In a world run by free-thinking creatives and people with secular, progressive values, those who hew to more traditional, conservative Christian beliefs tend to be less visible.

But Mark Wahlberg has no problem being vocal about his Catholic faith, which must be refreshing to the approximately 61 million Catholics in America.

Striking a balance

Wahlberg spoke about the balance he has to strike between his private and professional life on the Today show on February 22, also known as Ash Wednesday to Christians.

The "Boogie Nights" actor wore an ash cross on his forehead to commemorate the holy day.

"It's a balance," the 51-year-old actor said.

"I don't want to jam it down anybody's throat, but I do not deny my faith. That's an even bigger sin.

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

"But, I have friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so it's important to respect and honour them as well."

Leading through example

He also believes in leading through his example instead of pressuring his four children to follow his faith.

"I don't force it on them," he said.

"But they know that Dad can't start the day without being in prayer, can't start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass.

"And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they'll say, ‘Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it'll work for us,' and they'll kind of gravitate towards it on their own."

Wahlberg can keep his faith strong while dealing with the pressures of Hollywood thanks to his relationship with Father Flavin, a parish priest who helped him make drastic changes in his life. Read more

• Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg, formerly known by his stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor. His work as a leading man spans the comedy, drama, and action genres.

Co-founder Alex Jones expressed his astonishment at the app's recent success. "For the first time in history, Jesus has the #1 app in the App Store.

"We're already ranking ahead of Netflix on the App Store charts and Lent hasn't even started yet" Jones said. "Glory to God."

Since its inception in 2018, Hallow has enjoyed widespread popularity within the Catholic community. However, Jones says the team is "blown away" that it reached the top spot across all apps.

"When we started Hallow, it would've been crazy for us to imagine a thousand people praying together on it, much less 1 million" Jones told FOX Business.

Catholicism censorship

Despite its success, the Super Bowl advertisement featuring actor Mark Wahlberg (pictured) faced scrutiny and censorship.

The ad was edited, possibly by Paramount/CBS, to remove depictions of Jesus and the Cross. There appeared to be three significant changes.

In the original version, Wahlberg walks into a church with a large image of Christ above an altar holding the words "I AM WHO AM"; in the broadcast version, Christ is cropped out.

Secondly, in the original, a family makes the sign of the cross at the dinner table; in the broadcast version, the sign is edited out.

And thirdly, in the original version, a person receives a cross of ashes on his forehead; in the broadcast version, the cross is washed out.

Despite the alterations, the Hallow ad resonated with viewers, prompting an influx of users seeking spiritual guidance during the Lenten season.

Sources

Fox News

Catholic Culture

CathNews New Zealand