Buenos Aires: What began as a passion project by a young Argentine computer science graduate has grown into one of the most downloaded religious apps in the world. The 'Catholic Mass Times' mobile application created to help Catholics locate Holy Masses, confession schedules, and Eucharistic adoration has now surpassed 2 million downloads, bridging the digital divide between the faithful and the global Church.
Pablo Liccheri, the app’s creator, launched the platform eleven years ago from his personal computer during quiet weekends in Buenos Aires. Today, his creation holds the largest online directory of Catholic churches boasting a database of more than 125,000 churches in over 200 countries and territories, available in nine languages. The app has become particularly essential for Catholics traveling abroad, expatriates, and even local parishioners navigating changing schedules.
What sets the app apart from other religious tech initiatives is its ad-free, nonprofit nature. It functions without commercial sponsorships, and the entire operational cost is privately funded by Liccheri and his wife. Despite the rise of tech-driven religious services, Liccheri remains deeply committed to keeping the app spiritually grounded. “It’s not just a tool for information it’s a tool to get closer to God,” he says.
Initially, data collection was a herculean task. When churches had almost no online presence, Liccheri began by manually entering information from over 200 churches in Buenos Aires. As the app gained users, a community-driven model evolved parishioners began voluntarily submitting and updating Mass times, confession schedules, and church addresses from their own regions, making the app both accurate and organically growing.
The app also features an intuitive update function, allowing users to instantly revise the schedule of any church they visit an indispensable feature in regions where liturgical times frequently change or are poorly publicized. Thanks to this collaborative feature, the app maintains up-to-date schedules for the majority of Catholic churches in Latin America and is gaining ground rapidly in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Available on both Android and iOS platforms, the app has drawn praise not only for its functionality but also for its role in strengthening the spiritual lives of users. It is increasingly recognized as a powerful digital tool in a post-pandemic world where in-person worship has resumed, but where digital accessibility remains a necessity.
At a time when many Catholics find themselves disconnected from local parishes or in unfamiliar territories, the ‘Catholic Mass Times’ app quietly stands as a modern-day compass guiding the faithful toward the heart of the Church, wherever they may be.