By Francis Page, Jr.

    May 27, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) -- In a world too often fractured by fear, division, and exclusion, one Jesuit priest brought a room full of Houstonians to a higher place—a space of kinship, grace, and transformative love. At Compassionate Houston’s recent annual luncheon, Father Gregory Boyle, S.J., internationally known founder of Homeboy Industries, delivered a heart-stirring message that transcended religion and politics, speaking directly to the soul of the city.

“We are all unshakably good—no exceptions,” Father Boyle declared, his voice calm but resolute. “We belong to each other—with no exceptions.” In a time when polarization dominates headlines, his words were a balm—radically inclusive, deeply Christian, and rooted in a profound theological truth: we are called to love one another, not from a distance, but up close in the messy, beautiful, realness of life.

Healing Through Kinship

For more than 30 years, Father Boyle has walked alongside those society often casts aside: gang-involved youth in the heart of Los Angeles. With Homeboy Industries, now the world’s largest gang rehabilitation and reentry program, he has proven that compassion—not condemnation—transforms lives.

“People on the margins are used to being watched,” he said, pausing to let the weight of his insight settle over the audience. “But they’re not used to being seen.”

With the fierce gentleness of a shepherd and the conviction of a prophet, Father Boyle urged the luncheon’s attendees—faith leaders, social entrepreneurs, business executives, and everyday Houstonians—to embrace what he called “exclusive mutuality.” Service, he explained, is not about doing for others. It’s about standing with others. It’s not about fixing people—it’s about being changed by them.

Acatamiento: A Sacred Way of Seeing

Inviting the audience into a deeper spiritual practice, Father Boyle introduced the Spanish word acatamiento—to see with affectionate awe. This holy gaze, he explained, stands in opposition to tribalism and fear. It’s the vision that Christ demonstrated at every turn, whether breaking bread with outcasts or forgiving sinners from the cross.

“The traumatized are likely to cause trauma,” he noted. “But the cherished are more likely to cherish.” This simple yet profound truth challenged listeners to shift from judgment to mercy, from distance to embrace.

A City That Leads with Compassion

Compassionate Houston President Pam Lewis called Father Boyle’s appearance “a divine alignment” for the city. “His lesson reflected compassion at its highest level,” she said. “Everyone in the room walked away with their hearts stirred and their spirits lifted.”

Founded in 2011 and inspired by the Charter for Compassion, Compassionate Houston has helped transform the Bayou City into a national model for kindness-driven civic engagement. In 2013, Houston became the first city in Texas officially recognized as a Compassionate City—a milestone born out of grassroots advocacy and prayerful persistence.

Through education, partnerships, and volunteerism, the organization continues to serve as a spiritual heartbeat for Houston’s moral and civic conscience.

For upcoming events and ways to get involved, visit compassionatehouston.org.

A Christian Vision for the 21st Century

Father Boyle’s life reads like a Gospel parable: a man of faith who left the pulpit to walk the streets; who listened before preaching; who built bridges where society wanted walls. His accolades—from the California Peace Prize to the 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom—are numerous, but it’s the transformation he inspires in others that defines his legacy.

In Father Boyle’s world, there are no throwaway people—only beloved children of God waiting to be seen, cherished, and welcomed home.

So, what can Houston learn from this spiritual giant?

That true compassion is not a soft sentiment—it’s a revolutionary act of faith.

It’s what happens when the Gospel walks, talks, and sits down beside those we might otherwise avoid. It’s what happens when love refuses to categorize and instead dares to connect.

It’s what happens when we believe—unapologetically, unwaveringly—that we all belong to each other.

And that, dear Houston, is the kind of city God can bless.

?? Follow Father Boyle’s mission at homeboyindustries.org?? Stay connected with Compassionate Houston: compassionatehouston.org

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.