The Real Father Stu: His Close Friend and Fellow Priest Talks About the Film and the Purpose of Suffering

The new movie Father Stu tells the real-life story of Catholic priest Father Stuart Long. Mark Wahlberg stars as the main character, and Mel Gibson plays the role of Fr. Stu’s dad. It’s hard to encapsulate an entire life into a two-hour movie, but according to Fr. Bart Tolleson, a personal friend of Fr. Stu, the movie does an admirable job, although not perfect. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Fr. Bart, who consulted on the film, talks about the real Fr. Stu. His early life struggles, his searching for meaning, his rejection of faith, and then his passionate embrace of it despite the debilitating illness that would claim his life. In fact, it was through his pain and suffering that Fr. Stu’s faith became even more real. And his life is a modern-day example of why Easter is the cornerstone of Christianity, that there is purpose and power in suffering.