“The Bible in a Year” podcast surpassed one billion downloads last week, a huge milestone for what Ascension Press called “the most successful religious podcast in the world.”
The podcast, in which Father Mike Schmitz reads and reflects on readings from the Bible, has had unprecedented success since its launch in 2021. The podcast debuted at No. 1 in all categories on Apple Podcasts and hit the top spot again in 2022. It has remained in the Top 40 shows overall and No. 1 in religion and spirituality.
The podcast is built on biblical scholar Jeff Cavins’ The Bible Timeline, an accessible method of reading Scripture that walks through the unifying story of salvation.
“None of us — the Ascension team, Jeff Cavins, or myself — had any idea what God was going to do with it,” Fr. Schmitz said in a March 26 press release. “We never anticipated the reach, the impact or even just the sheer number of people who would say yes to reading Scripture every day. The Holy Spirit has been moving in ways no one could ever script.”
In February, Cavins and Fr. Schmitz received the Pillar Award from the Museum of the Bible, which was founded by evangelical Protestants. They were the first Catholics to receive the honor.
Cavins accepted the reward on behalf of Fr. Schmitz and himself. In his speech, he credited God with their success.
“It isn’t our own skill or cleverness, but the Word of God that transforms the human soul,” Cavins said at the Feb. 20 Pillar Award Gala. “God has a wonderful plan for every one of our lives. Your story is in His story, and that [truth] changed my life.”