“The Bible in a Year” podcast with Father Mike Schmitz is nearing one billion downloads worldwide as it nears its fifth anniversary, according to a press release sent to CatholicVote.
What began as a simple invitation to “listen to the Bible for 20 minutes a day” has grown into a global movement of daily Scripture reading. Launched in January 2021 by Ascension, “The Bible in a Year” has guided millions of listeners through the entire Bible in daily episodes and has become the most successful religious podcast of all time. The program topped Apple Podcasts’ overall charts in 2021 and 2022 and has consistently ranked No. 1 in the Religion and Spirituality category.
“I get quite emotional,” Fr. Schmitz said in the release. “I never imagined in my entire life that I would get the chance to read the Bible with and to so many people. Hearing how God’s Word has transformed people’s lives blows me away. This is God’s work; I just got to be the narrator.”
To mark the milestone, Ascension announced new anniversary content beginning later this month. Bonus commentary from Fr. Schmitz covering days 1–5 of the reading plan will be released free in the Ascension app, offering reflections on the opening passages of Scripture and responding to frequently asked listener questions.
Ascension will also release on YouTube Dec. 28 a series of video conversations on faith and Scripture featuring Schmitz alongside actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen; Jeff Cavins, creator of The Bible Timeline; and Dr. Arthur Brooks, an author and social scientist.
Ascension shared in the release that many listeners have credited the podcast with deepening their faith, sustaining them through grief, and helping many enter or return to the Catholic Church. The show has received more than 50,000 five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts and has drawn coverage from major secular media outlets including The New York Times Magazine, CBS, FOX, and The London Times, according to the release.
Fr. Schmitz said the impact has also been personal.
“The people who taught me how to read — I got to read God’s Word to them,” he said, referring to his parents. “It has been one of the coolest things in my priesthood.”
“The Bible in a Year” uses the Great Adventure Bible Timeline to present Scripture in a chronological and thematic structure. A free reading plan and episodes are available through Ascension.
The podcast’s fifth anniversary will be formally celebrated in 2026 as downloads continue to climb toward the one-billion mark.
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