‘The Bible in 10 Minutes’ becomes Father Mike Schmitz’s most viral video in first 24 hours

Father Mike Schmitz is the host of “The Bible in a Year” podcast produced by Ascension. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Ascension

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2024 / 09:33 am (CNA).

Father Mike Schmitz’s “The Bible in 10 Minutes” has become the popular Catholic priest’s most viral video yet, garnering over 358,000 views in its first 24 hours. Released on July 9, the video was produced by Ascension and Coronation Media.

“The Bible is amazing, but sometimes confusing and hard to read,” Schmitz begins in the video. “This is because it’s not just one book, but a collection of books written over thousands of years in lots of different styles, all inspired by God and assembled by the Catholic Church into the Bible.”

While acknowledging the difficulties that some may face in attempting to read the Bible, Schmitz speaks of the “narrative throughout the Bible that tells a single story: the story of God’s plan for our salvation.”

“Once we understand that story, we can understand the context of every book of the Bible,” he continues. “So, here’s the story in less than 10 minutes.”

Beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve, Schmitz outlines the Bible’s story of salvation alongside vivid, colorful animations. The video also brings attention to Moses’ flight out of Egypt, David’s rule over Israel, and the passion of Jesus Christ among other key moments.

According to Ascension Press, “The Bible in 10 Minutes” more than doubles Schmitz’s previous record of 160,000 views in one day with his 2023 video review of the film “Sound of Freedom.” As of July 11, two days later, the video has amassed over 598,000 views and 11,000 likes.

Schmitz serves as the chaplain of the University of Minnesota-Duluth as well as the director of the office of youth ministry for the Diocese of Duluth. He first began hosting the “Ascension Presents” YouTube series in 2015 and has since grown in popularity among Catholic audiences for his various podcasts, books, and talks.

His “The Bible in a Year” podcast has especially received much acclaim and attention, drawing a total of 660 million downloads as of 2023. Consisting of 365 episodes, the podcast features commentary, prayer, and reflections as Schmitz walks the listener through the entirety of the Bible. 

“God wants to illuminate your life with this story and lead you to a relationship with him page by page,” he says in the video. 

Beginning Jan. 15, EWTN Radio began airing Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” and “Catechism in a Year” podcasts.