Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg has sent a message of prayer and goodwill from Sydney’s mother church to his 30 million Instagram followers around the world.
Wishing his fans a “Happy Sunday” and to “stay prayed up”, one of the world’s most famous Catholics stopped by St Mary’s Cathedral and offered a message of faith days after arriving in Sydney on Friday, 23 February to film a yet-undisclosed movie, reportedly on the Gold Coast.
In the video, the Oscar-nominated actor is seen in the forecourt of the cathedral delivering his message and making the sign of the cross.
Within hours it had attracted more than 300,000 likes from his Instagram followers, many expressing their admiration for his faith-driven message.
“Great to see Mark Wahlberg visiting St Mary’s Cathedral while here in Sydney,” wrote one follower. “Thank you for this, I really love how you love the Catholic religion,” wrote another.
“Standing up for us all,” accompanied with an applause emoji, was another reply.
Others were curious about the location.
“What a beautiful church, anyone know the name?” asked one follower.
“St Mary’s, Sydney’s cathedral”, answered another, garnering multiple love heart emojis in reply.
The Oscar-nominated actor has long championed his Catholic beliefs, something he describes as “the most important part” of his life.
Just over three years ago, Wahlberg helped The Catholic Weekly reach a global audience by sharing its interview with his brother James, about his conversion story, to his socials.
But Wahlberg has also claimed his faith has made him a Hollywood outsider.
“It’s not popular in my industry, but I cannot deny my faith. That’s an even bigger sin,” he said in an interview last year.
In 2022 Wahlberg’s starred in and produced Father Stu, a story about Stuart Long, a ‘bad-boy’ boxer turned Catholic priest.
That year, an initiative by Sydney Catholic Schools Family Educators saw the film play to sold-out audience in cinemas.
Last month Walhberg’s faith and fame helped the Catholic meditation app, ‘Hallow’, soar to the top of the Apple App store rankings after he starred in a Superbowl ad inviting believers to pray with him during Lent.
Together with actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrayed Jesus Christ in The Chosen, he appeared on TV across the United States with an ashen cross on his forehead, promoting the app and, more importantly, the value of fasting and prayer during Lent.