Fr Stan Fortuna, C.F.R. (born June 9, 1957) is a Catholic priest notable for his evangelical musical contributions of various genres, primarily Catholic-based jazz and hip hop.
He is an United States citizen of Italian and Greek heritage. His lifelong interest in music began in the second grade when he received an electric guitar for Christmas.[1] He spent his formative years playing improvisational sessions in and around New York City. Father Stan studied, at one point, with the legendary jazz musician, Lennie Tristano,[2] and was an accomplished, professional bass player before becoming a priest.
He is one of the eight original members of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a Franciscan order established by Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor in 1987. Father Stan was ordained as a priest in the Bronx in 1990.[1]
Father Fortuna established the non-profit Francesco Productions in 1987 as a means to record and distribute evangelical music, video productions and books as well as handle his speaking and concert engagements; all proceeds benefit the Community's work with the poor of the South Bronx where he lives. Recently, Francesco International Love Outreach, was started to assist in working with the poverty-stricken outside of the US, including the underprivileged in Uganda and Poland.
An international speaker, Father Fortuna has been a featured presenter at numerous Franciscan youth conferences like Steubenville and has numerous appearances to his credit on the EWTN program, Life on the Rock. He frequently performs and lectures in the USA and countries in Europe and Africa. His work and music have garnered articles in a number of publications including the US hip hop magazine XXL and in the New York Press; he has also appeared on Entertainment Tonight Canada and MuchMusic's "Popoganda".
Father Fortuna has released over 18 CDs in a variety of musical genres. His latest rap CD is Sacro Song 3: The Completion of the Trilogy, and "Seraphic Wanderer", containing a variety of musical styles and released in 2010, is dedicated to his mother. He has also released a jazz CD through Universal Music with his trio, Scola Tristano. He has written three books U Got 2 Believe, U Got 2 Pray and U Got 2 Love - all published by OSV.
A documentary on his life and work entitled Sent has been produced. His third inspirational book U Got 2 Love was recently released in December 2009.
Among his most memorable songs are Everybody Got 2 Suffer and Cell 91 from the album Sacro Song II.
Father Fortuna spends most of his time preaching and doing concerts in the United States, Canada, Africa and Europe. During 2008 he performed at World Youth Day, Australia, participated in an international conference at the Divine Retreat Center in India and was keynote speaker at the Diocesan Youth Conference in Victoria, British Columbia.