tattoos)
** “Compassion isn't just about feeling the pain of others; it's
about bringing them in toward yourself. If we love what God loves, then, in
compassion, margins get erased. 'Be compassionate as God is compassionate,'
means the dismantling of barriers that exclude.” (Tattoos)
** “God,
of course, is unchanging and immutable. But our sense of who God is changes as
we grow and experience God, and God is constantly nudging us toward that
evolution.” (Barking)
** Kinship
asks us to move from blame to understanding.” (Barking)
** “It
is our lifelong task … to refine our view of God. We won’t be able to speak the
whole language until we know the wholeness of God” (The Whole Language, p.
12)
And then there is this quote (which is directly related to my Feb. 16 blog post):
 |
| This is one of more than 50 Boyle quotes found at Top 50 Gregory Boyle Quotes |
I am
deeply grateful to Fr. Boyle for what I
have learned from him about compassion, kinship, and tenderness. But most of
all I am grateful for how he has expanded my understanding of God.
The
first chapter of my book Thirty True Things Everyone Needs to Know Now (2018)
is “God is Greater than We Think, or Even Can Think.” Reading Fr. Boyle’s books
has increased my awareness of the greatness of God and God’s unconditional love
(grace).
That
unconditional love is personified in the life and work of Father Gregory Boyle,
an amazing man, indeed.
_____
* In reading Barking, I learned that G-Dog, a nicely done documentary of Fr. Boyle, was produced in 2012, and last month June and I really
enjoyed watching it (on Amazon Prime; it is also available on other streaming
services.)
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