In recent years, Ascension has demonstrated that the listening public desires a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and Church teachings with two monumentally successful podcasts: The Bible in a Year and The Catechism in a Year, both hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz. Now, Ascension is showing widespread desire to grow closer to God through prayer with the popularity of its latest hit podcast, The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR), which has quickly become the #1 podcast on Apple.
The show only began in November, but it quickly rose to #6 on the New Podcasts chart, in just its first week. By December 30, 2024, The Rosary in a Year had secured the #1 spot on the Religion & Spirituality category, but by New Year’s Day, the fledgling podcast had risen to be the top podcast on Apple, holding #1 among All Categories. It continued to hold the position on January 2, standing in front of The Bible Recap and The Joe Rogan Experience.
For Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, host of Rosary in a Year, the desire to pursue a relationship with God through prayer is not especially surprising. In a press release, he suggested that no matter how advanced the world gets or what it offers, “we want God.” In his comments, he recalled the election of Pope St. John Paul II:
“In 1979, when the newly-elected Pope John Paul II was returning to communist-controlled Poland for the first time as the Holy Father, in response to his words, the crowd of over 1 million people cried out, ‘We want God! We want God! We want God.’ I can’t help but see this cry being echoed by the millions of people who have participated in Bible in a Year, Catechism in a Year, and now Rosary in a Year.”
Rosary in a Year at #1 among all podcasts marks the fifth time Ascension’s programs have reached the top spot since 2021. It is no easy feat to achieve such popularity – especially right out of the gate – but it is even harder to hold. Although Ascension’s podcasts run for 365 days each, January 2 represents only the 39th day in which one of their podcasts has been #1. It is, however, possible that The Rosary in a Year may draw more participation during the 2025 Year of Jubilee.
Of the quick success of Rosary in a Year, Ascension CEO Jonathan Strate commented:
“The success of our podcasts reflects a growing desire in our culture to seek spiritual connection and purpose. Being at the top of the charts once again is a testament to the hard work of our team in leveraging digital media to reshape how people engage with Catholic content.”
The year has just begun and there’s no better time to start your journey through The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR).
Visit Ascension to learn more and sign up for the prayer plan – a companion to the podcast – and look for Rosary in a Year on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Ascension.
