In celebration of Memorial Day, Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app, has announced that it will be providing free Hallow Plus subscriptions to all current and past members of the US military.
“Every day, the men and women of the armed forces, willingly allow themselves to be separated from their families and put in harm’s way to help protect the rest of the country and world. They demonstrate the type of self-sacrificial love that Christ demonstrated on the cross, every day of their lives. Especially since they are often separated from the Sacraments for extended periods of time, we here at Hallow want to do everything that we can to help them find peace & hope in God’s love,” said Alex Jones, co-founder and CEO of Hallow. “Jesus laid down his life for us, and we want all those in the military that are risking the same to know that we’re behind them and praying for them.”
Starting today, any newly subscribing US active duty military members and veterans can get a free Hallow Plus subscription by registering at hallow.com/military. All subscribers will receive a year of free access to over 500 contemplative sessions focused on finding peace by building a deeper relationship with God. No credit card required.
“Many veterans are facing significant mental health challenges due to social distancing and disruptions to daily routines,” said Alessandro DiSanto, co-founder and Head of Growth at Hallow. “We want veterans to know that they are not alone and God is still there from them with outstretched arms.” Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).
In detailing the effects of the global pandemic on military operations, Retired US Marine Corps Colonel Mark Cancian recently observed, “The military’s problem is that the nature of its work requires that a lot of people work together, often in tight spaces, under physical stress, and without a lot of personal distance. Historically, militaries have suffered far more from disease than from combat casualties.” Additionally, the Military Times has reported that, “Remote mental health care use among Veterans Affairs patients jumped dramatically last month as normal medical care appointments were disrupted and veterans forced into self-isolation.”
More broadly, active duty military members often deal with extended periods of separation from the sacraments due to an increasing shortage of military chaplains. According to the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, “Since 9/11, the number of active-duty chaplains has fallen from more than 400 to 207. While Catholics make up about 25% of the U.S. Military, Catholic priests currently account for only 8% of military chaplains.”
In effort to specifically help those facing sacramental and social isolation Hallow has launched new in-app content and functionality, including a meditation on the prayer for Spiritual Communion and the ability to create in-app prayer groups to share intentions, prayers, and reflections with friends, family, and loved ones.
About Hallow
Hallow is a faith-based mediation app that helps its users deepen their relationship with God through audio-guided contemplative prayer sessions. Launched in December of 2018, the app has already been used to pray over 1 million times in over 50 countries. It is currently the #1 Catholic app in the US App Store and has an average 4.9 / 5.0 star rating. Hallow is being used by Catholic schools, parishes, employers, families, priests, and Bishops across the world. For more information please visit us at https://hallow.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can download the app directly here.