Saints Peter and Paul has been selected by the Diocese of Joliet as a pilot parish for Hallow's Lenten Challenge.

For those of you who don't know Hallow, it is the number-one Catholic app in the world with over 7 million downloads and 150 million prayers completed within the app.

Every Lent, Hallow organizes one of the largest community prayer programs in the world, with over 200,000 projected participants in 2023. This year, we will be journeying through this content together as a parish, which is centered around the spiritual masterpiece, Imitation of Christ, written by Thomas à Kempis in the 15th century. 

To truly immerse ourselves in this content, we'll be working with Hallow directly to host a 7-week program through Lent with weekly dinners and discussions. 

Weekly Meeting Format

Six Thursdays beginning the day after Ash Wednesday (2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30), with the final meeting held on Tuesday, 4/4 (Holy Week)

• Complimentary Dinner (30 minutes) 
• Hallow member shares reflection (15 minutes) 
• Hallow Prayer session is played (10 minutes) 
• Small group discussion (25 minutes) 

Hallow will host a kick-off event here at the parish at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 23 in Social Hall, where we'll walk through more details together. Please spread the word and bring your friends with you! To sign up for the challenge and RSVP to the event (even if you can't go), please click the button below:
LENTEN CHALLENGE SIGN-UP
If you are unable to attend the event, but would still like to participate in the program, please fill out the form. The challenge is built to allow for fully remote participants and we would love to have you journey through this content with us even if you are unable to make the kick-off event or any of the in-person sessions. 

1. Sign up
Lenten Challenge Sign Up

2. Attend launch

7 p.m., Thursday, February 23
SSPP Social Hall
Those who can't attend the launch can download the app using the link below

3. Download app 
DOWNLOAD HALLOW

Need technical support? Email [email protected]
 

Having trouble with any of the above?
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to download user guides.
Engineers also will be available at the in-person events. 

This year, Hallow’s Lenten Challenge will cover all 3 pillars of Lent: praying, fasting, and giving. We will primarily be focusing on Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis as our guide. The Challenge will run from Ash Wednesday (2/22) until Easter Sunday (4/9).

Each week will follow a similar structure:

• Sundays: Weekly homily by Father Mike Schmitz
• Mondays: Meditation on excerpt of Imitation of Christ — readings by Jonathan Roumie and Jim Caviezel (reader’s choice)
• Tuesdays: Devotional prayer based on the weekly theme, led by Immaculée Ilibagiza
• Wednesdays: Meditation on excerpt of Imitation of Christ
• Thursdays: Extended silent prayer (reader’s choice between Jonathan and Jim)
• Fridays: Fasting challenge led by Mark Wahlberg
• Saturdays: Almsgiving & corporal works of mercy led by Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart

The weekly themes are as follows:

• Ash Wednesday (2/22-2/25): Humility
• 1st Sunday of Lent (2/26-3/4): Resisting Temptation & Perseverance
• 2nd Sun of Lent (3/5-3/11): Glory of God
• 3rd Sun of Lent (3/12-3/18): Prayer
• 4th Sun of Lent (3/19-3/25): Surrender
• 5th Sun of Lent (3/26-4/1): Stations of the Cross
• Palm Sun (4/2-4/8): Stations of the Cross
• Easter Sun (4/9): Imitation of Christ & the Resurrection

One of the key features of the Pilot Program is having all parishioners join the in-app Parish Group. This is where parishioners will primarily interact with the Lenten Challenge and where the parish will be posting daily reflections and discussion questions.

Saints Peter and Paul will have two Groups: one primarily for the reflections and discussions and one for intentions. In the first Group, only Admins will be allowed to post directly into the Group. All other parishioners will have the ability to react and reply to the posts. This way, there will be only two main posts each day: one for the reflection and one for the discussion question and the discussions will happen as a thread off of these posts.

In the intentions Group, all parishioners will have the ability to post a specific intention and folks can reply and react to them how they see fit.

To join the Groups section of your app within Hallow, click the three-circle icon in the top right corner of either the Home tab or the Community tab, depending on your version of Hallow. From there, you tap the + in the top right corner and hit “Join Group” and use the following codes to join:

Overall Parish Group: MZ13DV                  Intentions Group: WYQ5E2

Need technical support? Email [email protected]
 

Having trouble with any of the above?
Scroll down for user guides to help. 
Engineers also will be available at the in-person events. 

How to Download the Hallow appHow to Redeem Your Free Subscription

How to Join and Post in your Parish GroupsHow to Join the Challenge in the App