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Ascension (publisher)

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Ascension
StatusActive
Founded1998; 28 years ago (1998)[1]
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationExton, Pennsylvania[2]
DistributionWorldwide
Key peopleJonathan Strate (President)[3]
Publication typesBooks, Bibles, educational materials, podcasts, videos, and apps
Nonfiction topicsCatholicism, Bible study, Catechesis, prayer, and theology
Official websiteascensionpress.com

Ascension (also known as Ascension Press) is an American Catholic publishing and media company based in Exton, Pennsylvania.[4][5] Founded in 1998, its productions include The Bible in a Year, The Catechism in a Year, Ascension Presents, and the Ascension app.[4]

History

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Ascension Press was founded in 1998. Its first publication was Did Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?[6]

The company subsequently published The Great Adventure, a Catholic Bible study system developed by Jeff Cavins. The program presents salvation history through a chronological framework known as the Bible Timeline and became the basis for parish studies, youth resources, and The Great Adventure Catholic Bible used in The Bible in a Year.[6][7]

Ascension later expanded publishing to include books and formation resources on Scripture, sacramental preparation, theology, prayer, marriage, and religious education.[4][6]

In 2015, Ascension launched Ascension Presents on YouTube.[6] During the early 2020s, it expanded into daily podcasts and an app, launching The Bible in a Year in 2021 and both The Catechism in a Year and the Ascension app in 2023.[8][9][10]

Ascension was ranked eighth on Fortune's 2024 list of the 100 Best Small Workplaces in the United States and 52nd in 2025.[11][12]

Publishing

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Ascension publishes Catholic books, Bibles, catechetical resources, and study programs.[4][7]

Ascension published the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Ascension Edition in 2022. The edition uses a color-coded system for the Catechism's four pillars.[13] It received first place in the general-interest category of the Association of Catholic Publishers’ 2023 Excellence in Publishing Awards and was subsequently named the association’s Resource of the Year.[14][15]

Later that year, following the closure of the publishing division of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ascension was selected to sell certain remaining USCCB titles.[16]

In 2025, Ascension and Word on Fire were selected to publish editions of the second English edition of the Liturgy of the Hours.[17]

Later in 2025, the USCCB selected Ascension as one of the publishers of the new liturgical edition of the New American Bible Revised Edition, which will be called the Catholic American Bible. Ascension announced plans to publish the translation in several formats.[18]

Podcasts and digital media

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Ascension produces Catholic podcasts, videos, and digital study resources. Ascension Presents, launched in 2015, is a YouTube channel featuring educational and devotional videos about Catholic theology, morality, prayer, Scripture, and religious practice. Fr. Mike Schmitz became one of the channel’s main presenters.[6][4]

The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz and featuring Jeff Cavins, began in January 2021. The podcast follows a 365-day reading plan based on the Great Adventure Bible Timeline.[19] It reached number one on Apple Podcasts in the United States shortly after its launch and remained at the top of the chart for 17 consecutive days.[8][20] Ascension reported that the podcast surpassed one billion worldwide downloads in March 2026.[21]

The format was subsequently adapted into Spanish, Malayalam, Hungarian, and Slovak editions.[22][23][24][25]

In January 2023, Ascension launched The Catechism in a Year, also hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz. The podcast presents the complete text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church through 365 daily episodes and reached number one on Apple Podcasts following its debut.[9][19]

Other productions include The Rosary in a Year, hosted by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, and The Bible in 10 Minutes, an animated overview of the biblical narrative.[26][27]

In 2026, Ascension announced The Bible in a Year: Family Edition, a daily video podcast hosted by Fr. Josh Johnson and designed for families with children beginning January 1, 2027.[28]

The Ascension app provides access to biblical and catechetical texts, podcasts, reading plans, commentary, and related study materials.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Joyce, Lauren (9 February 2021). "Ascension Founder and President Matthew Pinto passes torch to COO Jonathan Strate". Religion News Service. Ascension. RNS Press Release Distribution Service. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. ↑ Myers, Joseph (23 February 2021). "As CEO, Strate rises to lead faith formation mission of Ascension". Catholic Philly. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Ascension offers digital events to help Catholics celebrate Corpus Christi". Catholic Courier. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Myers, Joseph (February 23, 2021). "As CEO, Strate rises to lead faith formation mission of Ascension". CatholicPhilly. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Working at Ascension Publishing Group, LLC". Great Place to Work. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ascension Founder, Matthew Pinto, Passes Torch to COO Jonathan Strate" (Press release). Ascension. February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  7. 1 2 McKeown, Jonah (December 6, 2024). "Bible boom: Why are people buying so many Bibles?". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Galioto, Katie (April 10, 2021). "Hungry for the word: Priest creates popular 'Bible in a Year' podcast". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Mauro, J-P (January 5, 2023). "Catechism in a Year podcast already #1 on Apple". Aleteia. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  10. ↑ "New Ascension App Is #1 Bible App in USA" (Press release). Ascension. June 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  11. ↑ "100 Best Small Workplaces 2024". Fortune. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  12. ↑ "100 Best Small Workplaces 2025". Fortune. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Groundbreaking Ascension Edition Catechism Poised to Reach Even More Catholics in 2023" (Press release). Ascension. March 7, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  14. ↑ "ACP Announces Winners of the 2023 Excellence in Publishing Awards". Association of Catholic Publishers. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Ascension Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Named 2023 Resource of the Year by the Association of Catholic Publishers" (Press release). Ascension. September 12, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  16. ↑ USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship. "Ascension Press to Sell Certain Titles of USCCB Communications" (PDF). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  17. ↑ Orendain, Simone (October 8, 2025). "2 Catholic outlets to publish Liturgy of the Hours edition". OSV News. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Ascension to Publish New Liturgical Edition of the Bible: the Catholic American Bible" (Press release). Ascension. November 11, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  19. 1 2 McKeown, Jonah (January 9, 2023). "'Catechism in a Year' podcast tops the charts: 'It has a beauty that speaks to the heart'". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  20. ↑ Wilson, Peter (November 10, 2021). "Bible podcast tops the Apple charts". The Catholic Register. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Massive Milestone: The Bible in a Year Podcast Hits 1 Billion Downloads Worldwide" (Press release). Ascension. March 26, 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  22. ↑ Olivera, Kate (October 13, 2021). "The Bible in a Year podcast will launch in Spanish in 2022". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  23. ↑ "The Bible in a Year Malayalam". The Bible in a Year India. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Biblia egy év alatt – Fábry Kornél püspök atyával". Zarándok.ma (in Hungarian). Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Fr. Mike Schmitz and Jeff Cavins Make History as First Catholics to Receive Museum of the Bible's Pillar Award" (Press release). Ascension. February 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  26. ↑ "'Rosary in a Year' podcast is No. 1 on Apple charts". Catholic News Agency. January 8, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  27. ↑ Burkepile, Jacqueline (July 16, 2024). "Father Mike Schmitz's Animated 'Bible in 10 Minutes' Hits Over 1 Million Views in a Week". ChurchPOP. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  28. ↑ Barber, Theresa Civantos (July 19, 2026). "Great news: Bible in a Year for kids is coming". Aleteia. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Ascension: Catholic Bible". App Store. Apple. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
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