Catholic priest had no money to feed abandoned children — so he created a secret identity for 23 years to feed 2,000 orphans
A Catholic priest in Mexico wanted to feed the abandoned children in his care, but had no money. To fund his dream, he secretly became a lucha libre wrestler, hiding his identity behind a mask and using his match winnings to support nearly 2,000 orphans. Years later, his extraordinary double life inspired the hit film "Nacho Libre," starring Jack Black and introducing the world to the real-life story of priest-turned-wrestler Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, known as Fray Tormenta, or Friar Storm, per My Modern Met.
Born in the small town of San Agustín Metzquititlán, Benítez had a rough childhood. In his early life, he struggled with drug use and fell into petty crimes. "By the time I turned 18, I had already become a criminal and a thief. I was working to sustain my dosage. I did everything, I even worked as an actor and clown in a circus, but I spent everything on my doses and I needed more, so I started stealing," he recalled to the outlet. As he searched for redemption, he stumbled into a church and decided to confess his sins. However, instead of offering help, the priest shooed him off. Disappointed by the reaction, Benítez chose to enter rehab and then a seminary to become the kind of priest he wished he had found in his darkest moments. His studies gave him opportunities to travel to Rome and Spain, and he returned to Mexico as a priest devoted to helping others.
According to a 2018 report published in Salud Mental, data from the National Survey on Drug Consumption 2016 to 2017 showed an increase in alcohol consumption among people aged 12 to 65 across Mexico. The highest levels of binge drinking were found in Nuevo León, Jalisco, and Coahuila. The findings showed that binge drinking in the past month rose from 12.3 percent in 2011 to 19.8 percent in 2016, while daily and weekly binge drinking also increased. This is one of the primary reasons why Benítez swore to help people dealing with addiction problems.
After returning, he found that many young kids struggled with addiction. After a man died in his arms, he swore to help the destitute, which led him to open his orphanage in 1976. However, he soon realized that managing the orphanage took more money than intended. That's when El Señor Tormenta struck him, where a priest turns into a wrestler to support his orphanage. To get into the ring, he trained every day at the gym for four hours and finished in time before his 7 AM mass. In his debut round, he earned $15. Inspired by the movie, he chose his ring name, Fray Tormenta. To safeguard his identity as a priest, he wore a red and gold mask and traveled from town to town.
However, his double life was eventually revealed after a fellow wrestler mentioned to others that he was indeed a priest when Benítez lost a wager. Surprisingly, rather than garnering criticism, the revelation heightened his popularity and allowed him to reach even larger audiences. Despite only wanting to wrestle for a couple of years, he ended up spending 23 years in the ring and retired in 2000. During the rough COVID era, he sold some of his masks to raise money for the kids in his orphanage. Gutiérrez is proud of his orphanage, La Casa Hogar de los Cachorros de Fray Tormenta, and his story continues to inspire people across the world.
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