Stuart Long

Stuart Ignatius Long (July 26, 1963 – June 9, 2014) was an American boxer and Catholic priest who developed a rare progressive muscle disorder. He was portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in the 2022 biopic Father Stu.

Early life and education

Stuart Ignatius Long was born in Seattle on July 26, 1963, to William "Bill" Long and Kathleen (Kindrick) Long. While he was a child, his parents moved back to their hometown of Helena, Montana. Long had a younger brother, Stephen, who died of meningococcus at age four, and a sister, Amy. Long graduated from Capital High School in Helena in 1981, where he played football and wrestled. Long graduated from Carroll in 1986, with a degree in English literature and writing.

Conversion and priesthood

Long experienced a religious conversion after a near-death motorcycle accident in 1992. A car struck him, and then another ran over him. He had brain swelling and was not expected to survive, but recovered.

In order to marry his Catholic girlfriend, Long agreed to getting himself baptized as a Catholic, and was baptized at the Easter Vigil in 1994. However, Long felt a call to the priesthood at this time. He decided to forgo the marriage. To test whether priesthood was indeed his true calling, Long taught for three years at Bishop Alemany High School, a Catholic school in Mission Hills, California. Following this, in 1997, Long gave away most of his possessions and began considering religious life with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York. He was sent to the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he earned a master's degree in philosophy. However, after two years, the Franciscans encouraged Long to consider diocesan priesthood, and he was accepted as a seminarian by Helena bishop Robert C. Morlino, who sent him to Mt. Angel Seminary. A friend summarized Long's remarks at his ordination as "I stand before you as a broken man. Barring a miracle, I'm going to die from this disease, but I carry it for the cross of Christ, and we can all carry our crosses."

Long died on June 9, 2014, in Helena. He was buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. After Russell dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, Rosalind Ross wrote the screenplay and then made her directorial debut with the film. Wahlberg said that "Father Stu's story is a message that we can all improve, and work towards being better people, and help where we can." Long's parents and a number of friends, neighbors, parishioners, and clergy were involved in its production. The film was theatrically released on April 13, 2022, during Holy Week, and grossed $21.6 million on a budget of $4 million.