Mark Wahlberg lends support to Lent prayer campaign

Mark Wahlberg in the Hallow ad.

Actor Mark Wahlberg appeared in a commercial during the Super Bowl to encourage people to pray this Lent. 

The Super Bowl 2024 was the most-watched telecast of all time, pulling in an audience of over 123 million. 

Wahlberg appeared in the commercial for Hallow, a Catholic prayer app, alongside The Chosen star, Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the hit show. 

The ad extends an invitation to people to pray during the Lent season, which gets underway on Wednesday. 

"God, we take this moment just to give You thanks," says Wahlberg in the ad. 

Roumie is one of the contributors to the Hallow app, which has been downloaded around 10 million times.

Users can listen to "The Chosen's Jonathan Roumie's audio Bible" and be supported in their daily prayer life in other ways like sermons and Bible-in-a-year guides.

Wahlberg, who is a committed Catholic, has also contributed a series of lessons on the topic of fasting to the app. 

He has often been seen at the start of Lent with an ash cross on his forehead and previously played the role of a Catholic priest alongside Mel Gibson in the faith-based movie, Father Stu.

Appearing on the Today Show last year, he admitted it was challenging being a Catholic in Hollywood.

"It's not popular in my industry, but you know, I cannot deny my faith," he said. "It's important for me to share that with people."

He also said it was about striking a balance between sharing his faith and respecting others.

"I have always talked about my faith," he said.

"It's a balance. I don't wanna jam it down anybody's throat, but I do not deny my faith."

News
Conservatives urge incoming Archbishop to drop £100m slavery reparations
Conservatives urge incoming Archbishop to drop £100m slavery reparations

Should church funds be used for slavery reparations? A group of Conservative MPs and peers think not.

What if the Good Shepherd is closer than you think?
What if the Good Shepherd is closer than you think?

Pastoral care is not a task reserved for a handful of gifted individuals; it is the life of Christ, quietly at work inside ordinary believers.

Anglican Mainstream sees monthly growth despite web hosting suspension
Anglican Mainstream sees monthly growth despite web hosting suspension

Conservative Christian website, Anglican Mainstream, was surprised to see visitor numbers rise after being forced to relocate its website hosting after GoDaddy closed its account.

Missionary turned soldier in Ukraine balances faith with harsh frontline realities
Missionary turned soldier in Ukraine balances faith with harsh frontline realities

A former missionary who is now serving as a soldier in the Ukrainian army has spoken about the realities of faith for a man tasked with killing in defence of his country.