A Catholic prayer and mediation app called Hallow made history on Ash Wednesday, landing at the number #3 spot on the App Store’s “Top Charts,” surpassing heavy hitters like Google, Netflix, Spotify, Instagram, and the CCP’s TikTok.
Hallow, first launched in 2018 by University of Notre Dame graduates Alex Jones, Alessandro DiSanto, and Erich Kerekes, has garnered millions of downloads and reached some 150 countries. Last year, the app surpassed 100 million prayers completed through the service.
“God is doing something pretty incredible,” Hallow founder and CEO Alex Jones told The Daily Wire on Thursday. “We never thought in a million years that we might have this many people from all around the world gathered together in prayer.”
“To be top 5 in the App Store is truly unbelievable,” Jones added. “Praise be to God!”
Screenshot: The App Store
Hallow on Wednesday kicked off its annual 40-day Lent Challenge, lasting, of course, until Easter Sunday.
“For forty days, He walked through the desert,” the Hallow site reads. “Thirsty, hungry, tired, and tempted by the devil. And He continued His walk all the way to His loving sacrifice for us on the cross. A sacrifice for each and every one of us.”
“Together, as one community from all over the world, we’ll pray for 40 days leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection on Easter Sunday,” it continues. “We’ll journey through the life-changing spiritual classic the Imitation of Christ and focus our prayer and meditation on the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and giving.”
The Christian application has teamed up with big-name Catholics for the challenge, including actor Mark Wahlberg, who promoted Hallow during an interview on the “Today” show, Wednesday.
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“I don’t wanna jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith,” Wahlberg said of his Catholic faith. “That’s an even bigger sin. You know, it’s not popular in my industry, but, you know, I cannot deny my faith. It’s important for me to share that with people.”
Catholic priest Father Mike Schmitz, who hosts the wildly popular Christian podcast “Bible in a Year,” is also on the app, along with “Passion of the Christ” actor Jim Caviezel, Jonathan Roumie of “The Chosen,” and Immaculée Ilibagiza, an Rwandan genocide survivor and best-selling author.
Screenshot: Hallow
“We already have over 120,000 (sign-ups) and I expect over a quarter of a million,” Jones said, according to The Catholic Register. “It will be an incredible opportunity for us all to get to pray every day during Lent and prepare for Easter and the Resurrection. We’re pretty excited.”
Related: ‘That’s An Even Bigger Sin’: Mark Wahlberg Says ‘Faith’ Is ‘Not Popular’ In Hollywood