Ascension: Catholic Bible icon
Ascension Catholic Bible App Review: Deep Content Meets Minor Quirks

by Ascension Publishing Group

4.8
ANDROIDBooks & Reference
This app provides a structured digital hub for Catholic prayer, study, and scripture. Designed to help users engage with daily Mass readings, audio commentaries, and in-depth study plans, it consolidates numerous faith-based resources. While primarily free, a subscription unlocks an extensive library of video and audio content from notable Catholic educators.

Detailed Review

Ascension Publishing Group's 'Ascension: Catholic Bible' app positions itself as a comprehensive digital toolkit for practicing Catholics and those exploring the faith. It moves beyond a simple Bible reader by integrating structured daily routines, popular audio programs, and educational materials into a single interface. The app's primary function is to serve as a daily companion for scripture reading and catechesis, anchoring itself with the widely followed 'Bible in a Year' and 'Catechism in a Year' podcasts hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz. Core functionality revolves around audio and textual content delivery. Users can access the complete Catholic Bible, daily Mass readings, and a saint of the day feature without a subscription. The app's significant value, however, is tied to its membership tier, which provides full access to Ascension's acclaimed study programs, video series, and exclusive audio reflections. A key feature is the integrated podcast player for Ascension's flagship shows, which includes episode transcripts and supplemental notes, creating a multimedia learning environment. Navigation is generally intuitive, with separate tabs for the Bible, study plans, prayers, and a 'Recent' section that tracks progress. In real-world use, the app facilitates a morning routine of prayer and study, pulling together readings, saint biographies, and audio reflections in one place. For someone commuting, the ability to download audio for offline listening is practical, though the lack of Android Auto or CarPlay support, as noted in reviews, is a tangible limitation for in-car use. The interface is clean, though some users report that the 'Recent' list can become cluttered without manual management options. Performance is mostly stable, but past updates have introduced temporary instability, a common pain point that the developers have addressed in subsequent patches. User feedback trends highlight exceptionally high satisfaction with content quality and its role in faith formation, evidenced by the consistent 4.8-star rating. Specific praise centers on the depth of Father Mike Schmitz's commentaries and the app's role as a centralized resource. Criticisms are technical and functional: occasional app crashes, playback speed controls being a desired addition for some listeners, and requests for home screen widgets. One recurring theme is the distinction between free and premium content; while the free tier is robust, the app's full potential is gated, which a small subset of users finds disappointing. Another noted imperfection is sporadic account synchronization issues across devices. Overall, the Ascension app is a powerful and well-regarded resource whose strengths lie in its curated, high-quality Catholic content and structured approach to daily engagement. Its limitations are largely technical—occasional bugs, desired integrations like car systems, and minor interface tweaks. For users seeking a dedicated, all-in-one platform for Catholic study beyond a simple Bible, its value proposition is strong, despite these operational hiccups.

Key Features

  • Integrated 'Bible in a Year' & 'Catechism in a Year' Podcasts: Hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz, these include full audio, transcripts, and daily reflection guides for structured study.
  • Daily Mass Readings & Saint Profiles: Provides the complete liturgical text for the day alongside a brief biography of the featured saint, supporting daily prayer habits.
  • Comprehensive Study Plans & Video Series: Membership unlocks dozens of in-depth video-based study programs on books of the Bible, sacraments, and Catholic doctrine.
  • Offline Audio & Text Download: Allows users to download audio podcasts and study materials for access without an internet connection, ideal for travel or commutes.
  • Prayer Library and Rosary Guide: Includes a searchable collection of traditional Catholic prayers and audio-guided rosaries with visual bead tracking.
  • Progress Tracking and Bookmarks: Syncs reading progress across devices and allows users to bookmark specific verses, podcast episodes, or study plan sections.

Why Users Love It

High-quality, authoritative Catholic content
All-in-one hub for prayer, study, and scripture

Perfect for: Perfect for practicing Catholics or curious seekers wanting a structured, daily resource for scripture and doctrine beyond a basic Bible reader.

Screenshots

Ascension: Catholic Bible screenshot 1Ascension: Catholic Bible screenshot 2Ascension: Catholic Bible screenshot 3Ascension: Catholic Bible screenshot 4Ascension: Catholic Bible screenshot 5Ascension: Catholic Bible screenshot 6

Ranking History

Track Ascension: Catholic Bible's performance in Books & Reference over the last 30 days

Top 5
Top 10
Top 15
Below 15

Current Rank

#40

Best Rank

#21

All-time high

Average Rank

#29

30-day average

User Reviews

Iraguha Lionel
Nov 22, 2025

The podcast "Bible and Catechism in a Year," along with its homilies and daily reflections on the readings, is excellent. It truly helps you understand your faith and equips you to defend and proclaim it at any time. Can you make some widgets, it would be helpful to see a bible verse on the screen every now and then

Susan S
Sep 27, 2025

New: The enemy tried his best, but Light prevailed. It took a bit of time and digital calisthenics, but I now have the app back. Thank the Lord! Updated review: Re-installed app but email link does not work on my tablet. Nothing happens when I click on it. I am extremely disappointed. So disappointed. Tried to install the latest update on my tablet and found the app is no longer with my Samsung! Why?

Josephine Landreneau
Oct 23, 2025

I really love how accessible and meaningful they make prayer and Sacred Scripture. I would only add one thing for new users: there are quite a few resources that are only accessible for members. However, I use this app without a membership and would still totally recommend!!

Nick
Oct 25, 2025

I enjoy the app. The paid version has more content than you'll be able to use which is a good thing. My only two requests are 1) Enable vehicle native features like Android Auto/ Car Play 2) Need to have a feature that drops content off Recent list after 30 days and/or allows us to remove series from the Recent list. App could use some coding efficiency updates but everything is tolerable for speed/responsiveness.

Rachel Stillwell
Nov 14, 2025

I have loved using the Ascension app to learn about the Catholic faith. I use it for Bible study, to do my morning Mass readings, to learn prayers and to learn things from a distance. It has been such a blessing to me, a wonderful resource. Although I was not Catholic when I began using it, so many of the study guides answered my questions for me in a comprehensive way - that I am being baptized next week at the Feast of Christ the King. I'm so grateful for modern evangelism!

App Details

Developer

Ascension Publishing Group

Platform

android

Rating

4.8

Last Updated

12/4/2025