For many people, picking it up and reading it alone is something they have intended to do for years without quite managing it. Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz exists to change that. St. Michael Catholic Radio carries this series as a featured program, and it is available to stream anytime online for those who want to follow along at their own pace.
What Catechism in a Year Is
A Guided Year Through Catholic Teaching
The premise is straightforward. Fr. Mike Schmitz takes listeners through the Catechism of the Catholic Church over the course of one year. Each daily episode covers a portion of the text and includes commentary that explains what it means in plain terms. The goal is not to turn listeners into theologians. It is to help ordinary people understand the teaching of the Church clearly and carry that understanding into their daily lives.
The series was created by Fr. Mike Schmitz and produced by Ascension Press, the same team behind Bible in a Year. Those who have followed that series will recognize the format immediately. The approach is the same: short daily episodes, accessible commentary, and a structure that makes a large body of material feel manageable when taken one day at a time.
What the Catechism Actually Is
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official summary of Catholic belief and practice. It was published in 1992 and revised in 1997, and it draws together teaching from Scripture, the councils of the Church, and centuries of theological reflection. It is organized into four main parts, which are sometimes called the four pillars.
Those four parts are the Profession of Faith, which covers what Catholics believe about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church; the Celebration of the Christian Mystery, which covers the sacraments and the liturgy; Life in Christ, which covers the moral life, the commandments, and what it means to live as a Christian in the world; and Christian Prayer, which covers the theology and practice of prayer, including a detailed reflection on the Lord’s Prayer. Catechism in a Year moves through all four sections over the course of 365 episodes.
How Each Episode Works
Short, Daily, and Accessible
Each episode runs approximately 20 minutes. That is a commute, a lunch break, or a quiet stretch at home. The episodes do not require prior theological knowledge, and they do not assume any familiarity with the Catechism before starting. A listener coming in with no background and a listener who has studied Catholic theology for years can both follow along without one feeling left behind and the other feeling unchallenged.
Fr. Mike Schmitz reads from the Catechism and then explains what the text means, why it matters, and how it connects to the rest of Catholic teaching. He addresses questions that come naturally from the material and speaks to listeners as someone who wants them to understand, not as someone who is testing them.
A Companion to Bible in a Year
The two series work well together. Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz walks through what God has revealed in Scripture. Catechism in a Year walks through how the Church understands and teaches what has been revealed. Many listeners who have finished Bible in a Year find this series a natural next step. Others begin with the Catechism and later come to Scripture. Either way, the two series cover ground that complements each other, and both are carried on St. Michael Catholic Radio.
On the Connection Between the Two Series: The Catechism draws heavily on Scripture throughout. Listeners who have come through Bible in a Year will find many passages they already know woven into the Catechism’s explanations, which gives the text a different kind of familiarity than reading it cold.
Who This Show Is For
Those Seeking a Foundation in Catholic Teaching
Some people have been Catholic for most of their lives and still find that the Catechism feels like unfamiliar territory. The beliefs they have absorbed through Mass, family, and parish life are real and genuine, but the fuller picture, the organized, comprehensive account of what the Church teaches and why, is something they have never quite encountered in one place. Catechism in a Year offers that encounter in a format that fits into ordinary life.
For those going through RCIA, exploring the Catholic faith, or wanting to understand what Catholics believe before joining the Church, the series provides a thorough and welcoming entry point. The Catechism covers everything, and Fr. Mike Schmitz makes none of it feel out of reach.
Those Who Want to Go Deeper
There are also listeners who know the faith well and want to understand it more fully. Reading the Catechism alone can be dense. Having a guide who explains each section, draws connections across the text, and places each teaching in its broader context makes the material easier to absorb and retain. Many listeners in this category describe the series as something that gave them language for beliefs they already held but had never been able to articulate clearly.
A Note on Where to Start: The series is designed to be followed in sequence from the beginning, but listeners who come in partway through can still benefit from individual episodes. Each one is self-contained enough to be understood on its own, even if the full arc of the series rewards following it from the start.
Listening on St. Michael Radio
A Featured Program on 94.9 FM Tulsa
Catechism in a Year is a featured program on St. Michael Catholic Radio. Listeners can find it on Catholic radio on 94.9 FM Tulsa and through the live stream at stmichaelsradio.com/listen. Current scheduling for the series is available at the programs and schedule page, where SMR’s full lineup is listed.
Those who prefer the flexibility of streaming can access the show at any time through the live stream. The same programming that airs on 94.9 FM is available through the stream on a phone, tablet, or computer, so listeners can follow along wherever the day takes them.
Part of a Station That Runs All Day
St. Michael Catholic Radio carries Catholic programming from early morning through the evening every weekday. The daily lineup includes The Rosary with Bishop Robert Barron at 8 AM, The Doctor Is In with Dr. Ray Guarendi at noon, the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 PM, Catholic Answers Live at 5 PM, and Bible in a Year at 9 PM. Catechism in a Year joins that lineup as a featured series that goes deeper into the teaching that underlies what listeners hear throughout the broadcast day.
For anyone looking to build a more complete understanding of the Catholic faith, the combination of Scripture and Catechism available through St. Michael Radio offers a sustained and accessible way to do it, one episode at a time.
Program information sourced from stmichaelsradio.com/programs (captured June 2026) and Ascension Press program materials for Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.
12 Flashcard Q&As
Q1: What is Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz?
A: A 365-episode series that guides listeners through the Catechism of the Catholic Church over one year, with daily readings and commentary from Fr. Mike Schmitz of Ascension Press.
Q2: What is the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
A: The official summary of Catholic belief and practice, published in 1992 and revised in 1997. It draws together teaching from Scripture, Church councils, and centuries of theological reflection, organized into four main parts.
Q3: What are the four parts of the Catechism covered in the series?
A: The Profession of Faith (what Catholics believe), the Celebration of the Christian Mystery (the sacraments), Life in Christ (the moral life and commandments), and Christian Prayer (the theology and practice of prayer, including the Lord’s Prayer).
Q4: Who created Catechism in a Year?
A: Fr. Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press, the same team behind Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.
Q5: How long is each episode?
A: Approximately 20 minutes, which fits into a commute, a lunch break, or a quiet stretch at home without requiring a dedicated block of time.
Q6: Do I need theological training to follow along?
A: No. The series is designed for ordinary listeners without prior knowledge of the Catechism. Fr. Mike Schmitz explains each section in plain terms and does not assume any background going in.
Q7: How does Catechism in a Year relate to Bible in a Year?
A: They work as companion series. Bible in a Year covers what God has revealed in Scripture. Catechism in a Year covers how the Church understands and teaches what has been revealed. Many listeners follow both, in either order.
Q8: Is this series useful for someone going through RCIA?
A: Yes. The Catechism covers everything a person preparing to enter the Church would want to understand, and the guided format makes it accessible without requiring a teacher or class setting alongside it.
Q9: Where can I listen to Catechism in a Year in Tulsa?
A: It is a featured program on St. Michael Catholic Radio, available on 94.9 FM Tulsa and through the live stream at stmichaelsradio.com/listen. Current scheduling is posted at stmichaelsradio.com/programs.
Q10: What does Fr. Mike Schmitz do in each episode?
A: He reads from the Catechism and then explains what the text means, why it matters, and how it connects to the broader arc of Catholic teaching. He addresses questions that come naturally from the material.
Q11: Is Catechism in a Year only for people who are new to the Catholic faith?
A: No. Lifelong Catholics often find the series valuable for building a more complete picture of what the Church teaches and for gaining language for beliefs they already hold but have not always been able to explain clearly.
Q12: Can I listen online if I miss a broadcast?
A: Yes. The live stream at stmichaelsradio.com/listen carries SMR’s programming and is accessible at any time on a phone, tablet, or computer.
