Takeaways
- Chris Pratt says watching his son Jack “fight for his life” pushed him to recommit to God.
- He shared the story in a personal essay, reflecting on grace, prayer, and fatherhood.
- Jack was born prematurely in 2012 and spent a month in intensive care; Pratt says he’s now a healthy 13-year-old.
- Pratt also acknowledged parents whose prayers don’t get the outcome he did.
Chris Pratt opens up about faith, fatherhood, and survival
Chris Pratt is sharing one of the most defining moments of his life: watching his son, Jack, face a fragile start that changed how Pratt approaches faith, family, and purpose.
In a deeply personal essay, Pratt traced his belief back to childhood. He says he was baptized Catholic and grew up attending different churches, but one idea stayed consistent for him: the “healing power of Grace.”
He also admitted he didn’t always feel spiritually steady, describing a long internal cycle of mistakes, regret, forgiveness, and trying again.
The moment that brought him back to prayer
Pratt said everything shifted when Jack was born early and needed intensive medical care.
He described feeling powerless and terrified—then finding himself praying with a new urgency.
In his words, he returned “back on my knees,” asking God for a miracle. He says he made a promise that if Jack survived, he would devote his life to sharing God’s message—and this time, he meant it.
Jack was born nine weeks prematurely in 2012 and spent a month in intensive care.
Today, Pratt says Jack is a healthy 13-year-old, and he’s grateful every day—not just for Jack, but for all of his children.
A compassionate message for families who don’t get the answer they hope for
Pratt didn’t frame his story as a perfect, simple ending.
He acknowledged something many people avoid saying out loud: there are parents who pray just as hard and still experience heartbreaking loss.
He wrote that his heart is with them always—an important moment of empathy that keeps the story from sounding like a victory speech.
Why NICU stories resonate with so many families
Even when you’re not living it firsthand, NICU life is a reality for many families:
- Long nights and constant monitoring
- Medical uncertainty from hour to hour
- Emotional exhaustion mixed with hope
- The feeling of being grateful and terrified at the same time
That’s why stories like Pratt’s connect. It’s not only celebrity news—it’s the emotional truth of a situation many parents recognize.
Rome, St. Peter, and a deeper reflection on belief
Pratt also shared that recent travel to Rome led him to reflect more deeply on his faith.
He described standing beneath St. Peter’s Basilica while filming a documentary connected to St. Peter. The experience, he wrote, made faith feel physical and real—something he could “see and touch.”
It added another layer to what he’s been expressing for years: that belief, for him, is tied to lived experience, not just tradition.
The light-and-shadow metaphor Pratt uses to explain faith
Pratt leaned into a simple metaphor to describe spiritual struggle:
- Darkness isn’t a thing you can hold—it’s the absence of light
- Faith doesn’t erase shadows; it puts them behind you
He also acknowledged how tense it can feel to talk about religion publicly. He suggested that when people see someone speak confidently about faith, it can make them uncomfortable—especially if they’re struggling with their own beliefs.
Even so, he said he feels called to talk about what faith has done for his life whenever he can.
What Pratt and Anna Faris have shared about Jack’s early days
Pratt has said before that Jack’s birth changed his priorities—pulling his focus away from chasing career momentum and toward being present as a parent.
Anna Faris has also described the fear surrounding the premature birth, recalling how scared they were, and how relieved they felt when Jack arrived and looked good to them despite being tiny.
Pratt and Faris divorced in 2018 but continue to co-parent amicably.
Pratt has since remarried Katherine Schwarzenegger, and they share three children together. Faris remarried in 2021.
A recent birthday message that shows how personal this remains
Pratt recently marked Jack’s 13th birthday with a heartfelt note, saying he’s proud of the young man Jack is becoming. He also included a statement of faith, reinforcing that this isn’t a “past chapter” for him—it’s still central to how he sees life.
The bigger message: faith, fear, and what parenthood reveals
At its core, Pratt’s essay isn’t really about celebrity religion. It’s about a moment when life gets stripped down to the essentials:
- Your child is vulnerable
- You can’t control the outcome
- You look for meaning and hope wherever you can
- And sometimes, you come out changed forever
That’s the emotional center of what Pratt shared—and why it’s landing with so many readers.
