New Podcast from Ascension Takes Top Spot for Podcasts

Ascension has done it again. First, it was Bible in a Year. Then, it was Catechism of the Year. Both of which were led by Fr Mike Schmitz. Now, their latest Rosary in a Year debuts at No. 1 in podcasts for Apple chart. 

Father Mark Mary of Franciscan Friars of Renewal hosts the podcast. He will guide “listeners in a step-by-step journey that will change the way you pray—no matter where you are in your spiritual life.”. In a recent press release, he said that people are thirsting for God.

“The world offers so much, but we want God,” he said. “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.'”

In the last five years, the interest and demand for Christian-focus content has skyrocketed. It all began with Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year. It continues now with the newest podcast.

Currently, the new podcast from Ascension tops Joe Rogan, who sits at No.3, and Ky Dickens’ The Telepathy Tapes at No. 2.

The rosary is a beautiful prayer. It offers us an opportunity to meditate on the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary. The podcast hopes to guide “listeners in a step-by-step journey that will change the way you pray—no matter where you are in your spiritual life.”

r. Mark-Mary walked listeners through the following six phases that will build the foundational prayers of the Rosary:

1. Forming the Relationship

In this first phase, the podcast will help us establish and deepen our relationship with Jesus, the Trinity, and with Mary. At the end of each day, we will pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and the Glory Be together.

2. Biblical Roots of Mysteries and Prayers

In phase two, the podcast will focus on the scripture verses that go with each mystery and that are the roots of the other prayers of the Rosary (yes, they all are!). We will still pray just one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and the Glory Be.

3. Meditating on the Mysteries

This phase begins with Lectio Divina (divine reading) and will offer reflections and essays on the mysteries by some beloved saints. It will also include Visio Divina (divine seeing), and listeners will be able to look up sacred works of art that depict the mysteries. We will then pray a decade of the Rosary.

4. Finding Focus

This phase begins “building up the muscle of prayer” and will include 10 minutes of praying with the mystery. We will then pray a decade of the Rosary.

5. Building Up the Decades

This phase leads us to an increase in prayer, as we pray two decades, then three, then four, and then finally the whole Rosary by the end of the phase.

6. Praying Together

In this phase, which lasts the final 30 days of the year, we will pray the whole Rosary daily.

Spending time each day with the events from Jesus’ life, with the saints who studied the faith, and with Jesus’ own words from scripture, and then truly learning where the prayers originated and how to reflect on the mysteries will be transformative.

Fr. Mark-Mary said that his hope is that people fall in love with our Lord, with our Lady, and with the Rosary. I have no doubt that at the end of 2025, the percentage of Catholics who pray the rosary will be much higher than 44 percent.

Listeners can still take part in the new podcast by subscribing to its YouTube channel.