Mark Wahlberg Visits Temecula Church, Shares 'Stay Prayed Up' Message

TEMECULA, CA — Mark Wahlberg and his wife, Rhea Durham, stood together outside Temecula's St. Catherine of Alexandria Church Sunday morning with a message of hope the couple shared over Instagram.

"Happy Sunday, everybody," he said. "Stay prayed up!"

The couple stood with the church at their back, near the sign. St. Catherine's large white cross stood out against the brilliant southern California blue sky as the pair both made the sign of the cross and then waved to their Instagram followers.

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Wahlberg, who is a frequent visitor to Temecula and Riverside County, has dropped in to share messages of encouragement at Temecula EOS Fitness in the early morning hours. He is also a devout Catholic. His role as a priest in Netflix's "Father Stu" helped him define his faith offscreen as one of the partners of the Hallow app, which launched in 2022.

His signature line, "Stay prayed up!" is how he closes many Instagram posts and all messages he shares over the Hallow app.

The app, according to the website, is "the #1 Christian Prayer app in the world, designed to help followers find God's peace, transform their prayer life, build daily habits, and more."

Wahlberg was featured as a Hallow app spokesperson in a Superbowl Commercial this year, encouraging others to join him in prayers and fasting during Lent. He also told Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show that his religion "is a balance. I don't want to jam it down anybody's throat, but I do not deny my faith. That's an even bigger sin."

He went on to explain he doesn't force his faith on his four children, but he does share with them that "Dad can't start the day without being in prayer or the week without going to Mass."

That doesn't change wherever he finds himself, and when he's in Temecula, he attends St. Catherine's of Alexandria.

"Prayer for me has always been the answer," he is quoted on Hallow.com. "It's given me the comfort and strength I need and a reminder to continue to do more and be better. The Hallow app has so many amazing ways to introduce you to prayer and help you meditate. Stay prayed up."

Along with promoting the app, Wahlberg is still producing and acting, slated to appear in August in a Netflix thriller, "The Union," co-starring Halle Berry.

The church's mission is to promote the teachings of Jesus, a spokesperson said.

"Saint Catherine of Alexandria welcomes all people to share in our blessed sacraments to strengthen and inspire our faith, to bring all closer in relationship to Jesus and creating friendship and unity in ethnic groups and committees as we walk in His footsteps daily."

If you're curious about visiting, St. Catherine of Alexandria is located at 41875 C Street, Temecula.