READ THIS AND MORE ON @humans_of_losangeles_ ON INSTAGRAM!
What if every person you pass in the hallway or on the street carried a story that could change the way you see the world? I started the “Humans of Los Angeles” project inspired by “Humans of New York,” a photoblog, to capture untold everyday stories in Los Angeles. I have spent the last several months interviewing and photographing people across Los Angeles. In some cases, I sat down with people I knew but did not know well, and in other cases, I approached complete strangers asking if they would share their stories with me.
“Humans of Los Angeles” felt fitting because it combines my love of storytelling and film—capturing the personal narratives that remind us how connected we truly are. I feel blessed to have a front row seat to people’s life stories, backgrounds, regrets and aspirations.
One of my first interviews was with Father Gilbert Martinez, known to many as Father Gil, the head pastor at St. Paul the Apostle, where I attended school from kindergarten through 8th grade. During my two hour interview—which could have continued for many more hours—I learned so much more about the personal side of someone who I had only seen as a religious leader.
Martinez was raised by an Apache Indian mother and Mexican American father, grew up in Castroville, CA, near Monterey and had eight brothers and sisters. While attending his college UC Berkeley, Martinez found a summer job one year for the California Department of Forestry to fight wildfires up and down the coast. He fell in love with the outdoors and decided to work for the National Park Service as a park ranger at the Grand Canyon.
Martinez shared, “Out of the blue, I would just start praying—it was church for me. I remember sitting at the Rim of the Grand Canyon watching the sun set, and I broke into tears. My prayer was, ‘What do you want of me, God?’ I went to talk to the priest there, and he said ‘Why don’t you start coming to Mass?'”
Martinez told his priest that a 30-mile hike back and forth to Church was too much, but the priest encouraged him to come anyway. Martinez explained, “So I did. I hiked 15 miles to go to mass and 15 miles back. It took me four hours to walk up and three hours back down.”
As a park ranger, Martinez was responsible for providing emergency medical treatment to park visitors. Perhaps one of the most defining moments in his life happened when, one day, a woman was having a heart attack and needed to be taken down to a lower elevation. While in the ambulance with her, the woman grabbed Martinez’s arm and said, “You should be a priest.” He shared, “I had been praying asking what I should be doing with my life? I had never thought of becoming a priest, but after that I started thinking about it.”
Martinez then requested a transfer to San Antonio Missions National Historic Park in Texas to become a park ranger there and allow him to figure out his faith. While in San Antonio, he found the Paulist Fathers and started the process of becoming a priest. Martinez was then ordained in 1995 in New York City.
At the end of our interview, I asked Martinez a question which I vowed I would ask everyone on “Humans of Los Angeles.” I asked, “What do you think is necessary for a good life?” He said, “I’ve been preaching for 30 years. I’ve gotten to a place where I’ve grown into awareness. It’s taken me years to be more aware, joyful and peaceful. It happens when you realize that life is not just about us, getting caught up in what we want, what we think or how we feel. What faith does is it puts you in touch with the main source of all life, which is love and which is God for us. When we start to get in touch with God, you are called to feeling connected to people. And that brings an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything and that brings great peace. When you’re grateful like that, it’s like you’re in touch with God, you’re in touch with something more than yourself. That sense of gratitude and that sense of connection to everything is a lifelong journey… the real goal of life is to be connected to all that’s beyond you, to be grateful for life and to be at peace.”
Join me by following @humans_of_losangeles_ on Instagram to hear the rest of Father Gil’s life story and for upcoming stories from the other humans of Los Angeles, such as the operator of the iconic Pink’s Hot Dogs, Loyola’s Latin teacher Frederick Muth ‘13 and many more.
