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Catholic Daily: Bible & Saints
✓Catholic Daily is a Catholic devotional app that brings Bible verses by topic, saint quotes, and the daily Gospel from the liturgical calendar to configurable home and lock screen widgets. Readings follow the liturgical year, in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
It's built for a consistent habit of Scripture and prayer — reminders, favorites, streaks, and "Sacred moments," scheduled prayer times with an optional Prayer Focus that pauses other apps until you mark the prayer done.
The core widgets and daily Gospel are free. An optional Patron subscription unlocks the full quote catalog, all 26 topics, advanced reminder slots, custom themes, and alternate app icons.
iPhone only — there is no iPad, Android, or web version.
Screenshots
Our verdict
Catholic Daily does one thing and does it well. It puts the day's Gospel reading, a saint quote and the liturgical calendar on the iPhone home and lock screen, so the day's Scripture reaches you without opening anything. The readings follow the liturgical year, and the whole app runs in English, Spanish and Portuguese, which is broader language support than most Catholic apps this size bother with. There are dedicated Jesus and Cross lock screen widgets, a library the developer puts at more than 1,400 quotes from Scripture, the saints and the Church Fathers across 26 topics, and the usual habit scaffolding of reminders, favorites and streaks.
The most interesting feature is Sacred moments. You set prayer times, each with a short prayer for the day, and an optional Prayer Focus pauses distracting apps until you tap I prayed, with a linger of fifteen seconds to three minutes before they come back. That is a sharper idea than most devotional apps attempt, and it treats the phone itself as the obstacle rather than pretending otherwise. Set against that, the app is shallow next to the established Catholic titles. There is no Liturgy of the Hours, no full Mass readings beyond the Gospel, no guided audio and no rosary. If you want depth of content, this is not where you find it.
It is also young and narrow. The US App Store shows 77 ratings at 4.8 stars, against the developer's own website claim of 500 plus ratings and 10,000 users, and the app is iPhone only, with no iPad, Android or web version. On what we can verify, it is a well made, tightly focused little app, and worth installing if the daily Gospel on your lock screen is the specific thing you want.
How we scored it
Standout features
Home & Lock Screen Widgets
Today's Gospel and saint quotes on both screens, plus dedicated Jesus and Cross lock screen widgets.
Daily Gospel
The day's Gospel reading, following the liturgical calendar right through the year.
Saint Quotes
A library the developer puts at 1,400 plus quotes from Scripture, the saints and the Church Fathers, across 26 topics.
Liturgical Calendar
Today's feast, solemnities and fasting days at a glance.
Sacred Moments
Scheduled prayer times with an optional Prayer Focus that pauses other apps until you tap I prayed.
Three Languages
Full English, Spanish and Portuguese support across the readings and the quotes.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Home and lock screen widgets are the whole point of the app, and they are the best part of it
- Daily Gospel and liturgical calendar follow the Church year in English, Spanish and Portuguese
- Prayer Focus can pause distracting apps until you finish praying, which few devotional apps attempt
- A real free tier: the daily Gospel and the standard widgets work without paying
- Actively maintained, with version 4.1 shipping during our review
– Cons
- iPhone only, with no iPad, Android or web version
- Thin next to the established Catholic apps: no Liturgy of the Hours, no full Mass readings, no audio, no rosary
- The Patron subscription price is not published on the app's website, so you first see it at the point of upgrade
Best for
Catholics who want the day's Gospel and a saint quote in front of them without opening an app, and who are content for that to be the whole job. It suits an iPhone user building a daily habit rather than someone after a deep library.
Look elsewhere if
You are on Android or iPad, you want the full Mass readings or the Liturgy of the Hours, or you want guided audio, the rosary and the chaplets. Amen and iBreviary cover the liturgy far more completely and cost nothing, and Hallow is the deeper paid option.
Pricing
How it compares
| Catholic Daily: Bible & Saints | Hallow | Amen | iBreviary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.6 | 9.1 | 8.3 | 7.4 |
| Tradition | Catholic | Catholic | Catholic | Catholic |
| Main focus | Gospel and saint widgets | Guided audio prayer | Prayer, Bible and rosary | Liturgy of the Hours |
| Free tier | Generous | Limited | Whole app free | Whole app free |
| Price | Free plus Patron | ~$70/yr Plus | Free | Free |
FAQ
Is Catholic Daily free?
Yes, with limits. The daily Gospel and the standard home and lock screen widgets work without paying. An optional Patron subscription unlocks the full quote catalog, all 26 topics, extra reminder slots, custom themes and the alternate app icons.
Is there an Android version?
No. Catholic Daily is iPhone only at the time of review. There is no Android version, no iPad app and no web version.
What languages does it support?
English, Spanish and Portuguese, across the readings, the saint quotes and the interface.
What are Sacred moments and Prayer Focus?
Sacred moments are prayer times you schedule, each with a short prayer for the day. Prayer Focus is an option on top of that: it pauses distracting apps until you tap I prayed, with a linger of fifteen seconds to three minutes before they come back.
Does it include the full Mass readings?
No. It carries the day's Gospel and the liturgical calendar, not the complete set of Mass readings or the Liturgy of the Hours. Amen and iBreviary both cover those and are free.
