The Lives of the Saints and the ‘Hallow App’

“Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy Spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine. So to shine, as be a light to others. Amen.”

One of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s favorite prayers from St. John Henry Newman, from the Hallow App’s “Saints in 7 Days” Series

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

I have said before that I have been inspired by (St.) Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her Missionaries of Charity since I was a sophomore in college in the fall of 1989. Over the years, I have read a great deal of what has been written and reported about Mother Teresa, her life, and her work. I have also listened to “Mother” speaking on many different occasions. I was blessed to meet her in person in the spring of 1997, just a few weeks before I was ordained a priest. Although she died on Sept. 5, 1997, fortunately, there is a great deal of material available online and in other places so that we can hear this “saint of our times” speaking on what it means to “encounter Jesus” in the “distressing disguise of the poor” and in His “Real Presence” in the Blessed Sacrament.

A few weeks ago, I had a “new encounter” with Mother Teresa as I listened to a series on the Hallow App called “Saints in 7 Days.” I am not exactly sure when the Hallow App started producing these “Series” (or “Chal­lenges”) on the Lives of the Saints, but I first became aware of it in early August as I listened to a series on St. Maximilian Kolbe. Soon after that, I listened to the “Saints in 7 Days” account of the life and ministry of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Padre Pio, and then the series on Mother Teresa. A few things that each of these series had in common for me were:

I learned things I had never heard before about the life of each saint, such as Mother Teresa’s fondness for the Prayer of St. John Henry Newman, quoted above.

I felt a “closeness” to the saint in his or her circumstances of life, family, history, and vocation.

I felt myself being invited to share in the discernment and prayer of each of these saints, as they faced incredible challenges and sufferings, but also had a tremendous sense of joy and peace as they became more and more aware that they were doing what God was asking them to do.

As we look forward to celebrating All Saints Day on Nov. 1 (and “All Hallows Eve” on Oct. 31), I felt that this was a good time to share my recent experience with the Hallow App. Here is a description of Hallow from the App Store:

** The #1 Prayer App & #1 Catholic App **

WHAT IS HALLOW

“Hallow is a Christian prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God. Explore over 10,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Catholic Bible readings, music, and more.

In today’s world, we’re stressed, anxious, distracted, & can’t sleep. At the same time, we’re searching for deeper meaning, purpose, & relationships. We believe these two challenges can be addressed with the same solution: peace in Jesus. In the end, after all, a halo in heaven is the goal.” 

You can find more information about the Hallow App on the internet. It was founded in December of 2018. Under the heading of “Popularity,” Wikipedia says: “In February 2024, Hallow reached the No. 1 spot in Apple’s App Store, ahead of ChatGPT, Google and others.” 

I realize that many readers of this column may not be familiar with the App Store and using Apps (applications) on your phone or computer. Personally, I do not use many Apps and usually only download an app when I have no other choice. However, my experience with the Hallow App has been different. I have found the material on the Hallow App helpful in my own prayer life, especially during this past Lent when I participated in the “Pray 40” Challenge on the Hallow App.

Being introduced to the excellent “Saints in 7 Days” Series on the Hallow App in August and September gave me an opportunity to “introduce” the high school students in our diocese to this online resource. In September and October of each year, I have the privilege of visiting the seven Catholic high schools in our diocese to celebrate a “Bishop’s Mass.” This year, I mentioned the Hallow App and the “Saints in 7 Days” series at almost all of the high school Masses. I realize that this App may not be the most popular amongst so many choices for teenagers today, but I was happy to learn that many of our Catholic high schools have already introduced the students to this resource, and some have signed up for accounts on the Hallow App so that students can have access.

I understand there is an option to “Download (the App) for Free.” There is another option that requires a paid subscription. I will leave it to you, dear readers, to decide whether you would like to explore the possibility of signing up for the Hallow App, but I want to let you know that the Hallow App is a resource that can help anyone in their prayer life and can be very helpful in sharing and learning about the rich spiritual traditions and spiritual practices of the Catholic faith. If you are interested in or know someone who may be interested in the “Lives of the Saints,” I would strongly recommend the Hallow App and their very compelling, inspiring, and prayerful series of “Saints in 7 Days.”

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