You’ve seen him in the Transformers, the Planet of the Apes, Ted, and many comedies, action, and dramatic movies, Mark Wahlberg is undeniably one of the most famous actors today. But aside from his successful career, let’s find out what else he is known for. Moreover, since we’re all about religion here at WalkingCrossroads, let’s also find out Wahlberg’s religion and whether or not he’s a Catholic. 

Mark Wahlberg is a practicing Catholic. He starts his day praying, reads Scripture, and goes to mass. In an interview with Today in 2023, he spoke about his faith and relationship with God. He was also a guest narrator and spokesperson for Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation application. 

That said, Wahlberg’s religion plays a huge part in his life. Continue reading to find out more about his life, accomplishments, and faith. 

Who Is Mark Wahlberg?

Mark Wahlberg is an American actor who has led an incredibly successful film career spanning from the 90s to this day. Throughout numerous projects, he earned countless nominations, including both in the Oscars and Golden Globes. 

Aside from that, Wahlberg is quite a businessman. He is a producer, owner of a car dealership, founder of a nutrition company, and a stake owner of F45. He also has his own clothing line, “Municipal”, and is a co-owner of “Wahlburgers”, a burger chain. 

Now, before that, he gained fame as a singer and member of the group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Due to his good looks and physique, which were highlighted through the band’s performances and videos, Calvin Klein took him on as an underwear model. This brought him more admiration and fame than his music career. 

Going back further, Wahlberg was a troubled teenager. He engaged in violence, drug dealing, stealing, and drug use. He was then convicted of assault and received a 2-year prison sentence at the age of 16, of which he served only 45 days before getting released. 

Mark Wahlberg’s Dark Past

Since we’re already on the topic, let’s delve deeper into Mark Wahlberg’s troubled past. It all seems to have started when his parents divorced when he was 11. Soon after, he began to hang around with the “tough crowd” and do drugs. By 13, he has already developed a cocaine habit while abusing other substances. 

When he was 15, he and his friends harassed and threatened a 12-year-old kid. While this brought him to court, he still didn’t change his acts. Instead, just less than two years later, he assaulted two Vietnamese men, which eventually led to his prison sentence. 

After spending time in jail, Wahlberg turned his life around and pursued a career in music and modeling. But even as his career started to take off, he didn’t change much in terms of his words and actions. In an unprovoked attack in 1992, he was accused of breaking a man’s jaw. Around the same time, he showed support for Shabba Ranks who announced on a British talk show that gays should be crucified. 

The next year, Mark Wahlberg called one member of Madonna’s entourage a “homo” and punched another in the face. In 2007, he said that he didn’t want to take part in the movie “Brokeback Mountain” because it creeped him out. 

Safe to say that Mark Wahlberg had a very dark past, so it isn’t surprising why he requested to be pardoned for everything he has done. This caused a major controversy, which caused him to abandon his quest for even trying to have his records clean. 

What Is Mark Wahlberg’s Religion? 

Mark Wahlberg is a devout Catholic. In an interview with the Catholic Herald in 2010, Wahlberg says that “being a Catholic is the most important aspect” of his life. His parents were also Catholic but were not as devoutly so. 

Walhberg has always been fine sharing his faith with everyone. In his interview with Today, he shared that he doesn’t want to “jam it down anybody’s throat” but insists that he does not deny his faith since that’s an even bigger sin. 

He also has the same approach with his children, saying that he doesn’t “force it on them.” But he says that all four of his children know that he “can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading Scripture or going to Mass.” Aside from that, he proudly takes part in Catholic holy days, including Lent. 

Wahlberg’s short stint in prison seemed to have started his journey towards the faith. Rather than continue down a life of crime, he chose to seek the guidance of the church and turn his life around. During this time, he regretted his decisions and started praying to God. Once he got out, he went to a parish priest, left his gang, and cleaned up his life. 

What Has Mark Wahlberg Done for the Catholic Church?

As mentioned above, Mark Wahlberg partnered with Hallow, the most downloaded app in the world for Catholics. He lends his voice to provide the faithful with exclusive content about prayer, meditation, and Catholic holy days. Thus, helping others find peace and become more connected to their spirituality.

The app caught the interest of not only Christians but other people from different religions as well, including Jews and even those who don’t believe in God. 

Aside from participating in an app for Catholics, Wahlberg also produced and acted in “Father Stu”. It’s a movie about Father Stuart Long, a Montana priest who went from being a boxer to an actor before eventually answering God’s call for the priesthood. 

Wahlberg’s portrayal was well-received by many. Aside from helping people know about such an inspiring individual, he also gave others a glimpse of what the priesthood and the Catholic Church really looked like. 

So now and then, Mark Wahlberg’s religion and faith have found their way into his works. This, along with his being outspoken about being a Catholic, inspires many to also stand for what they believe in.