Stuart Long
A Montana-born brawler who traded boxing gloves for priestly vestments, finding his true calling after a life-altering motorcycle crash.
1963–2014 (age 51)·American boxer and Catholic priest·Birthday: July 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Stuart Long's life reads like a screenplay of radical transformation. He grew up in Helena, Montana, a talented athlete who channeled his toughness into amateur boxing, winning the Montana Golden Gloves heavyweight title. A motorcycle accident in his twenties shattered his body and derailed his athletic dreams, but it also sparked a profound spiritual search. After a period of drifting, including a brief, unlikely stint as an actor in Los Angeles, he experienced a powerful conversion to Catholicism. Defying the physical limitations of a diagnosed progressive muscle disorder, he entered seminary. His path to the priesthood was marked by immense physical suffering, but also by a rugged, no-nonsense charisma that resonated deeply with fellow parishioners in Montana. Ordained in 2007, Father Stu became known for his direct, often humorous style, ministering from a wheelchair with a spirit forged in the ring and on the road.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Stuart was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Stuart Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Stuart's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2014Died at 51
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Won the Montana Golden Gloves heavyweight boxing championship as an amateur.
- Was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Helena in 2007 despite a debilitating muscle disorder.
- His extraordinary life story was the subject of the 2022 major motion picture 'Father Stu,' starring Mark Wahlberg.
- Served as a parish priest in three Montana communities, gaining a reputation for his relatable, tough-love approach.
Did You Know?
His confirmation saint was Ignatius of Loyola, a former soldier, which inspired his own middle name, Ignatius.
Before his conversion, he worked as a bouncer and sold insurance.
He was a fan of country music and classic rock, and his funeral included songs by Johnny Cash.
Mark Wahlberg, who portrayed him, was personally committed to getting the film made for years.
“I found my fight in the ring, and my peace at the altar.”
