Martin Scorsese, priest of the silver screen

As a boy, Martin Scorsese dreamed not of movie sets but of the Church. Becoming a priest, he believed, was even greater than becoming president. Yet fate guided him to another kind of pulpit—the director’s chair.

Early Life in Little Italy

In 1953, the young Scorsese lived with his parents and older brother in a small apartment in New York’s Little Italy. His uncle stayed in the same building, and his grandparents lived nearby. Within that tight-knit family world, Scorsese found comfort from the chaos beyond.

Outside, the Lower East Side teemed with tough men—loan sharks, hustlers, and fighters who ruled the corners of the streets. Violence was part of the rhythm of life, but Scorsese mostly watched from a distance. Doctor’s orders kept him indoors; his severe asthma made outdoor adventures dangerous.

“I lived a life apart,” he later said. “I felt separate from everyone else.”

Faith and Education

His parents, devout Catholics with roots in Italy, wanted their son to receive a solid religious education. They sent him to St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street.

“Go around the corner, go to school,” they told him.

There, among the rituals and teachings of the Church, Scorsese first discovered what he wanted to pursue in life—the search for meaning, morality, and human struggle, which would later define his films.

Author’s Summary

From his sheltered childhood in Little Italy to his spiritual awakening through cinema, Scorsese transformed a longing for faith into a lifelong devotion to storytelling.

New Statesman — 2025-11-06