Catholic Radio Network

Catholic Radio Network is a streaming app for the radio network of the same name. Open it and Catholic radio plays, around the clock.

The programming covers what you'd hope for: live call-in shows, talk programs, devotionals, apologetics, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The network is a not-for-profit 501c3, so there's no subscription and nobody is selling you anything. The app itself is simple — it exists to get the stream onto your phone and out of your car speakers or kitchen radio.

I've come to appreciate what Catholic radio does that podcasts don't. You don't pick the topic. You turn it on and take what's airing, the way you would have decades ago, and some days the thing you didn't choose is the thing you needed to hear. Having the Mass broadcast matters too, especially for anyone who can't get to their parish.

This is a good companion for the commute, for housework, or for anyone homebound who wants the rhythm of Catholic programming through the day. If your area has no Catholic station on the dial, this fills that gap.

Know what it is, though: a live stream of one network. You can't pause a show, scroll an archive, or pick last Tuesday's episode the way you can with a podcast app. The app is bare-bones, and if your interest is on-demand Catholic audio, something like iCatholicRadio or a podcast app will serve you better. Reviews are modest in number but mostly positive.

The app is free, from Catholic Radio Network, Inc. Find it on the App Store: Catholic Radio Network. Turn it on while you do the dishes and see what catches you.