Martin Scorsese, Priest of the Silver Screen
From a young age, Martin Scorsese dreamed of becoming a priest, valuing that path even above the presidency of the United States. Born in 1942, he grew up in the cramped Little Italy neighborhood of New York City, living with his parents and older brother, while his extended family lived nearby.
Outside his close-knit family environment, the streets of the Lower East Side were dangerous and filled with tough characters, loan sharks, and swindlers. These men loitered on street corners, telling jokes, sharing stories, and sometimes resorting to violence when conflicts escalated.
Due to severe asthma, Scorsese rarely left his apartment, leading him to feel isolated. He later reflected,
“I lived a life apart. I felt separate from everyone else.”
From his bedroom window, he observed the busy streets, absorbing every detail. His parents, devout Catholics from their homeland, encouraged him to pursue a religious education. They enrolled him at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral School on Mulberry Street, urging him:
“Go around the corner, go to school.”
It was there that Scorsese discovered his true calling in life.
Author’s summary: Martin Scorsese’s early aspiration to priesthood deeply influenced his life, though his faith found greater expression through filmmaking than in the pulpit.