It also serves as sort of a lifeline for Christians who are not connected to any church. “The traditional pulpit to pew dialogue may not be there,” said co-founder Joe Bellissimo. “Maybe they are not at the 8 o’clock Mass or the 11 a.m. service every Sunday but the faith is still there.” And the word is getting out. The growth of the “Share A Prayer” app has surprised even Bellissimo and his lifelong friend and co-founder John Swisher, an Ellwood City resident and owner of the Ronin Agency in Zelienople.

Growing up in a Catholic family, Joseph Bellissimo said prayer was an essential part of life. Bellissimo and John Swisher, co-founders of Pray Forward Inc., grew up together in Ellwood City. Bellissimo said he often noticed via social media if someone was going through a life-changing event, others would offer prayers but would never post anything beyond the word “prayer.”

MIAMI, FLORIDA(May, 2015) – Two Ellwood natives, John Swisher and Joseph Bellissimo, co-founders of Pray Forward, Inc., are pleased to announce the launch of the newest addition to the Share A Prayer product line with the Share A Prayer Facebook Desktop App.

As you stroll around downtown Boston these days, one thing is plain to see: ‘tis the season. And while we here at the Voice are made up of a diverse group of people who do or don’t celebrate different things for different reasons during the holidays, it is in the general spirit of the season that we mention this next item. There’s a new app that caught our eye specifically geared toward those of us who celebrate Christmas. Our friends over at boston.com highlighted the Share A Prayer application that was released last week. It allows people to share thoughts and intentions with their friends and loved ones for Christmas and other occasions through various social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). Sharing is possible through email and texting as well.

Just in time for the Christmas holiday, Joe Bellissimo, founder of Share A Prayer, Inc., is pleased to announce the launch of Share A Prayer, a new iPhone app that allows Christians all over the world to share prayers, inspirational thoughts and greetings. Available exclusively in the App Store and at www.shareaprayerapp.com, Share A Prayer allows Christians to “pray it forward” by sharing prayers and warm wishes with friends, family and loved ones via social media, email and text message.