Fr. Boyle's Bolivian Mission: What Happened?

After graduating from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1972, Fr. Gregory Boyle, the founder and Executive Director of Homeboy Industries, entered the Jesuits and was ordained a priest in 1984. He then spent a year in Bolivia, where he worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba and learned to speak Spanish. This experience shaped his calling to work with the poor.

Fr. Gregory Boyle spent a year in Bolivia after his theology studies

After graduating with a Master of Divinity degree from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (now part of Boston College), Fr. Gregory Boyle spent a year in Bolivia, working with Christian base communities in Cochabamba. This experience was pivotal in shaping his outlook and calling.

Bolivia, at the time, was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with rampant political strife and strikes. This exposure to poverty and the marginalised was a turning point for Fr. Boyle, who felt "evangelised by the poor". He came to understand the gospel in a new light, through the eyes of those who were truly poor. This experience also introduced him to Liberation Theology and the importance of spiritual "base communities", which would later inform his work at the Dolores Mission in Los Angeles.

Fr. Boyle learned to speak Spanish during his time in Bolivia, and upon his return to the US in 1986, he was appointed pastor of the Dolores Mission Church, a Jesuit parish in the Boyle Heights neighbourhood of East Los Angeles. Dolores Mission was then the poorest Catholic church in the city, situated between two large public housing projects and the territories of eight gangs.

Fr. Boyle's time in Bolivia was instrumental in shaping his approach to ministry and his commitment to working with the poor and marginalised, a commitment that would define his career and lead to his groundbreaking work with gang members in Los Angeles.

He worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia

After graduating from university, Gregory Boyle joined the Jesuits and was ordained as a priest in 1984. He then spent a year in Bolivia, where he worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba. During this time, he learned Spanish and was first exposed to Liberation Theology, which emphasises the importance of spiritual "base communities".

Boyle's work in Bolivia was foundational to his later work with gangs in Los Angeles. In Cochabamba, he was ""evangelised by the poor", which led him to understand the gospel in a particular way. He has said that his time in Bolivia "turned me inside out in terms of the poor".

In Cochabamba, Boyle was introduced to the idea of the base community, which later evolved in his mind into the beloved community of tenderness. He has written that "if love is the answer, community is the context, and tenderness is the methodology".

Boyle's experience in Bolivia was also important in preparing him for his work at the Dolores Mission in Los Angeles. Dolores Mission was the poorest Catholic church in the city, and it sat between two large public housing projects and the territories of eight gangs. Boyle's time in Bolivia had taught him the importance of spiritual base communities, and this influenced his approach to serving the parish in Los Angeles.

He learned to speak Spanish during his time in Bolivia

Father Gregory Boyle, also known as Fr. Greg, is a Jesuit priest and the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program. He was born in Los Angeles in 1954 and entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1972, becoming ordained as a priest in 1984.

After his ordination, Fr. Greg spent a year in Bolivia, where he worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba and learned to speak Spanish. This experience was pivotal in shaping his calling to work with the poor and those affected by gang violence. During this time, he also encountered Liberation Theology and recognised the importance of spiritual "base communities", which would later inform his ministry at Dolores Mission in Los Angeles.

Fr. Greg's time in Bolivia was marked by the country's political strife and extreme poverty, which was even more pronounced than in Haiti at the time. This experience deeply impacted him and influenced his understanding of the gospel. He describes how this period "turned him inside out" in terms of his perspective on poverty and his own spiritual journey.

Upon returning to the United States in 1986, Fr. Greg was appointed pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighbourhood of Los Angeles, which was then the poorest Catholic church in the city. The church was surrounded by gang territories, and Fr. Greg witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence on the community, especially youth. This inspired him to take action and create positive alternatives for gang-involved individuals, including establishing a school, a daycare program, and helping them find legitimate employment.

Fr. Greg's ability to speak Spanish was likely invaluable during his time in Bolivia and may have facilitated deeper connections with the local community. It also probably contributed to his ability to serve the predominantly Latino gang members and their families in Los Angeles. His dedication to helping those affected by gang violence has earned him numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.

He was inspired to work with the poor after his time in Bolivia

Father Gregory Boyle, or Fr. Greg as he is affectionately known, is a Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program. After graduating from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1972, he entered the Jesuits and was ordained a priest in 1984.

Fr. Greg's journey to working with the poor and gang-involved youth began during his time in Bolivia right after his ordination. He spent a year in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where he worked with Christian Base Communities and learned to speak Spanish. This experience was pivotal in shaping his calling and ministry.

Bolivia, at the time, was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, even poorer than Haiti, and was marked by significant political strife and frequent strikes. During his time there, Fr. Greg had a profound realisation of the gospel through his interactions with the impoverished people he served. He describes this experience as one that "turned me inside out in terms of the poor and finding myself evangelized by the poor".

Upon his return to the United States in 1986, Fr. Greg was appointed Pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighbourhood of Los Angeles, then the poorest Catholic church in the city. Dolores Mission sat between two large public housing projects and amid the territories of eight gangs. It was during this time that Fr. Greg began to address the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, offering them positive alternatives and opportunities for a better life.

Fr. Greg's work with the poor and gang members in Los Angeles was deeply influenced by his experiences in Bolivia. He recognised the importance of community and the power of unconditional love and kindness in bringing about transformation and healing. This inspiration from his time in Bolivia led to the creation of Homeboy Industries, a powerful force for change in the lives of thousands of people.

He was appointed pastor of Dolores Mission in Los Angeles after returning from Bolivia

After returning from Bolivia, Father Gregory Boyle was appointed pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighbourhood of Los Angeles in 1986. Dolores Mission was then the poorest Catholic church in the city, situated between two large public housing projects and the territories of eight gangs. During his time there, he witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence on the community, burying eight children in a three-week period in 1988, which was the start of what would become known as the "decade of death" in Los Angeles.

Recognising the urgent need to address the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, Father Boyle took action. He established an alternative school within the church for junior high students who had been kicked out of school and were wreaking havoc in the streets. This initiative marked the beginning of what would later become Homeboy Industries, a comprehensive intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program.

In addition to the school, Father Boyle and the community developed other positive opportunities for at-risk youth, including a daycare program and legitimate employment options. They called this initial effort "Jobs for a Future." Through these initiatives, Father Boyle aimed to provide gang members with an "exit ramp" from the cycle of violence and incarceration, offering them a chance to reimagine their future and break free from intergenerational cycles of gang involvement.

Father Boyle's work at Dolores Mission laid the foundation for his life's mission of helping individuals leave gang life and build a brighter future. His experiences there shaped his understanding of the root causes of gang violence and the importance of offering holistic support to address the complex needs of those involved.

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