Chris Pratt has shared an intimate reflection on faith, fatherhood and survival as he reflected on how his eldest son Jack’s fragile start in life fundamentally reshaped his spiritual commitment.
In a deeply personal essay for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, the actor traced the roots of his faith back to childhood.
‘I was baptized in a Catholic Church and have believed in God since childhood,’ he began, before explaining that while he moved between Catholic, Lutheran and Evangelical churches growing up, what stayed constant was ‘the healing power of Grace.’
The actor described a long internal struggle marked by ‘cycles of sin and forgiveness; a pattern of rebellion, shame and grace on repeat,’ before a life-altering moment brought him back to prayer.
‘Then, when my son Jack was fighting for his life, I found myself back on my knees, pleading to God for a miracle,’ Pratt wrote. ‘I promised that if Jack survived, I would devote my life to sharing God’s message. This time I meant it.’
Jack was born nine weeks prematurely in 2012 and spent a month in intensive care.
Chris Pratt has shared an intimate reflection on faith, fatherhood and survival as he reflected on how his son Jack’s fragile start in life fundamentally reshaped his spiritual commitment; seen in 2018
Today, Pratt wrote, ‘Jack is now a healthy 13-year-old boy. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for his life, and for the lives of my other children.’
At the same time, he acknowledged the pain of unanswered prayers, adding, ‘I know there are countless parents who pray those same prayers and don’t receive the answer I did. My heart is with them always.’
Pratt said his recent travels to Rome, where he filmed a documentary on St. Peter, prompted deeper reflection on belief.
‘It was a profound experience to stand deep beneath the basilica… encountering the 2000-year-old bones of Jesus’ disciple,’ he wrote, describing faith as something ‘I could see and touch.’
From there, Pratt explored how faith intersects with vulnerability, writing about light and darkness as metaphors for spiritual struggle.
‘Darkness is not a presence. Darkness is simply the absence of light,’ he wrote, later adding, ‘Faith doesn’t eliminate shadows. Faith places them where they belong – behind us.’
He acknowledged the tension he feels discussing religion publicly, noting, ‘The louder I shine, the more sharply some people see their own shadows—and instead of turning, they recoil.’
Still, Pratt said he feels compelled to speak about what faith has brought into his life whenever possible.
In a deeply personal essay for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, the actor detailed how a life-altering moment brought him back to prayer (seen in 2023)
‘Then, when my son Jack was fighting for his life, I found myself back on my knees, pleading to God for a miracle,’ Pratt wrote. ‘I promised that if Jack survived, I would devote my life to sharing God’s message’
The actor has spoken before about how Jack’s birth reshaped his priorities.
In a 2014 interview with People, he said, ‘It brought me closer to my family and it restored my faith in God… it really redefined it.’
He added at the time, ‘[At first] our number one priority was attempting to conquer this town as actors… Now with a kid, our priority list has shifted, and he’s at the top of it.’
Jack’s mother, Pratt’s ex-wife Anna Faris, has also spoken publicly about the fear surrounding the premature birth.
Jack was born nine weeks prematurely in 2012 and spent a month in intensive care (seen in 2017)
In a 2015 interview, she recalled, ‘Chris and I were so scared, but then Jack came out, even though he was so tiny, he looked so good to us.’
In August, Pratt marked Jack’s 13th birthday with a heartfelt message, writing, ‘I’ve watched you grow into such an incredible young man, and am truly proud of the person you are becoming. I love you! Jesus is King!’
Pratt and Faris, who divorced in 2018 after nearly nine years of marriage, continue to amicably co-parent their son.
The actor has since remarried Katherine Schwarzenegger, with whom he shares daughters Lyla and Eloise and son Ford.
Meanwhile Faris tied the knot with cinematographer Michael Barrett in 2021.
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