The invisible bubble that provides comfort, safety and a homogeneous culture at Notre Dame has no creator, but its presence is still visible. Students stroll down campus at two in the morning without the impending fear of robbery — or of being shot at 20 times simply because of their dorm or their major.

The three former gang members and Father Bill Tomes who shared their experience with students at the CSC on Sunday afternoon have a different bubble in their inner-city Chicago neighborhood.

"It's like having a wall around [Cabrini Green]. There's an invisible wall and nobody comes in," said Tomes.

These men are specifically from Cabrini Green, a housing project that accommodates generations after generations of impoverished families and is infamous for its gunfights. The three joined different gangs in their early teens.

"We are gangster disciples. We had to shoot to get in and shoot to get out," said Darryl, a former gang member. "Some days we couldn't get to school."

Cabrini Green seems to reach the sky in a myriad of dark floors, abandoned and wired public housing where people live in constant fear of violence.

Upon graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Tomes began his mission to help end conflict in the Cabrini Green neighborhood.

"I had a calling in [the Basilica] to work with people in conflict," said Tomes.

The conflict between gangs in Cabrini Green has no definite creator, but the gunfights continue to defend territory, drugs and money among gangs. "Nobody's responsible for the gangs. A gang is just based on groups where one group does not like you," said Greg.

The most popular groups are the Black Stones, KC, the Vice Lords and the Gangs of Disciples.

"The purpose of the gang is for the protection of your neighborhood. They come in and shoot—they don't care who they're shooting at. It could be your mother or your sister," said Tron, a current gang member. "It's all about territory and drugs."

Tron, unlike the other two former gang members, has three brothers in other gangs. "All four of us are in three different gangs. They're just my little brothers — I don't look at them as Vice Lords or Gangs of Disciples," he said while lowering his head and fidgeting with a Notre Dame basketball poster.

All living together, these four brothers might sit down for dinner, but they might face each other in gang conflicts. Greg, a former gang member, interjects, "but blood is thicker than water."

Tron, Greg and Darryl did not purposefully join gangs to be a menace to society, they said.

"I was accidentally shot so I went out for revenge," said Greg. School was also difficult for him because the schools were mixed with different gangs. There were two lunchrooms — one side for the opposition. "I was glad for the day to end and to be able to talk about it," he said.

Gangs were groups of friends that supported each other. By being with his friend, Darryl became part of the gang. "They were chasing me when I was with him, so I just joined," he said.

Darryl has moved away from Cabrini Green with his family. "My dream is made — I don't have to steal for money, my life is better and my kids are being raised well," he said. "The only thing that will lead me back to gang-banging is if someone does something to my family or my guys."

Just walking outside on the streets near their neighborhood is dangerous. Greg is about to move out of Cabrini Green and currently has a job — a major accomplishment. "[Tomes] helped me get a job. I've been working 6-8 months," he said. "If you don't have a job, you've got to do what you've got to do." Greg refers to drug dealing or other illegal activities.

However, Tron said that it wasn't hard for him to get a job because he hadn't been to jail like most of his friends. "It's changed now, you used to not be able to get a job," said Tomes.

Their decisions to join gangs years ago affected many other people. "I got tired of the expression on my mother's face every time she would come and get me out of jail," Greg said.

"I was running wild — shooting and beating people up. I was doing a lot of damage," said Greg. "I wasn't getting nothing out of it."

"I'd be looking for fights — slamming and banging. We'd go around looking for fights," Darryl said. When asked how many people he has killed, Darryl responded, "Don't ask about killing people — we won't talk about that."

Father Tomes works with the gang members and even stands outside during gunfights. He stresses the gang members' faith in God. "Gang members pray a lot because of the possibility of being killed. You should see how sincerely they pray." Tomes puts his life on the line every day in Cabrini Green, and the neighborhood respects him, including these three men.

Even though Greg and Darryl already got out of the gangs, they still want to see change in the neighborhood.

"Open up youth centers. Give kids something to do after school. If not, they see the rich guys on the corner with drugs and jewelry," Darryl said. "Give them something to do after school that is fun because if not they won't come back."

Even though nothing will happen to you once you leave the gang, it's better not to join, said Greg.

"Once you get in, you might not have a bad experience. Maybe you're under the wing of a rich guy where you have access to lots of money and drugs and you will never be shot. That's a good experience," said Greg. "But if after three days you get shot and paralyzed, then [the gang] does not want anything with you."

Each of these men's experiences was different, but they were once children raised in a neighborhood surrounded by violence. Tron, Greg and Darryl could not go to the youth center as children because it was located in the other gang's territory.

"It was on their turf. All the activities were on their side," said Greg. Now there are two centers, one on each opposition.

While students in Notre Dame read course packets on how to serve the community and bring peace to the world, 10-year old children, like these men had been, chose violence instead of school every day because it is fun.

"Those guns for the army — they have them on the street. We were doing it ourselves so it was fun," said Greg. "When you're young it is fun."

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