CHARLOTTE — Ever been in a situation where you wanted to answer someone’s question about the Catholic faith but weren’t sure of the correct answer? Or how to phrase it in a way that was understandable?
CiccarelliA new app developed in the Diocese of Charlotte can help with that.
It’s called Truthly, and it harnesses the power of artificial intelligence – AI – to quickly help people find accurate answers to questions about Catholicism.
Truthly is the brainchild of Jacob Ciccarelli, who co-founded it with Zac Johnson and launched the app on July 3, 2024, the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle (commonly called “Doubting Thomas”).
Ciccarelli, who worked in the tech industry for 10 years and helped launch several startups, said the inspiration for Truthly largely came from his wife Kayla. The couple lives in Davidson with their four children and attend St. Mark Church in Huntersville and St. Ann Church in Charlotte.
Kayla is a convert, and Jacob said their experiences during her conversion process – as well as conversations he had in the corporate world – made him realize there was a need for an app to help Catholics explain elements of the faith more easily – and evangelize when possible.
“There were times when I’ve been put on the spot – and often we as Catholics can feel like we’re on the defense when trying to explain the faith to others,” he said.
How it works
Truthly’s format is simple. Users are asked “What are you looking for?” and can request either short or in-depth answers from an AI chatbot that instantly generates the requested information.
The app also features a section for daily inspirations and short lessons on topics such as “Why Mary Matters.”
Users can view structured lessons on Catholic doctrine and teachings, get resources about feast days and liturgical celebrations, and even quiz themselves on their knowledge.
Ciccarelli first floated the idea for Truthly in January 2024 during a conversation with Father Aaron Huber at a Young Catholic Professionals meeting in Charlotte. Over the subsequent months, he embarked on what he calls his “most Catholic year yet,” that included attending a Cursillo retreat with his father in Pennsylvania and encountering a relic of St. Jude on display at St. Ann Church in February.
That and other spiritual experiences led him to believe it was the right time to bring Truthly to life.
The process, however, was challenging and required difficult decisions. He left his full-time corporate job, and the Ciccarellis even sold their home to help finance the project.
Truthly’s AI model draws its information from approved Catholic resources such as the New American Bible, the Catechism, and other official resources.
“Our users can trust that the answers will align with the social and moral teachings of the Church and the magisterium,” he said. “Our resources have been properly vetted so that users can be confident in what they’re receiving.”
He noted that users can report any answers they believe may be contrary to Church teaching, but so far, there haven’t been many concerns. “The support email has been quite quiet,” he said.
“Virtually everyone seems to be liking what they see.”
Spiritual inspiration
Ciccarelli credits Father Huber as a key source of spiritual inspiration and motivation behind Truthly.
In turn, Father Huber said watching the app take shape has been a great experience. He believes Truthly stands out because of its ability to provide quick access to information on Church teachings or traditions so users can confidently share them in conversation or writing.
“The goal is to enrich Catholics and offer faith education to people who are already strong in their faith but might not have gone deeper into certain topics,” Father Huber said. “Now they don’t need to be afraid to go into conversation with others. The app brings the truth that has been taught for centuries in an approachable way.”
Father Huber, chaplain at Christ the King High School in Huntersville, has recommended the app to students and faculty.
“Everyone who has downloaded it has loved it, because what it’s trying to do is bring the teachings and traditions to people using a modern conversational tone, allowing them to receive information in a way they can easily understand,” he said.
Truthly has been growing steadily since its launch, downloaded by about 10,000 people.
Truthly is also expanding its reach through strategic partnerships. Catholic speaker and evangelist Paul Kim has partnered with Truthly to help spread the word, and the platform is working with ePriest to provide access to thousands of priests and religious worldwide at no cost. Truthly recently got rave reviews from pro-life activist Lila Rose on her podcast.
Currently, the app is available only in Apple’s App Store for iPhone users, but Android and desktop versions are in the works.
Meanwhile, Ciccarelli continues to develop Truthly and enjoys seeing how his product helps others. The entire process, he says, has also deepened his own faith.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without complete surrender to God’s divine providence,” he said. “I realized I could only do so much, and I had to let God bring the pieces together. Surrender has been an incredible part of the journey – it’s incredibly difficult and required a lot of humility. But with surrender has come an incredible amount of joy.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
