In June 2012, the USCCB Committees on Divine Worship and Doctrine jointly announced that a new Bible would be prepared for catechetical, study, and liturgical use in the dioceses of the United States.

Currently in the United States:

• The Lectionary for Mass is based on the 1970 New American Bible (NAB) Old Testament and the 1986 NAB New Testament, with revisions for liturgical proclamation
• The Liturgy of the Hours uses the 1970 NAB for its Scripture readings and canticles (except the Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis)
• The 2011 New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) is approved for private prayer and study

The Catholic American Bible (CAB) establishes a unified Scripture text approved for:

• Proclamation at Mass, in a forthcoming new Lectionary
• The Liturgy of the Hours, in the upcoming Second Edition
• Private prayer and study, in editions available beginning Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027

With the CAB, Catholics in the United States will be able to hear, pray, and study from a single Scripture text approved for liturgical and personal use.

Sacred Scripture was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Translating these ancient texts into modern languages requires careful decisions about meaning, grammar, tone, and literary style.

Some translations aim for a more literal, word-for-word rendering of the original languages. Others use a more dynamic approach that expresses the meaning in contemporary idiom, making the text especially suitable for proclamation or devotional reading.

Catholic translations seek to balance fidelity to the original languages with clarity, beauty, and theological precision. The Catholic American Bible continues this tradition, serving both liturgical proclamation and personal prayer.

The Catholic American Bible (CAB) builds upon the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), first published in 2011.

The CAB includes:

• A modified version of the Old Testament from the NABRE
• The Abbey Psalms and Canticles as the source for the Book of Psalms
• A newly revised New Testament
• Updated introductions and notes
• Appendices including the Abbey Psalms and Canticles

Together, these elements form a single text approved for liturgical and devotional use in the United States.

The New American Bible (NAB) and New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) took both a text-focused and scholarship-forward approach to biblical notes. The notes in these translations often introduced historical-critical questions, scholarly theories, and differing interpretations surrounding a passage. This approach can be valuable for readers who want greater exposure to the academic study of Scripture.

The Catholic American Bible (CAB) takes a more deliberately text-focused approach to biblical notes. Its notes are designed primarily to help readers understand the inspired text itself and generally do not introduce debated scholarly questions unless they are important for understanding the passage.

The Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE) is valued for its close adherence to the original-language biblical texts and its more formal literary style. It has become especially popular for study and formation and is the translation used in The Great Adventure Catholic Bible and The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™ podcast.

The Catholic American Bible (CAB) combines biblical scholarship with particular attention to how Scripture is proclaimed and prayed. Its text will be used in the forthcoming Lectionary for Mass, while its Scripture translation also appears in the forthcoming Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition. This gives Catholics greater continuity between the Scripture they hear at Mass, pray in the Liturgy of the Hours, and read in personal prayer and study at home.

For prayer and study, Ascension offers The Great Adventure Catholic Bible in Spanish using the Biblia de Jerusalén Latinoamericana (BJL) translation.

For liturgical use in the United States, the Subcommittee on Divine Worship in Spanish of the USCCB shared in their September 2023 newsletter that they are developing an edition of the Biblia de la Iglesia en América (BIA).

The New Testament of the Biblia de la Iglesia en América (BIA) was approved for private use and study in March 2025 and is available now for purchase.

The USCCB has indicated Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027 as the anticipated date for availability of the Catholic American Bible.

Join the waitlist to receive updates on Ascension’s editions!

No. Parishes, schools, and other organizations that own copies of the New American Bible (NAB) or New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) are not required to replace them. Individuals may likewise continue to use the NAB and NABRE for personal prayer, reading, and study.

The Catholic American Bible will provide the Scripture text for the forthcoming Lectionary for Mass and the biblical readings used in the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition. These liturgical books have their own first-use and mandatory-use dates established by the USCCB.

As the new liturgical books are introduced, parishes, schools, and individuals may choose to align their Scripture resources and personal Bibles with the translation proclaimed in the liturgy, but will not be required by similar mandatory-use dates to do so.

The USCCB has not yet announced a publication date for a new Lectionary incorporating the text from the Catholic American Bible (CAB). According to the June–July 2026 Newsletter of the Committee on Divine Worship, the draft of the updated four-volume Lectionary for Mass is scheduled for canonical vote November 2026. Further updates will be shared as they become available.

Ascension’s editions are thoughtfully designed with high-quality materials, beautiful artwork, articles, reading plans, cross-references, and footnotes. Each edition of the Catholic American Bible features expert typesetting by internationally renowned biblical typesetter 2K/DENMARK and uses the exclusive Ascension Serif typeface, developed for comfortable, sustained reading. Original line art inspired by the olive tree appears throughout, creating a distinctive visual identity rooted in biblical imagery.

The Catholic American Bible from Ascension is available in the following editions:

• Paperback: $19.99
• Leatherlike: Standard Print in black, brown, green, and white or Large Print in black and brown, beginning at $39.99
• Standard Leather: Standard Print and Large Print in red, beginning at $59.99
• Premium Leather: Standard Print and Large Print in black, beginning at $119.99
• Premium Natural Grain Leather: Standard Print and Large Print in black, beginning at $189.99

Yes, bulk discounts are available on all Paperback and Leatherlike formats to registered parish accounts starting at order quantities of 10. If you’re already registered as a parish customer, bulk discounts will be automatically applied at checkout. To register as a parish customer, reach out to our team at support@ascensionpress.com.

• 15% discount for orders between 10–49 units
• 25% discount for orders between 50–99 units
• 35% discount for orders of 100+units

Yes, individual volumes of Ascension’s editions are available to resellers. Reach out to our team at resellers@ascensionpress.com for key dates and instructions for placing reseller orders.

Yes. Ascension plans to offer an edition of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible using the Catholic American Bible translation.

The Great Adventure Catholic Bible is currently offered in the Revised Standard Edition, Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) and the Biblia de Jerusalén Latinoamericana (BJL) translations.

The Ascension App currently provides the daily readings using the modified NAB approved for liturgical use.

The USCCB has not yet announced a timeline for the release of daily readings using the Catholic American Bible translation. Ascension will share updates as they are confirmed.

All Ascension’s editions of the Catholic American Bible use Sustainable Typesetting®, an approach that combines highly readable typeface design with efficient page layout. By carefully balancing font design, spacing, margins, and white space, the page design helps maintain readability while reducing overall page count and paper use.

In the Paperback, Leatherlike, Standard Leather, and Premium Leather editions, soy-based inks are used as a lower-VOC alternative to traditional petroleum-based inks. In the Premium Natural Grain Leather editions, the UV inks used are specified to be VOC-free, solvent-free, ITX-free, phthalate-free, benzene-free, and mineral-oil-free. This edition also uses FSC® certified paper.

Please e-mail us at support@ascensionpress.com or call our support team at (800) 376-0520.