Martin Scorsese, Priest of the Silver Screen
Since childhood, Martin Scorsese dreamed of becoming a priest. To him, that was a greater calling than even the presidency of the United States. The year was 1953, and the setting was Little Italy in New York City.
At 11 years old, Scorsese lived in a small apartment with his parents and older brother. His uncle lived in the same building, and his grandparents just down the street. Outside this close-knit family circle, the world was intimidating. The streets of the Lower East Side were filled with tough characters, loan sharks, and swindlers. They gathered on corners to watch, joke, and share stories. Conflicts sometimes erupted into fights or even gunfire.
Due to severe asthma, Scorsese rarely ventured outside. Reflecting on those years, he said,
“I lived a life apart. I felt separate from everyone else.”
From his bedroom window, he observed the world, imprinting the scenes onto his memory. His parents, devout Catholics from the old country, wanted him to have a religious education. They sent him to St Patrick’s Old Cathedral School on Mulberry Street, urging him, “Go around the corner, go to school.”
There, Scorsese found the path he wanted to follow in life.
Martin Scorsese’s early desire to serve faith shaped his unique vision, finding expression through cinema rather than the pulpit.