A story of sidewalks and souls: A 40-year mission of love and understanding on the tough streets of Chicago south side.
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BOUNDARIES
A story of sidewalks and souls: A 40-year mission of love, understanding and change on the tough streets of Chicago's South Side.
Brother Jim Fogarty moves between worlds, stepping into spaces where few dare to go. He works with Chicago’s black gang members, the impoverished and the forgotten. He earns their trust not through words, but through years of showing up when the system fails them, when violence erupts and when hope is hard to find. He has access that others don’t, navigating the streets, jails, and the houses where they live, advocating for those caught in cycles of poverty and violence. But, his presence is questioned. He is an outsider. He is not from here. He is white.
Faith shapes his mission, but not in the way people expect. He is not a priest, not bound to any church, yet his work is rooted in service, in the belief that redemption is possible. This allows him to see what others within religious institutions often overlook—the weight of judgment, the difficulty of change when survival has meant making impossible choices. He challenges both the streets and the systems, unafraid to confront uncomfortable truths.
But no matter how deeply embedded he is, there is one boundary he can never fully cross. The community he fights for is not his own. He is white in a world where that matters, where history has made trust something that must be earned, not given. And yet, despite the advantages and the disadvantages that come with it, he walks in the neighborhoods in a uniform habit made of denim. Because this is where he is needed. Because someone has to walk the line.
Written December 10, 2010 - Chicago Tribune
It was nearly 20 years ago on the South Side that Jim Fogarty stood in the middle of a gang crossfire and offered his life to stop gangbangers shooting between two buildings in the Dearborn Homes housing project. The gunfire had gone on for about an hour when shooters from both sides suddenly spotted someone standing under a tree between their two buildings.
They'd seen this strange man in the blue robe around, had heard him preaching a message of love. And yet they opened fire with AK-47s and 9 mm handguns.
"They were shooting at the ground, shooting in the air, shooting in the trees," recalled Alex Hall, a reformed gang member who said he witnessed the shooting. "And he was just still there. They couldn't hit him. Guys finally just gave up, they stopped shooting.
"More importantly, nobody died. The next time gang members saw Brother Jim, they asked him why he risked his life. "Because," he said, "I care about you."
That event beneath a tree in the projects, and other similar incidents that would follow, became legendary. Brother Jim was no longer seen as some odd interloper. He was an untouchable, a man of God deserving respect. And he quickly became just what young men growing up in urban war zones desperately needed: a friend.
Brother Jim, 47, is neither a priest nor an ordained brother of any order; he's the lone active member of a Catholic ministry called The Brothers and Sisters of Love. Funding comes from Catholic Charities and individual contributors, all of whom share Brother Jim's belief that love is the antidote to Chicago's pervasive gang conflicts.
By BY REX W. HUPPKE
CHICAGO TRIBUNE STAFF REPORTER
DEC 10, 2004
Documentary Trailers
In the heart of Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods, one man has dedicated over 40 years of his life to change Chicago. This is Jim Fogarty, known on the streets as Brother Jim. These trailers captures a small part of his remarkable journey, revealing how Brother Jim’s relentless dedication, observations and empathy inspire profound change in even the most challenging environments.
Trailer #1
Trailer #2
Our Mission: Support & Awareness
This website has two key goals:
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Direct Support for Brother Jim – If you believe in Brother Jim’s mission, you can help him continue his work by donating directly at brothersandsistersoflove.com. Every contribution helps him provide aid and guidance in communities that need it most.
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Funding & Distribution for the Series – By bringing these stories to the screen, we can showcase what truly works in some of the toughest neighborhoods and inspire real change. Your support helps get these episodes made and shared widely.
EPISODE #1: underground economy
Chicago is a city of deep contrasts, where wealth and opportunity thrive in some areas while others are left behind, trapped in an economy that operates outside the rules of traditional financial systems. Decades of disinvestment, systemic racism, and unrelenting cycles of poverty have given rise to an underground economy—one where legal jobs are scarce, banks offer no refuge, and survival depends on alternative means. Drugs, stolen goods, and unregulated hustles aren’t just criminal enterprises; they are often the only way to put food on the table. But in this world, violence is currency, territory is business, and retaliation is expected. This is the reality Brother Jim Fogarty walks into—not as law enforcement, not as a savior, but as someone who listens, who understands the weight of these choices. As we peel back the layers of this underground economy, we’ll meet the people who live it, those trying to escape it, and those—like Brother Jim—who stand at the crossroads, trying to bridge a divide that has existed for generations.
EPISODE #2:
a unique religion
Brother Jim’s church is not a building but the streets themselves, where faith is tested daily and survival often comes at a cost. Wearing his habit made of blue jeans, he walks through neighborhoods where fear dictates action, teaching love in places where it is rarely given freely. He moves between worlds, holding onto his values while navigating the harsh reality of gang life, where respect is earned through power and trust is a fragile currency. Yet, in the midst of it all, he finds what he calls grace.
EPISODE #3:
violence & racism
Dating back to gangs like The Disciples and Vice Lords, Chicago's gang violence has long been fueled by an underground economy that thrives in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Once structured organizations, these gangs have since fragmented, becoming decentralized forces that govern block by block, with shifting alliances and ever-present conflicts dictated by survival, power, and economic necessity. Having spent over 40 years working in these communities, Brother Jim has seen what works and what doesn’t—from well-intentioned but flawed federal and state programs to the revolving-door policies of police and legal departments. Through experience, he has learned that real change doesn’t come from top-down solutions but from understanding the people within the system, meeting them where they are and challenging the narratives that keep the cycle going.
EPISODE #4: answers
Previous episodes have posed difficult questions about the cycle of poverty and violence, and Brother Jim has lived through them all. For over 40 years, he’s experienced firsthand what has worked and what has failed, offering him a unique perspective on solutions that haven’t yet been tried. Having walked the streets, navigated the systems, and engaged with the very people most others avoid, Jim understands that emotion often clouds judgment, preventing true change. Many who seek to help the poor are disconnected from the reality of their lives and hesitate to enter the communities they aim to serve. But Brother Jim knows that without understanding the root causes and the daily struggles, real solutions are elusive. His experience is his greatest asset—one that has shaped his approach and allows him to see paths forward that others may miss.
Brother Jim's current calling
Brother Jim has transitioned from walking the streets of Chicago to bringing his message directly to incarcerated individuals. He believes that the church's morality does not align with the reality of the streets, so he must take his message to those who need it most—meeting them where they are. With decades of experience, Brother Jim carries everything he has learned into Chicago’s jails, offering unconditional love, guidance, and hope to those society often forgets. His mission remains the same: to make a real difference, one person at a time.