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68 Blocks: Life, Death, Hope: Part 2 of 5

Searching for justice, finding no peace

With summer approaching, the rhythm quickens in Bowdoin-Geneva. Violence seems to rise with the heat, but so do a mother’s hopes for her children, and a priest’s quest to connect. Meanwhile, from the weeds, an unlikely garden grows.

By Globe Staff

 |   

  December 17, 2012

This project was reported and written by MARIA CRAMER, MEGHAN E. IRONS, AKILAH JOHNSON, JENNA RUSSELL, and ANDREW RYAN.

It’s not even Memorial Day and it’s already sweltering. The 74-year-old priest shuts the door of the sky-blue church van, fishes in his shirt pocket for the white collar he keeps there, and tucks it in place around his neck. He always wears the collar on his walks across the neighborhood. It is an advertisement that he is no one to fear. Still, in this heat, it would be nice to leave it off.

Comments

Great story....got through most of it, but the online graphic showing population changes in the Geneva-Bowdoin area was incomprehensible...

Used to be a good neighborhood before it got redlined and block-busted back in the 50's by banking, real estate and insurance interests. Now it is a basket case and always will be.