2 minute read
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg Knows All Good Things Come from God
by Amy Kerr
MARK WAHLBERG’S EARNED MANY TITLES OVER HIS THREE-DECADE CAREER: actor, producer, Academy Award nominee, businessman, former music artist. But when he introduces himself, he doesn’t choose any of those descriptors. “I’m a normal, regular guy from Boston, Massachusetts, who’s been extraordinarily lucky,” he says. “And,” he adds, “I give all credit personally and professionally to my faith and my relationship to the Lord.” Wahlberg is devout in his Catholic faith—before the pandemic, he’d never missed a mass. While a foundation for the actor since childhood, faith became life changing for him in his teen years.
“When I was a teenager, I got into some trouble, and the only place to turn was to the Lord. There was really nobody else there. And once I did that, all of these wonderful people started popping up who were also infl uenced by the Lord. Messengers and people who were serving in various ways, they all came and touched me. And when I started focusing on my faith, good things started to happen.” Wahlberg’s focused on sharing the “good things” faith brings with his recent fi lm Father Stu. The movie tells the story of Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption. “Father Stu was a very special individual, and he touched a lot of people: the way he dealt with adversity, the way he transformed himself when he found his calling, how committed he was and unwavering in his service to God under the most diffi cult of circumstances. He tried to communicate the importance of having a relationship with God to people like him who were hurt and angry and upset.”
For the actor and producer, it’s a message that resonates deeply with his past, and the way he wants to reach others today. “The more people I encounter, the more people I want to pray for. We cannot turn our backs on anybody. This is about opening our hearts and our homes and everything else to love people and care for them. And when people know they’re loved and not forgotten, especially when threy're in hard times, that means a lot to them. No person is beyond redemption.”
Learn more about Mark’s fi lm Father Stu at fatherstumovie.com.
TOP AND BOTTOM: Mark as Stuart Long on the set of Father Stu, MIDDLE: Mark with Sally Hoff man, SVP Sales, HarperCollins Christian Publishing
