(ZENIT News / Rome, 01.08.2026).- Approaching its fifth anniversary, Bible in a Year has reached a milestone that places it well beyond the usual boundaries of religious media. According to Ascension Press, the podcast hosted by Father Mike Schmitz has now been downloaded almost one billion times, a figure that underscores both its global reach and its unexpected cultural impact.
What began as a structured journey through Scripture has grown into what many consider the most successful religious podcast ever produced. Bible in a Year has not only dominated faith-based rankings on Apple Podcasts but has also climbed to the top of overall podcast charts, competing with productions far removed from theology or Scripture. For a daily reading of the Bible, that achievement remains remarkable.
Father Schmitz himself has framed the success in deliberately modest terms. In a statement released by Ascension, he said he never imagined reading the Bible “with and for” so many people. What moves him most, he explained, are the stories of lives changed through sustained contact with Scripture. The scale may be historic, but for Schmitz the work remains fundamentally the same: serving as a narrator while, in his words, God does the real work.
The podcast’s format is deceptively simple. Each episode invites listeners back into the text, reinforcing Schmitz’s conviction that Scripture is inexhaustible. His encouragement is consistent: finish an episode, then press play again. The Word, he insists, is alive and always has something new to offer. That conviction resonates strongly with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council in Dei Verbum, as well as the Letter to the Hebrews’ description of the Word of God as active and penetrating.
As the program prepares to launch its fifth season, Ascension Press is expanding the project rather than merely repeating it. The opening stretch of the new season, specifically days one through five, will introduce fresh reflections on the readings from what Ascension calls the “Early World,” while also addressing questions that have surfaced repeatedly over the years from listeners who have made the journey more than once.
In addition to the daily audio episodes, the anniversary season will feature new video content. Ascension has announced exclusive recorded conversations on Scripture and faith between Father Schmitz and a range of Catholic voices and public figures. Among them are Jonathan Roumie, widely known for his portrayal of Jesus in The Chosen, biblical scholar Jeff Cavins, and social scientist Dr. Arthur Brooks. These discussions are being released through the Ascension Presents YouTube channel, adding a visual and conversational dimension to a project long associated with audio alone.
The timing of these additions reflects a podcast that no longer sees itself as a one-off initiative. Five years after its launch, Bible in a Year has become a recurring point of reference for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, many of whom return annually to the same readings, guided by the same voice. The near-billion-download mark suggests not just initial curiosity but sustained engagement over time.
Bible in a Year remains available across all major podcast platforms, maintaining the accessibility that helped drive its early growth. Yet its continued expansion suggests that its success is not simply a matter of distribution. At its core, the podcast has tapped into a hunger for Scripture presented steadily, patiently, and without spectacle—an approach that, five seasons in, shows no sign of exhaustion.
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