MARK Wahlberg, a devout Catholic, tries to hear Mass every day. RUBEN NEPALES
Merry Christmas, dear readers (it’s Christmas Day in my corner of the world)! May this season’s spirit of giving inspire us all to help, in whatever way we can, in the relief drive for Tropical Storm “Sendong” victims.
Mark Wahlberg embodies the Yuletide spirit of generosity and sharing. Every Christmas, he does something for the inner city kids in his native Boston. “Last year, gave away over 300 Xboxes to kids,” the actor said. “This year, we’re giving games and clothes. We teamed up with an organization that is not only sending all the clothes that they haven’t been able to sell, but also taking—individually—the sizes of these kids from the Boys Club and other community groups. We’ve been doing this for seven or eight years now. My mom, brothers and sisters take part.”
The actor does his philanthropic work with inner city and at-risk youth through the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. “In the last couple of years, we’ve partnered with Taco Bell,” he said. “They have Graduate To Go program, which encourages kids to finish high school. They’re creating other programs, too. The coolest thing is, we just opened these Graduate To Go studios. Our plan is to have one at every Boys Club across the country.”
The foundation’s LA facility has recording, TV, film and animation studios “to train the kids in the field that they’re gravitating toward. We also opened one in Boston. We have mentors who teach and train the kids. We hope to open one in Toronto, partner with a college there and train the kids on the job.”
Mark’s dramatic turnaround from a troubled youth who spent nearly two months in jail for various assault and theft charges is an inspiring story in itself. He is grateful to folks who helped him turn a new leaf and who continue to guide wayward youths. “I look up to the guys whom I thought weren’t cool when I was a kid,” he said. “There’s Mike Joyce who worked at the Boys Club for 30 years and has dedicated his entire life to helping kids.”
He cited another important figure in his life: “Father Flavin has been an inspiration to so many. He helped kids turn their lives around. When you’re in jail, all the guys who you thought were your friends never come to see you, or take a collect call from you. But Father Flavin, who doesn’t make any money, will take the train and spend five hours to come and visit you. He will write you letters and also letters of recommendation to the parole board. These folks will do whatever they can to help you.”
Special occasion
Mark said his brother Jimmy, “who has been sober for twentysomething years, runs my foundation. He has dedicated his life to it. He had a troubled past, too. People who actually help kids do the right thing are the ones I look up to.”
As for celebrating Christmas with his family—wife Rhea, children Ella Rae, 8; Michael Robert, 5; Brendan Joseph, 3; and Grace Margaret, who turns 1 next month—Mark smiled and said: “My house basically looks like FAO Schwarz with all the toys. It’s a special occasion, a big deal especially for my wife. We got a cat for [Ella Rae] on her birthday. My wife and kids have been asking for a dog and I’ve been saying no. I think I’m going to surprise them.”
Christmas will be spent at the Wahlberg home in LA, not Boston, said the actor, who stars in “Contraband,” an action drama about international smuggling, with Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster and Diego Luna.
“It’s hard traveling with the kids,” he explained. “They were in Boston for a couple of weeks for the last movie I did there, ‘Ted,’ so they got to hang out with their cousins.”
Filipino connection
When talk turned to how Mark, a devout Catholic, prays in his hotel room or trailer when he is on location and couldn’t go to Mass, he brought up a surprising instance of my so-called “Filipino connection.” He takes a prayer book from the Philippines wherever he goes! “It’s a gift from a friend at my kids’ school,” he said. “It’s a Filipino prayer book written by a Filipino priest. It has daily readings, his homilies and suggestions on what you should try to do each day… it’s good.
“I said to my friend, ‘It’s only good for a year. I need a couple more for next year.’ My wife is always trying to take mine. My friend is going to the Philippines before Christmas. The book goes up to December 31 and that’s it.” Smiling, he added, “If I don’t get one for 2012, I have to read the old one again.”
Mark tries to go to Mass every day. “In a perfect world, I could,” he said. “If I can’t, I have my prayer book—I pray in my hotel room or in my trailer.”
E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.