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A Catholic application has ignited a conversation across social media platforms as it emerged as one of the most popular apps on the App Store. The Hallow application garnered widespread attention following the broadcast of a short commercial featuring Mark Wahlberg during the Super Bowl.
Hallow is specifically designed for Catholics participating in the Lenten season, which commenced on Wednesday, February 14, and extends until Easter Sunday. Mark Wahlberg, renowned for his roles such as Father Stuart in "Father Stu" and John Bennett in "Ted," lent his support to the application through the impactful commercial.
Post the commercial's airing, the application swiftly claimed the top spot as the most downloaded free app on the App Store, surpassing heavyweights like Netflix, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Alex Jones, the founder, expressed his excitement through his X account, proclaiming, "Ahhhhhhhhhhh. For the first time in history. Jesus has the #1 app in the App Store. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit," alongside a screenshot from the App Store.
Jones clarified, "For the record, I have indeed downloaded my own app lol. Use it every day. This was a screenshot I received from one of our developers who had the in-development/TestFlight version of the app installed."
The Hallow app has also received a five-star rating on the Play Store, boasting an impressive estimate of 19 million downloads, indicating its substantial Android user base. Users have showered the application with positive reviews, describing it as a 'blessing.'
While some netizens celebrated the app's success, others voiced opinions on its positioning. Gabriel on X shared, "This is good, but I don’t think the objective for God is to be #1 on a platform created by his creations. God‘s existence and reign are independent of his popularity among people."
Sachin Jose added on X, "Over a million people will pray with the Hallow app during the Lenten season, and your Lent guides would include Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie, and Fr. Mike Schmitz."
However, amidst the praise, some users expressed a desire for adjustments, suggesting that the voiceovers should be reduced as they come across as creepy to some.
