Father Greg requests, Hold my calls. A young man comes by dressed for success to tell his happy story and thank Father Greg for the contact, the clothes, a job, a hope. With Greg on the phone and me in the visitor s chair, the young man preens back and forth between the front and back doors of this short runway. He and the priest exchange a complex handshake, a triumphant smile, a thumbs-up. No words seem necessary.
Pride is evident in both son and father.
Father Greg is surrogate parent to hundreds of Hispanic youth, many the children of Latino immigrants. The office is crammed with memorabilia which I study while he s on the phone. Official framed certificates, plaques and news clippings hang next to drawings by and photos of neighborhood youth. Latin American artifacts and activist posters jockey for wall space with strong, distinctive samples of graffiti wall art. The colorful sketches Father Greg has pinned to the wall have no ominous overtones, however.