Why the Fr. Stu Movie Is Inspiring Priestly Vocations

Kevin J. Banet | 01/31/2023

By Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M.

It’s been said that the popular movie Fr. Stu is inspiring vocations to the priesthood.

This sometimes controversial movie starring actor Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson is a classic tale, based on a true story of a bad boy with a checkered past who finds his life turned upside down by the grace of God and a call to the priesthood. A modern-day St. Paul conversion.

Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg plays Stuart Long, a foul-mouthed amateur boxer with aspirations to become an actor. He meets a turning point when he is in a terrible motorcycle accident. After a miraculous recovery he is told, “I think God saw something in you worth saving. It’s up to you to decide what you have to offer.”

The movie climbed to #1 in several days on Netflix on its digital release,

Big-Screen Presence

If you are a committed Catholic, you must make a decision in this life of discovering and choosing what vocation you will pursue.

Why has this movie been said to inspire men to pursue a vocation to the priesthood?

Is it the Hollywood high-production value? Is it the big screen presence of the likes of Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson (famous for his Passion of the Christ film)? Is it the moving story of a real-life priest with a profound conversion experience and his journey of carrying the suffering of an aggressive and debilitating muscle disorder? Perhaps it is all of these.

When the faith enters popular culture, it facilitates a big impact. Ultimately, the power and purpose of God behind His plan for the faith and the priesthood is unstoppable.

The film became a personal project of Mark Wahlberg’s after a priest-friend shared the story of Fr. Stu with him. However, his acting in the film itself also inspired him to make a greater commitment to his Catholic faith.

You can be sure that Hollywood cares more about making money than making priests. But with prayer and persistence, even the film industry can become a means of grace.

To Be a Priest Is to Be Christ

There are many priests who have lived unassuming and hidden lives who have nevertheless impacted countless lives of the people they served. And occasionally there are remarkable stories like Fr. Stu’s that show how the grace of God allows us to not shrug away from the gritty and unsightly aspects of life. As a quote from the movie says, “We shouldn’t pray for an easy life, but for the strength to endure a difficult one.”

Priests are called to be in persona Christi, to act in the person of Christ. This is a profound calling. Fr. Stu’s bishop decided to ordain him not in spite of his disease, but because of it. He believed it would deepen the reflection and reality of Christ as the suffering servant.

So, box office value aside, this story is inspiring because it is about a real man who responded to a real God to become like His Son as an ordained priest. This film is inspiring because the priesthood is inspiring, because the faith is inspiring.

Note: The movie has received some criticism because of its R-rating due to foul language. As a result, a PG-13 version of the film called Father Stu: Reborn was released to theaters in December 2022.

Is God Calling You?

Recall God’s voice in the movie, “I think God saw something in you worth saving. It’s up to you to decide what you have to offer.”

Does that ring true to you in some way?

If you think God might be calling you to be a priest - or a priest or brother in a religious community, you would be embarking upon an awe-filled journey. It would be one that holds great weight and responsibility.

If you take that step, be prepared to help people embrace suffering, to embrace suffering yourself. Be prepared to be the conduit of God in the lives of everyone you encounter.

The friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mary typically have not led exceptional or sensational lives as did Fr. Stu. But our priests and brothers serve God by humbly offering Christ’s Gospel to others in the spirit of his redemptive love.

Have you thought that God may be calling you to become a Mercedarian friar?

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, also known as the Order of Mercy, was founded in 1218 in Spain. We have friars who are priests and brothers.

In the United States, Mercedarian friars serve in parishes, prisons, hospitals, schools and other institutions in Ohio, Pennsylvania New York, and Florida. As part of our charism of redemptive love, we have a sincere devotion to Mary and to the Eucharist.

Single Catholic men age 18 – 40 who think they may have a Mercedarian vocation are invited to visit the website of the Mercedarian Friars USA. Contact me, Fr. Daniel Bowen, vocation director, at vocations@orderofmercy.org.

Why not test your call to the Mercedarian Friars and get your score?