By Kaitlyn Boisvert-
For its 2011 Convocation ceremony, Salve Regina University selected Father Gregory Boyle as its commencement speaker. After University President Sister Jane Gerety, RSM awarded Boyle an honorary degree commemorating his charity work, Boyle greeted the class of 2015 and began to tell them his story, mission, and hope for them to express kinship towards others throughout their career at Salve Regina.
Media Credit for Featured Photograph: Homeboy Industries, Main Website.
As the founder of Homeboy Industries and author of Tattoos On the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, one of Boyle’s life goals is devoting himself to helping gang members get a chance to rebuild their lives and escape the danger that gang involvement can invoke. His organization aspires to provide training for former gang members and help them attain jobs within the working world. The organization’s mission greatly promotes compassion and hope, and it was these two qualities that Boyle greatly emphasized within his address. “It is important that we as a community build a circle of compassion, and dismantle the barrier that excludes anyone outside the circle,” he said. “We should stand with those whose dignity has been denied, and who need our assistance.”
Boyle then proceeded to tell his audiences about his experience in Homeboy Industries, with all of its troubles and successes. While he spoke, he expressed an apparent love and respect for his employees. He got to learn each of their stories, and treated them with such kindness and acceptance that many of them grew comfortable with him and developed the habit of addressing him as “Father Greg”.
The industry’s success in recruits marked a revelatory success, as many members from opposing gangs were able to move past their differences and conjoin in an environment where they could work together. After sharing a funny story involving two members of Homeboy Industries, Boyle next revealed that the two boys were originally in enemy gangs. “They used to shoot bullets at each other,” he remarked deeply. “But now they shoot text messages. And there is a word for that, and that is kinship.”
Although Homeboy Industries has met with many successes, it has also experienced many tragedies. With apparent remorse, Boyle revealed that within the last month, he had to bury his 176th member. He expressed a deep sadness in this occurrence, revealing that although his job is gratifying, the losses he encounters are always heart-breaking, and is one of the unfortunate drawbacks of being part of an organization that relates to gang members. As saddening these deaths are, Boyle revealed that there can be some good that can come out of these tragedies. They can help stress the importance of working together and loving one another in a community of kinship.
According to Boyle, kinship is something that everyone aspires for within their lives, as it is a very fulfilling aspect that enables people to help others as well as being able to prove their self-worth. Boyle concluded his speech with the statement: “It is God’s dream come true for us that we be one. It is our deepest longing of ourselves, shared by all of us. This vision has time to come true, and we must press on until it is fulfilled. If it delays, then we wait for it.”
Father Gregory Boyle’s speech was well-received among the Salve Regina community. One of the most enthusiastic and impressed attendees was Sister Johnelle, professor and chairwoman of the school’s Social Work Department. “Father Greg is remarkable,” she said. “He is one person who accomplished so much for so many. He really showed how we should not limit ourselves and what we can accomplish.”
As a Social Work Professor interested in spreading awareness of the danger that accompanies youth involvement in gangs, Sister Johnelle decided after only a few pages that Tattoos of the Heart would be a perfect book for her classes. “It was written in such an engaging, powerful tone,” she remarked. “I thought it would make a fine selection for my students because Education should be about liberation, and not domestication. It should help teach students about certain issues, and what sort of action they can take in addressing them. I felt this book would succeed in doing that.”
Sister Johnelle’s choice was an apparent success. Even though the book was optional, many students chose to read it. Students often told Sister Johnelle that the book changed their outlook and view on the issue of gangs, and made them intent on addressing the problem and help gang members rebuild their lives.
One of the students that read and enjoyed Boyle’s book was Sagitta Woodman; a Salve senior and a Social Work major. When asked of her opinion of the book, Woodman was very enthusiastic with her reply. “I felt that Father Boyle’s compassion for the gang members and his amazing work getting rival gang members to work together was inspiring,” she said. “As Social Workers, we strive to work with all oppressed populations to fight social injustices and I believe that gang members are one of those populations that are overlooked in our society.”
Reading Boyle’s book brought a lot of enlightenment and inspiration to faculty and students alike, yet this experience was magnified when they were able to see and meet the author in person. Sister Johnelle expressed fascination upon Salve Regina’s choice of Boyle as a the convocation speaker, as it had been entirely coincidental that of all potential candidates, the University had selected the author of the Social Work Department’s featured novel. “I was very surprised when I heard of the decision,” Sister Johnelle remarked. “Yet I felt very happy when I heard of the University’s choice for a guest speaker, as Father Greg validated the worth for so many people that were deemed hopeless by society, and that makes him the perfect role model for students.”
