Product Description
Erudite, down-to-earth, and utterly heartening, these essays about universal kinship and redemption are moving examples of the power of unconditional love in difficult times and the importance of fighting despair. With Gregory Boyle’s guidance, we can recognize our own wounds in the broken lives and daunting struggles of the men and women in these parables and learn to find joy in all of the people around us. Tattoos on the Heart reminds us that no life is less valuable than another.
About the Author
Father Gregory Boyle was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1982. He received his Master of Divinity from the Weston School of Theology; and a Sacred Theology Masters degree from the Jesuit School of Theology. In 1988, Father Boyle began what would become Homeboy Industries, now located in downtown Los Angeles. Fr. Greg received the California Peace Prize, the “Humanitarian of the Year” Award from Bon App – tit; the Caring Institute’s 2007 Most Caring People Award; and received the 2008 Civic Medal of Honor from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Since 1986, Father Gregory has been the pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The church sits between two large public housing projects, Pico Gardens and Aliso Village, known for decades as the gang capital of the world. There are 1,100 gangs encompassing 86,000 members in Los Angeles, and Boyle Heights has the highest concentration of murderous gang activity in the city. Since Father Greg—also known affectionately as G-dog, started Homeboy Industries nearly twenty years ago, it has served members of more than half of the gangs in Los Angeles. In Homeboy Industries’ various businesses—baking, silkscreening, landscaping—gang affiliations are left outside as young people work together, side by side, learning the mutual respect that comes from building something together.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Free Press (March 9, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1439153027
- ISBN-13: 978-1439153024
SOURCE: PUBLISHER
LOVED IT
The most amazing thing about this book is the faith of Gregory Boyle. That he has the faith to believe there is good in every person and given the chance that goodness will shine. The kids that work in his charity based business, Homeboy Industries show just exactly what his faith can overcome. These kids were written off at birth and fated to die young. Boyle’s mission was to save those lives.
The story he tells is full of humor as well. He can find a smile in even the most horrible situation. Even if you are not a very religious person or even believe in God, you will find the message important in his tale. That people just need to be given the opportunity and someone to tell them they can.