When Tony Martinez was maybe 7 or 8 years old, his grandmother brought him and his mother to Los Angeles from Texas. They moved to a small house down the street from their grandmother in Divine Saviour Parish in the Cypress Park area north of Los Angeles.

It was 1966, and Tony's grandmother had lived in the Cypress Avenue parish for about 20 years. She was an active Guadalupana and member of the Legion of Mary. It set the seeds for her grandson's future, although not without some difficulty first.

Because as Tony grew older, he became an active member of the Cypress Avenue gang. "If you didn't join," recalls Tony, "you were beaten every day." Yet he still went to church. "I've always leaned on the Lord, always. I didn't have a father. When I was down, this is where I'd come."

When in the 1970s gang violence in the area worsened, "I drifted away from the gang," says Tony. "I'd come here and talk to Father Tomás."

"Father Tomás" ---aka, Father Tom Boudreau, the pastor --- not only listened, he reached out to gang members and helped negotiate peace agreements between the gangs. "He showed people the true love of God and love of neighbor, and he took kids off the street," says Tony.

Once the pastor asked Tony, "Why don't you get off the streets and join the biggest gang?" What was that? Tony asked. "The U.S. military --- you get to shoot guns and get your education." So Tony went into the army. When he got out, he returned to the parish.

In 1996 Father Boudreau asked Tony to help resurrect the Holy Name Society with young people in the area --- the kids from the streets and gangs. There were about 40 who became parish ushers, helped in religious education, got together for their own activities --- and stayed off the streets. They are still active in the parish.

Last summer after 30 years at Divine Saviour, Father Boudreau retired, with Father Marcos Ortiz taking over as administrator. "Father Marcos is filling Father Tomas' shoes very well. He is a blessing to us," says Tony, noting that the parish has become even stronger. "The people love Father Tomás and Father Marcos the same. It's just like he's still here."

In the few months that Father Ortiz has served at Divine Saviour, parishioners have become drawn to him, says Tony. "He explains things to the people and responds to them very well," says Tony. "I'm so glad he came here."

Divine Saviour Parish has about 1,200 registered families, 1,100 of which are active. It has a thriving Spanish language prayer group, religious education program and many other services, including the Holy Name Society.

Gangs are still a problem in the area, but "gang members respect the church," says Tony. "When I am with my kids and we run into gang members, they leave us alone because they know we are from the church. Our motto is love, serve and protect the church. Father Tomás instilled in us to be more loving, gentler and kinder toward each other and it's reached out to the community. The community sees it."

"If we didn't have the church here, it would be a war zone," says Tony. "We are so blessed to have Father Marcos. I think he has filled Father Tomás' shoes perfectly."