We think John Paul II gave us this gift on his feast day

Last month, on the feast of John Paul II, our community on social media reached a joyful milestone – we hit 100,000 followers on Instagram! And a few weeks before that, we reached a half million followers on Facebook. And just to keep going with the "100" number, for the first time, we passed 100 million views on Facebook this year alone. During this donation week, we want to pause and say thank you.

Each number isn’t just a statistic; it represents a person – you! – who is joining us in seeking and sharing hope. We are grateful for every single one of you.

For us this rewarding milestone is a chance for us to celebrate this feeling of shared hope and faith that we're trying to spread in the world. And in a time when bad news often dominates, seeing our Aleteia family grow is a sign that the Good News is touching more hearts, and we can't deny, it's rather motivating!

(If you are a Facebook or Instagram user and don't follow us there, do sign up! Here for Instagram and here for Facebook. We also have an account on TikTok.)

From the beginning, our mission has been to share what is true, good, and beautiful -- certainly not to chase internet fame. As St. John Paul II wrote in his Letter to Artists, we must create and work “without allowing [ourselves] to be driven by the search for empty glory or the craving for cheap popularity.”

In other words, it’s not about racking up likes or follows for their own sake. It’s about service – using every article, video, and post to uplift souls. If tens of thousands are gathered on our pages, it’s not good news for us, but good news for the world — because it means more people are encountering uplifting content and Christian hope.

Our growing audience tells us that despite all the darkness out there, people are longing for light and meaning. And together, we’re helping each other find it. So let’s keep going -- not to boast in numbers, but to reach maybe that one more person who needs a word of encouragement today.

It feels providential that we near this milestone on John Paul II’s feast day, because he was a pope who understood the power of beauty and art in evangelization. In the 1999 letter, the late-pontiff urged creators to be heralds of hope and beauty in the world.

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art,” he explained – art that can “make perceptible … the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God.”

He challenged everyone (not just painters or writers, but each of us crafting our life as a masterpiece) to seek new “epiphanies” of beauty that inspire wonder in others:

We take those words to heart. Whether we’re sharing an article about an inspiring act of kindness, a stunning photo of God’s creation, or a video that illuminates a truth of faith, we aim to share the beautiful so that it can touch souls. Every bit of beauty -- in truth and in love -- that we put into the world is like a ray of light that can guide someone through the darkness.

St. John Paul II believed that when people are stirred by true beauty, it awakens hope and lifts up the human spirit. In our own humble way, that’s what we hope to do with Aleteia each day. And you, our readers and followers, are active partners in this mission each time you share an uplifting post or live out these values in your own life.

Sharing the beautiful doesn’t only mean art or poetry; it also means sharing truth. Sometimes that truth comes from new and unexpected places. For example, in the short video below, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who kindly refers to Aleteia as "a tremendously successful and enlightening Catholic communication service," (this certainly made us smile!) talks about a new book God, the Science, the Evidence.

In the video, Cardinal Dolan celebrates how even modern science can point our hearts to God. He noted that today even scientists recognize something profound: “Now scientists are saying science leads us to God. Faith and reason are allied."

In other words, truth is one – and all roads of genuine discovery, whether through a telescope or a prayer, ultimately lead to the same source of Truth and Beauty, who is God.

This message resonated with so many because we live in a world that often pits faith against reason. But as Catholic Philly reported previously, Cardinal Dolan has gone further saying: “faith and reason are allied, they are best friends." Our Catholic tradition has always held that fides et ratio work together -- that the world of science and discovery “doesn’t take us away from God, but points to an architect beyond our wildest imaginations.”

When we highlight stories like this, we’re showing that hope comes in many forms -- from a scientific breakthrough that fills us with awe, to a testimony of conversion, to an everyday act of charity. All of it can be beautiful, and all of it can evangelize.

So as we celebrate 100,000 followers (and counting!), we do so not in pride but in gratitude and renewed resolve. Thank you for being part of this journey -- for every time you’ve clicked “share,” said a prayer after reading a story, or found inspiration in something beautiful that we posted. The Gospel is spreading, hope is alive, and yes, beauty is quietly saving the world one heart at a time.

On this feast of St. John Paul II, we’re reminded of his rallying cry: “Be not afraid!” He urged everyone, especially the lay faithful and creatives, to boldly infuse the world with the beauty of the Gospel. Our growing community is one sign that this call is being answered. We’re 100,000 strong now, and it’s all for the glory of God and the good of the world in need. With your help, and guided by the vision of saints like John Paul II, we will continue to share the light of truth and beauty to every corner of the digital world.