Hollywood star Chris Pratt has opened up in a remarkably candid essay about how the traumatic premature birth of his eldest son fundamentally altered his relationship with faith and God.
A Father's Desperate Prayer
In a deeply personal piece written for Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, the Guardians of the Galaxy actor traced his spiritual journey from childhood baptism through to a profound crisis of belief. Pratt explained he was baptised in a Catholic Church and held a belief in God from a young age, though his family moved between Catholic, Lutheran, and Evangelical congregations.
What remained constant, he noted, was an understanding of 'the healing power of Grace.' The actor described years of internal conflict, characterised by what he called cycles of sin, shame, and forgiveness. This pattern was irrevocably broken by a life-altering family emergency.
'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. He made a solemn vow: 'I promised that if Jack survived, I would devote my life to sharing God's message. This time I meant it.'
Jack's Fragile Start and Lasting Impact
His son, Jack, was born a staggering nine weeks prematurely in 2012. The infant spent his first month in a neonatal intensive care unit, fighting for survival. Pratt and Jack's mother, actress Anna Faris, have both spoken previously about the sheer terror of that period.
Today, Pratt writes with gratitude, 'Jack is now a healthy 13-year-old boy.' He added that not a day passes without him thanking God for Jack's life and for the lives of his other children. However, his experience has made him acutely aware of others' pain. He acknowledged the heartbreak of unanswered prayers, stating, '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.'
Faith Forged in Vulnerability
Pratt said a recent trip to Rome, where he filmed a documentary on St. Peter, prompted deeper theological reflection. Standing beneath St. Peter's Basilica and encountering ancient relics made faith feel tangible—'something I could see and touch.'
He explored the concept of faith through metaphors of light and darkness. '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.'
The actor admitted feeling tension about discussing religion publicly, noting that 'the louder I shine, the more sharply some people see their own shadows.' Despite this, he feels compelled to speak about the positive impact of his spiritual commitment.
Pratt's personal life has evolved since Jack's birth. He and Anna Faris divorced in 2018 after nearly nine years of marriage but continue to co-parent amicably. Pratt has since remarried Katherine Schwarzenegger, and they share three children. Faris married cinematographer Michael Barrett in 2021. The actor's priority, reshaped by that early crisis, remains clear: his family and the faith that sustained them.
