About
Our Mission
Everyone deserves access to a community that studies Scripture together.
For too long, finding a Catholic Bible study has meant word of mouth, bulletin boards, or pure luck. A parishioner new to the area, a returning Catholic looking to reconnect, a young adult hungry for something deeper. None of them has a reliable place to look.
We built catholicbiblestudy.org to change that. Our goal is simple: a free, searchable national directory of Catholic Bible studies, organized by ZIP code, linked to parishes, and kept current by the communities themselves.
Why This Exists
The Church has always known that Scripture is meant to be received, read, and lived within the community of faith. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Ethiopian official asks, “How can I understand, unless someone guides me?” when reading Isaiah alone (Acts 8:30–31). Saint Peter warns that some passages of Scripture can be “hard to understand” and easily distorted (2 Peter 3:16). And Saint Paul reminds Timothy that the Church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
That is why Catholics have never approached Bible study as an isolated exercise. From the earliest Christian communities gathering to break open the Word, to parish studies, OCIA groups, men's and women's ministries, and the great Dominican and Franciscan traditions of scriptural formation, Catholics have always studied together.
That tradition is alive in parishes across America: in Wednesday morning women's groups, in men's studies that meet before work, in OCIA journeys that become lifelong friendships. Most of that activity is invisible online. We are making it visible.
Who We Are
catholicbiblestudy.org is an independent Catholic ministry, built and maintained by SmartVantage, a San Diego IT and cybersecurity consultancy whose founder is a parishioner of the diocese. That is the whole of the funding: no grants, no advertising, and nothing any parish is asked to pay for.
We are not affiliated with any diocese or religious order. We do not sell advertising. We do not charge parishes or study leaders to be listed, and a parish that lists a study takes on no obligation of any kind. This is a work of love.
For Parishes
If your parish hosts a Bible study that is not listed here, we want to hear from you. Submitting your study takes about two minutes and puts your community in front of every Catholic in your ZIP code who is actively searching.
For Catholics Searching
Use the ZIP code search on our homepage to find parishes near you. Every listing includes the day, time, location, and who the study is open to.
If nothing is listed near you yet, check back. We are actively reaching out to parishes across San Diego and beyond, and new studies are added every week.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or partnership inquiries: hello@catholicbiblestudy.org
We are a small team and we read every message. Please allow 1–2 business days for a response.
What the Church Says About Sacred Scripture
I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture, accompanied by prayer, brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart. If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church — I am convinced of it — a new spiritual springtime.
There is one particular way of listening to what the Lord wishes to tell us in His Word and of letting ourselves be transformed by the Spirit. It is what we call Lectio Divina. It consists of reading God's Word in a moment of prayer and allowing it to enlighten and renew us.