Martin Kelly grew up in a family that suffered from sheer poverty and domestic violence. His father’s alcoholism caused his mother to have severe breakdowns, which led Martin and his siblings to spend a lot of time in orphanages. He lost hope in God after his best friend was strangled to death at age twelve, starting him off on the path of alcohol, drugs, and crime, ending up in prison. Looking for an excuse to at least leave his cell for a few minutes, he went to Mass. Returning to his confinement, he experienced great restlessness, a call, and a desire to see the light again.