‘Tattoos on the Heart’ author inspires Modesto-area audiences

Father Greg Boyle, a priest who founded Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, spoke to a packed room at the Ceres Community Center on Thursday morning before addressing teens at the Juvenile Justice Center, with another speech Thursday evening at Modesto Junior College.

Boyle created the nonprofit in 1988 as a way of helping gang members escape the gangs. The organization includes a bakery, silk-screening operation, a cafe and restaurants, farmers market and other businesses that put the gang members to work and give them the opportunity to inject hope into lives that otherwise would be without it.

“No hopeful kid in history ever joined a gang,” he told the crowd. “We’re not talking about good or bad kids. We’re talking about kids who are hopeful or not.”

The ministry provides medical and mental health care, along with tattoo removal among its many services and includes paid staff professionals along with volunteers. Boyle’s organization has helped spawn 47 similar programs worldwide, and his book on it, “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion,” became a New York Times bestseller.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "‘Tattoos on the Heart’ author inspires Modesto-area audiences."