As the Lenten season begins, Catholics around the world enter a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. Many well-known Catholic and Christian celebrities are publicly participating in Lent, using their platforms to encourage others to grow in faith. From actors to musicians, these public figures are embracing the season with intentionality and devotion.
Jonathan Roumie & Chris Pratt
Jonathan Roumie, the Catholic actor who portrays Jesus in The Chosen, and Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt, a professing Christian, joined forces on Ash Wednesday for an Instagram Live event hosted by the Catholic-based Hallow app. Pratt, who has partnered with Hallow’s Pray40 Community prayer challenge alongside Mark Wahlberg, shared his hopes for this Lenten journey.
“There are a lot of lives in need of saving,” Pratt said, according to Hallow. “I hope people turn right towards God and just feel that love and that hope and that joy that comes with God. I think God deserves everybody, no matter where you are, who you are … you’re deserving of God’s love. And I want to be part of that.”
Roumie, a regular collaborator with Hallow, is leading prayer sessions for Lent alongside Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Fr. Mike Schmitz, and Wahlberg. His work with Hallow has helped guide millions in deepening their prayer lives through narrated prayers and Scripture readings.
Mark Wahlberg
Actor Mark Wahlberg, known for his strong Catholic faith, spoke with Fox News about what Lent means to him. “It’s a reminder that I need to do more, and I need to be better,” Wahlberg explained. “There’s things that are in my life that are distracting and take me away from my focus on building my relationship and getting closer to God.”
Wahlberg also emphasized the importance of self-reflection and repentance during Lent. “I think we all have things to repent for,” he said. “Until now, just you know, being impatient with people, being short with people, not being as understanding, as thoughtful. You get caught up in all these things every day in your life. There’s only one person who was perfect that walked this Earth, and that was Jesus. And everybody else should be a little more mindful.”
Patricia Heaton
Actress Patricia Heaton took to social media to mark Ash Wednesday, responding to a question about the biblical foundation of the tradition. She shared an image explaining the scriptural basis for fasting, which included references to the Council of Nicea and Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).
David Henrie
Disney star David Henrie also shared his commitment to Lent, posting an image of the cross-shaped ashes on his forehead. “A blessed Ash Wednesday and Lent to you all. ‘..for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.’ #lent here we go,” he wrote. Henrie, a practicing Catholic, encouraged his followers to use Lent as a time of transformation, asking, “Talk to me people, what are we doing to strip away our old self and make way for the new?”
Gwen Stefani
Grammy-winning artist Gwen Stefani also joined Hallow’s Pray40 challenge. “Every year, I try to make this time more intentional, and I’m so excited to do @hallowapp’s Pray40 challenge – The Way,” Stefani shared on social media. “This challenge is all about deepening our faith and remembering what Jesus did for us.” Stefani, who was raised Catholic, praised Roumie, Pratt, and Wahlberg as “amazing people” leading the initiative and mentioned that she will be sharing her own faith story as part of the experience.
Mario Lopez
Actor and television host Mario Lopez also observed Ash Wednesday, encouraging his followers to use Lent as a time to increase good works. “Time for reflection and repentance in preparation for the celebration of Easter. So for the next 40 days … instead of giving something up for Lent, you can choose to perform an act of good,” he said in an Instagram video.
Lopez suggested that acts of kindness can be just as meaningful as traditional fasting. “Volunteer at a local charity or donate to a cause you care about. Or just make an effort to be more kind and compassionate to others,” he advised. “I always find it a little bit more impactful to do something as opposed to giving up like bread or chocolate or something like that. But you know what? You do you. God bless. Have a blessed Ash Wednesday, and stay prayed up.”
These Catholic and Christian celebrities are using their platforms to inspire others to take Lent seriously as a time of spiritual growth. Whether through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, or acts of kindness, their commitment serves as a reminder of the power of faith and the importance of preparing our hearts for Easter.
As we journey through Lent, may we be encouraged by their examples to deepen our own faith and draw closer to Christ.
