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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Father Greg Boyle, the founder and director of Homeboy Industries based in Los Angeles, will be one of 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Friday.
Boyle is a Jesuit Catholic priest who started Homeboy Industries, which became the world's largest gang-intervention and rehabilitation program.
President Joe Biden will present Boyle with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in a ceremony Friday at the White House.
Biden said there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together.
"These 19 Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped America for the better. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service," Biden said in a statement.
Other Medal of Freedom recipients include Michael Bloomberg, Elizabeth Dole, Al Gore, John Kerry and Katie Ledecky.