Fr. Mike shares with secular audience that “You are good. You matter. God knows your name, and he’s entered into the brokenness [of your life] so that you don’t have to be there alone.”
The New York Times Magazine interviewed Fr. Mike Schmitz for “A Catholic Podcasting Star Says Theocracy Is Not the Way,” published digitally today and in print on September 4, 2022.
Photo credit: Screenshot, The New York Times Magazine, 8/29/22
Fr. Mike is the host of the most popular Catholic podcast of all time, The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™, which has been #1 on Apple Podcasts several times since its launch in January 2021, and currently has 350 million all-time downloads.
In the piece, reporter David Marchese introduced Fr. Mike as “an affable 47-year-old Midwesterner whose upbeat and self-deprecating manner – not to mention regular-guy good looks – exude strong Ted Lasso vibes.”
In a widely-ranging conversation about faith, young adults, Catholic teaching on cultural hot topics, and Fr. Mike’s own personal journey as a believer and a priest, Fr. Mike shared:
- On the central message of Christianity – “Every human being is made in God’s image and likeness, which means intrinsically every human being has worth and is good … The Christian message in all this is: ‘You are good. You matter. God knows your name, and he’s entered into the brokenness so that you don’t have to be there alone.’ … When it comes to the big issues, the question is still the same, and the answer needs to be given: ‘Does God have your permission to love you as you are right now? Yes or no?’”
- On ministry to young adults – “Many Catholics that age end up leaving the Church. The interesting thing is that lots of those who leave say they had a ‘positive experience.’ So it’s not necessarily about having nicer interactions. I think it’s about: Are we letting them ask the questions they have? Are we engaging with the facts of their lives and trying to offer what the Catholic Church and Christianity has to offer? I’m a Catholic because I believe it’s true. I think that goes a long way …”
- On his own “biggest struggles” – “Here on campus … the thing that matters the most [to me] is being a spiritual father. Are [my] students sitting here thinking, ‘Yeah, Father Mike’s not around because he’s doing this other stuff [nationally], he’s kind of an absentee spiritual father?’ That keeps me awake at night. I don’t want to fail these people who have been entrusted to me. I want to be there for them.”
About The Bible in a Year Podcast – 350 Million Total Downloads
The Bible in a Year podcast is the most successful Catholic podcast of all time. After its January 1, 2021 launch, The Bible in a Year became the #1 podcast on the Apple Podcast charts in all categories for 17 days, achieved the same feat for 7 days in January 2022, and remains the #1 podcast on Apple’s Religion & Spirituality chart today.
The Bible in a Year has seen 63% growth in average daily episode downloads since 2021.
- 350 Million all-time downloads (Source: Fireside)
- 750,000 daily episode “plays” in 2022 (Source: Ascension; Data 1/1/22–6/1/22; combines data from podcast platforms, YouTube, Hallow app)
- The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Press Kit
- See the BIY Fact Sheet here
The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Launches in 2023
Beginning on January 1, 2023, over the course of 365 daily podcast episodes, Fr. Mike Schmitz will read the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church, taking listeners through the four parts of the Catechism and providing explanation, insight, and encouragement along the way.
The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) will be available for free on all major podcast platforms as well as the Hallow app, making it a powerful catechetical tool for Catholic schools, parishes, and universities, including those with limited budgets.
Available this fall, Ascension will offer a brand new print edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This edition will include the full text of the Catechism with a completely new guide that will help make the Catechism easy to learn and a joy to remember.
About Fr. Mike Schmitz
Fr. Mike Schmitz is the best-known Catholic podcaster in the world. He was the host of the 2021 breakout podcast The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™, and will be the central figure of the all-new 2023 daily podcast The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz), which will guide listeners through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church, providing explanation, insight, and encouragement along the way.
In addition to his many video and podcast programs produced by Ascension, Fr. Mike is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Fr. Mike attended St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was ordained in 2003.
About Ascension
Ascension is a multimedia network and the leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content. Over the past 24 years, Ascension has helped nurture the faith of over 10 million Catholics through award-winning books, the chart-topping Bible in a Year podcast, more than 50 unique faith formation programs, and Ascension Presents, which hosts the largest Catholic YouTube channel in English.