Actor Mark Wahlberg joined Cardinal Blase Cupich to speak before an audience of about 1,000 young people at Chicago’s UIC Pavillion several years ago. He revealed that he’s prayed to God for forgiveness for the “poor choices” of his past – including his role in the 1997 film “Boogie Nights.”
Ready for #reENCOUNTERChicago? @CardinalBCupich and @mark_wahlberg are getting ready for our news conference and evening event. pic.twitter.com/9WFVWKxVv4
— Archdiocese Chicago (@archchicago) October 20, 2017
“I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past,” Wahlberg said, adding that, “‘Boogie Nights’ is up there at the top of the list.” Wahlberg plays porn star Dirk Diggler in the Academy Award-nominated film.
Wahlberg’s Faith Helped Him
A native of Boston, Wahlberg is a devout Roman Catholic – and he’s never shied away from sharing how his faith has helped him come to terms with his pre-Hollywood life:
“I’ve never been shy about sharing my past and the bad decisions I’ve made and being affiliated with gangs, being incarcerated, so absolutely I think they can identify with me on a personal level, and that’s why I’ve continued to try to do as much as I can to help young people,” he said.
“It’s one thing to give money, or to start programs, but to be there and be able to talk to them, and tell them there is someone who has been through the same things they are going through and was able to turn their life around, and turn it into a big positive, that’s always important,” he said.
This is far from the first time Wahlberg has spoken out about his faith. In 2016 he said, “My Catholic faith is the anchor that supports everything I do in life. In my daily prayers, I ask for guidance, strength in my vocation as a husband and as a father.”
Going to Confession
He also promoted vocations to the priesthood. “I want my children and future generations to have good priests in their lives, just like I had.”
“My sins have been forgiven when I go to confession to a priest. Every time I go to Mass, it’s through a priest’s hands that I receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, which strengthens me to share my Catholic faith with others.”
Hollywood is full of faithless Hollywood liberals, but Mark Wahlberg isn’t one of them.
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