Preaching Reconciliation And Kinship

He has stood at the margins with the demonized and people deemed disposable, preaching reconciliation and oneness to all on behalf of inner city gang members in Los Angeles who are entering mainstream life.

He has authored books from Tattoos On The Heart: The power of boundless compassion in 2010 to a pair of titles in 2022, Forgive Everyone Everything and The Homeboy Way: A radical approach to business and life. Father Greg Boyle also is a sought after speaker, and Boyle — once the pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, and the founder of the nonprofit Homeboy Industries in 1988 — will talk about his message of love and compassion June 26 at The Shedd Institute at the invitation of Catholic Community Services of Lane County.

“Include Everyone. Love, God” is a call to forge relationships, to treat gang members as human beings as an answer to law enforcement tactics of suppression and criminal justice policies of mass incarceration.

It hasn’t been an easy road to travel. In a 2020 talk in Redondo Beach, California, Boyle noted that he had just recently buried his 245th gang member. Still, he presses on to create a culture where everyone, be it the former gang members or the people seeking to help them, can work together to promote reconciliation. “If you go to the margin to make a difference, it’s about you,” Boyle noted in that Redondo Beach talk. “If you go to the margins for them to make you different, it’s about us. The word for that is kinship.”

Father Greg Boyle — “Include Everyone. Love, God” — speaks 5:30 pm Monday, June 26, at The Shedd Institute, 868 High Street. All seats have been filled.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!