James Wahlberg at men's conference: ‘Nothing’s too big for God’

By BILL DOYLE | CFP CORRESPONDENT

WORCESTER – When planning committee member Todd Javis introduced film producer and screenwriter James Wahlberg, the last of the speakers at the 23rd annual Worcester Catholic Men’s Conference on Saturday, he said that the entire conference planning committee wasn’t sure if Mr. Wahlberg would come to Worcester from his home in Florida, but he was glad he did.
Mr. Wahlberg stepped onto the stage and wondered why anyone would question if he would travel to Worcester. He said he had in fact once lived in the city.

Mr. Wahlberg, 58, grew up in Dorchester and he spent part of his troubled youth in Worcester as a ward of the state, first in a Department of Youth Services foster home and later in a DYS Short Term Treatment Facility on Belmont Street.

He drank alcohol for the first time at age 8 and began drinking regularly at age 10. By age 12, he had been arrested and run away from home. That summer, he was homeless, spending nights with friends or sleeping outside, and alcohol and drugs became part of his daily regimen.

“I was a complete train wreck,” he told more than 800 men who attended the men’s conference at the DCU Center.

That’s when he was sent to a lock-down treatment center in Worcester. The average stay is about 30 days. He remained for 62.

Prior to his speech about overcoming his troubled youth and finding Jesus, he signed copies of his book, The Big Hustle: A Boston Street Kid’s Story of Addiction and Redemption.

Ed Burke, a parishioner at Christ the King Parish, told Mr. Wahlberg that his wife, Suzanne, had helped take care of him as a DYS clinician in Worcester. He didn’t remember Suzanne, but he autographed a book for her and wrote, “Thanks for caring. God bless.”

At 17, Mr. Wahlberg was arrested for armed robbery and served his maximum sentence of five years. He was locked up for 23 hours a day and his sentence was not shortened by good behavior.

Wahlberg quickly returned to alcohol and drugs, and six months after being released from prison he was sent back after breaking and entering the home of a Boston police officer. Before he left the home, he drank some beer out of the refrigerator and fell asleep. The police officer returned home to find him, beat him up and arrested him. The officer did request granting him a lesser sentence, however, and Mr. Wahlberg was sentenced to six to nine years.
At MCI Concord, the prison chaplain, Father Jim Fratus, reached out to him to help clean the prison chapel. Mr. Wahlberg planned to hustle the priest out of phone privileges and cigarettes. Instead, Father Fratus hustled him – toward a life of faith.

Mr. Wahlberg’s faith soared when he heard Mother Teresa speak at the prison. He made his confirmation in prison and in 2022 he made a movie about her, Mother Teresa, No Greater Love.

Mr. Wahlberg has put his ugly past behind him and he’s been sober and drug-free for many years, but he admitted it took him a while to fully embrace his Catholic religion. He used to drive his wife, Bennie, and their three children to Mass and then go home. He said he thought God was mad at him, so he didn’t feel right about going to church. Bennie went on spiritual retreats, but he refused. Finally, his 12-year-old daughter urged him to go on a retreat because she wanted him to be happy. He knew he wasn’t happy, but he thought he had fooled his family into believing that he was. So, he went on a retreat and he embraced God.

“Christ got his arms around me again,” he said. “I felt his presence.”
Mr. Wahlberg is the brother of actors Mark and Donnie Wahlberg and he is the executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Foundation, which improves the quality of life for inner-city children. He tells his inspiring story of overcoming all odds as often as he can.

“My goal is to reinforce that we don’t need to lose hope,” Mr. Wahlberg told The Catholic Free Press after his speech on Saturday. “Nothing’s too big for God and no matter what the mess of our lives, we can heal through Jesus.”