Do you feel distant from God? Like, somewhere along the way, you drifted away from your faith? You are not alone.
The Diocese of Gary recently invited faithful to join Bishop Robert J. McClory and fellow Catholics from around the region for a local prayer challenge on Hallow called The Way Back. It’s an invitation to return to God, the one who calls his people by name and has never stopped loving his people.
The Way Back features reflections with Bishop McClory, powerful local stories of conversion, testimonies of how God is calling men to the priesthood and prayer within a community. So, whether a person feels far from away from their faith or just needs a reset, there is still time to join the prayer challenge at https://hallow.app.link/3e1GEVWH2Vb.
Robert “Bobby” Fredericksen, a Schererville resident, shared his conversion story on a “Witness Wednesday” portion of the prayer challenge. He discussed how he experienced a divine intervention in his life by being invited to a midnight Mass.
“I went from a life of seeking pleasure as the most important thing in my life to surrendering my life to God, and trying to follow him as closely as I can,” he said. “Very much like the prodigal son story.”
Fredericksen, who attends St. John the Evangelist in St. John, started using Hallow a few years ago. He explained he was blessed to have the CEO of the No. 1 Christian and Catholic prayer meditation app on “The Catholic Couple,” a podcast he hosts with his wife Katie, and got to learn many details about the app.
Fredericksen added that Hallow allows him to build in routines by setting a schedule each day with reminders that go off at 6:30 a.m. to pray the Rosary, 3 p.m. to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and at 9:30 p.m. when he goes to bed to decompress and thank God for the day.
“This prayer challenge has been nice because it’s local and a lot of the people who are speaking every day I’ve come to know,” Fredericksen said. “It’s also great to hear from my bishop.”
Kelly Venegas, chief human resources officer for the Diocese of Gary, said she has been very happy using the Hallow app.
“Having the opportunity to access this through the diocese has been helpful and deepened my prayer life,” she explained.
Venegas uses the app every morning on her drive to work to pray the Rosary and enjoys the prayer challenges. She started joining in the prayer challenges last Lent, and is now participating in the St. Michael Challenge and The Way Back.
“The Way Back has been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Catholics in our diocese,” Venegas said. “I especially enjoy the Mondays with Padre to learn more about their vocation stories. I also enjoyed hearing from various ministers throughout the diocese with Surrender Saturdays.”
In “Monday with Padre,” Father Roque Meraz told his own vocation story, how the Lord worked through very ordinary circumstances to reveal His extraordinary plan for his life and his vocation. He spoke how since he was little, the Lord kept calling him closer and how He still does every day. The associate pastor at St. Paul in Valparaiso also shared about the moments of doubt and the influence of family and parish life.
“My goal was to help people see that God calls each of us in unique ways, and that our ‘yes,’ no matter how small it may feel at first, opens the door for His grace to do something much greater,” he said. “ I also shared how my vocation as a priest is not for me, but for the people. That the Lord called me to be a priest to serve His Church and His people.”
Father Meraz said he has come to learn that Hallow is not just another app, but a tool for prayer. He explained it takes something so many people already use every day, their phone, and turns it into a doorway for encountering God.
“What I find especially helpful is that it meets people where they are, whether they have two minutes for a quick reflection or want to commit to a longer prayer time,” he said. “It helps to form a habit of daily prayer, and that habit is what deepens our relationship with the Lord.”
Father Merza said the challenge, The Way Back, feels much closer to home.
“When you pray using the Hallow app, you often hear how the Lord is working in people’s lives all over the world,” he said. “But when you hear the voices and stories of people you actually know, it makes God’s work feel even more real and personal. That’s what makes this challenge so special.
He continued, “Also, you know you’re not praying alone, others in the parish, and even across the world, are praying with you. That sense of community is powerful. Personally, I enjoy that it gives structure and focus to prayer, but still leaves room for the Holy Spirit to speak in very personal ways. The Hallow App and this Challenge encourages people to go deeper and to discover that prayer isn’t just something we have to do, but something that actually transforms us.”
The Way Back prayer challenge continues to be available online through this fall.
