Ascension’s new show hit #1 spot only 48 hours after launch; particularly remarkable for a religious program
Within 48 hours of its launch, “The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)” became the #1 Show on Apple Podcasts, a chart position it has held for 5 days and counting, beating out longstanding secular programs including Crime Junkie, NYT’s The Daily, and Dateline NBC. The show now boasts over 1.3 million downloads, with many more expected in the weeks ahead.
“We are overwhelmed by the staggering response to this podcast,” comments Matthew Pinto, founder and president of Ascension, the Catholic publisher and multimedia network which is producing The Bible in a Year. “We had hoped that this program would be exciting to our listeners, but this huge level of response is truly unbelievable. People are hungry for God, and we’re honored to help them encounter God’s Word through a daily podcast, especially as so many of us continue to be cut off from our parishes, communities, and loved ones during these difficult days.”
“The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)” is a passion project from the heart of YouTube’s favorite priest. Fr. Mike is well-known for his YouTube videos on “Ascension Presents,” the second-largest Catholic YouTube platform in English. He is also a nationally recognized author and speaker who has given keynote addresses at many national Catholic events and conferences.
Fr. Mike explains his vision with this extraordinary project: “One of the primary reasons why I wanted to create this podcast was because my own mind was being filled with a lot of chaotic voices. Some were wise, many were merely distracting. I think that a lot of people are tired of those same distracting and temporary voices. And they want what I want: to allow our hearts and minds to be shaped by something eternal – God’s eternal Word.”
“The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)” is being produced by Ascension, the leader in Catholic faith formation. Long respected for their Catholic Bible study resources, Ascension sells the best-selling and best-rated Catholic Bible on Amazon, as well as dozens of other Catholic Bible studies, books, and faith formation resources.
“The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)” podcast is available on all major podcast platforms, or on Hallow, “The Catholic Prayer and Meditation App.” Daily episodes will run through the end of 2021.
Press Resources can be found at Newsroom.AscensionPress.com
Podcast homepage: AscensionPress.com/BibleInAYear
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