Welcome to an exciting way to celebrate the Jubilee Year, 'Pilgrims of Hope'! Pilgrim Center of Hope invites you to participate in this its only annual fundraiser luncheon, supporting its vital mission of hope that has supported our community's parishes, families & neighborhoods for 32 years.
Ways to Participate
Event Details
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Hilton San Antonio Hill Country Hotel
9800 Westover Hills Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78251
Free parking available at the hotel
Event Experience
Keynote Speaker
As a seminarian, Father Bart Tolleson met Father Stuart Long (known as "Father Stu") whose larger-than-life story inspired the film Father Stu, starring Mark Wahlberg. Tolleson and Long's friendship would bless and inspire them both throughout their priesthood, and beyond. Father Stu passed away of a terminal illness in 2014.
Fr. Tolleson is the author of, That Was Father Stu: A Memoir of My Priestly Brother and Friend, published by Ignatius Press.
- He will be available for Meet & Greet and Book Signing during our Rejoice In Hope Social Hour.
Father Bart Tolleson holds a Ph.D. in Communication from Regent University in Virginia, where he entered the Catholic Church in 1994. He also received an M.Div. at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Alongside Father Stu, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 2007.
Father Bart is a parish priest for the Diocese of Helena in Montana, as well as the Director of Permanent Deacons, Deacon Formation, and ongoing Clergy Formation with the Diocese of Helena.
Who Was Father Stu?
An avid athlete, Stuart Long played football for Carroll College (although he was not a Catholic at the time). He later pursued boxing, winning the Montana Golden Gloves championship. While pursuing an acting career in Hollywood, Stu earned a paycheck at a local nightclub.
He eventually traded in the nightlife to work for Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, riding his motorcycle to and from the museum.
“One day, I was riding home after work, and I got hit by a car, and I smashed into a car in the next lane with my head,” Father Stu said in a 2010 interview. “The witnesses told the sheriffs and reporters that I was rolling down the road and another car ran over the top of me. And here I am.”
The accident proved pivotal in Father Stu’s conversion, leading him to have a “religious experience” in the hospital. He became a Catholic and discerned a call to the priesthood.
During a hip surgery in his seminary days, a fist-size tumor was discovered. He was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition in the muscles for which there is no cure. Still, he was ordained to the priesthood in 2007, and served as a priest for seven years until his death in 2014. He continues to be a role model of hope.
Event Schedule
| AM | 10:00 | Social Hour Begins |
| Silent Auction Open | ||
| Raffle Ticket Sales | ||
| Book Signing, Meet & Greet | ||
| Cash Bar Available | ||
| 11:00 | Luncheon Program Begins | |
| Keynote by Fr. Bart Tolleson | ||
| 11:45 | Auction Closes | |
| Missionary of Hope Award Presentation | ||
| Be Inspired to Become A Missionary of Hope | ||
| PM | 12:55 | Door Prizes & Raffle Drawings |
| 1:00 | Program Concludes |
Don't Miss This Inspiring Event!
Honorees: Missionary of Hope Award
Dr. Carmelito (Sonny) and Judith (Judy) Arkangel
2024 Recipients: Dr. Mitchell & Christine Finnie, 2023 Recipients: Raymond & Mary Baird, 2022 Recipients: David & Janet Pollock, 2021 Recipients: Dennis & Joyce Ullrich
Sponsor Hope
We need you! Rejoice In Hope is our only annual event to fund our work. We invite you to consider one of the five levels of sponsorship to reach our goal of $150,000.
