A priest and his brother reaching out to Latino youth:
Some people might be skeptical of a priest who reaches out to teenagers online, but the thousands of young people who log onto his Web site seem to think that “El Padrecito” and his 2-inch-tall alter ego are doing a good thing.
Father Masseo Gonzalez, a Franciscan Catholic priest based in Arroyo Grande, is the brother of “Homies” creator David Gonzalez. A series of collectible figurines that depict residents of the fictional L.A. barrio of “Quien Sabe,” (“Who knows” in Spanish), Homies grew from a comic strip in Lowrider magazine into a fad among Latino youth that continues today.
Since its start in 1998, the hobby continues to gain momentum, attracting more and more fans with each set of new releases. As others did with Beanie Babies, some people try to amass collections of all the Homies.
The 150-plus characters include “Hollywood,” a flamboyant zoot-suit wearing ladies’ man, and “Pelon,” who sells stolen merchandise out of the back of his lowrider. Since 1999, they have also included “El Padrecito,” or “The Little Priest.”
“(My brother) was trying to make a barrio,” said Gonzalez. “Somewhere you need a priest.”
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