As The Bible in a Year nears one billion downloads, the actor behind Jesus in The Chosen reflects with Fr. Mike Schmitz on portraying the Passion and the power of Scripture.

[Exton, PA - December 30, 2025] As The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)® approaches its fifth anniversary, tops religion podcast charts, and sees nearly one billion downloads worldwide, Ascension highlights a growing global renewal of Scripture—marked by a new conversation between the chart-topping podcast host Fr. Mike Schmitz and The Chosen star Jonathan Roumie.

In an exclusive Ascension Presents video interview, Roumie reflects on the spiritual and emotional weight of portraying Jesus in the hit series, particularly while filming the Crucifixion. His conversation with Fr. Mike underscores how Scripture continues to shape faith not only for audiences, but also for those who bring God’s Word to life.

"Everything in my life has prepared me for this role,” shares Roumie in the interview. “I had to offer up all of my past trauma to [Jesus] as I was recreating [the Crucifixion], knowing that that was part of my own personal sacrifice for what he suffered for humanity.”

Discussing the upcoming Season 6 of The Chosen, Roumie adds, “It’s going to really shock people. This [is] the most brutal thing we’ve ever done professionally.”

A Global Renewal of Scripture

As the new year begins, millions are committing to read the Bible as part of their resolutions. Since launching in 2021, The Bible in a Year has become the world’s #1 religion podcast, guiding listeners through the entire Bible in 365 daily episodes. Listeners frequently describe the podcast as life-changing, sharing stories of renewed faith, deeper prayer, and even return to the Church in the more than 50,000 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts.

A social media video featuring Fr. Mike encouraging people to start The Bible in a Year recently went viral, garnering over 1.5 million views across platforms.

“It’s likely that The Bible in a Year is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life,” shared Fr. Mike in the interview with Roumie. “This is God’s work; I just got to be the narrator.”

To mark the milestone, Ascension is releasing new bonus commentary from Fr. Mike for Days 1–5 of The Bible in a Year, available free in the Ascension app, along with exclusive video conversations on YouTube featuring Roumie, Jeff Cavins, and Dr. Arthur Brooks. Ascension also continues to support deeper Scripture engagement through The Great Adventure Catholic Bible and the new resource 50 Questions About God and the Bible.

Rooted in Pope Leo XIV’s call to make Sacred Scripture accessible to all the faithful, The Bible in a Year reflects a renewed hunger for God’s Word, inviting listeners around the world to encounter God’s Word prayerfully and begin again.

To join The Bible in a Year, anyone can download the free reading plan at www.AscensionPress.com/BIY and listen on the Ascension app, YouTube and all podcast platforms.

See the full Bible in a Year press kit here.

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About The Bible in a Year

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)® is the world’s #1 religion podcast. Since its 2021 debut, listeners worldwide have been guided through the entire Catholic Bible in 365 daily episodes using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline learning system. With over 900 million downloads and over 50,000 five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts, The podcast has transformed how Catholics engage with Scripture and sparked a global movement of daily Bible reading.

About Fr. Mike Schmitz

Father Mike Schmitz is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Duluth and one of the most trusted voices in Catholic media today. Host of the #1 religion podcast The Bible in a Year, Father Mike has guided millions of listeners through Scripture with his approachable teaching style and genuine passion for helping people encounter Jesus. Click here to see full author biography.

About Ascension 

Ascension is a multimedia network and the leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content. Over the past 25 years, Ascension has helped nurture the faith of over 20 million Catholics through award-winning books, the chart-topping Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)® podcast, more than 50 unique faith formation programs, and the Ascension Presents media and YouTube platforms.

Media Contact

For interviews or other media inquiries, please contact (800) 376-0520 or Newsroom@AscensionPress.com.