Mass Explained iPad App

The Mass Explained iPad app is a comprehensive multimedia learning experience focused on the Roman Catholic Mass. It is totally approachable, thoroughly entertaining and currently available in the app store.

As the title suggests, the Mass Explained iPad app is a multimedia journey through the Catholic Mass — more specifically, the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the Mass with which most Catholics are familiar. It explores the roots of each section of the liturgy with its unique prayers and gestures. Packed with scriptural references, quotes from the Church Fathers, the Catechism and excerpts from councils and encyclicals.

In addition to the hundreds of photographs, drawings, charts and graphs that make for a visually stunning user experience, the Mass Explained iPad app contains several interactive elements:

IMMERSIVE PANORAMAS
Navigate 360° images of towering cathedrals, inspiring pilgrimage sites and ancient ruins.

VIRTUAL 3D OBJECTS
Rotate meticulously rendered liturgical vessels and ancient artifacts.

INSPIRING SLIDESHOWS
The works of the masters help illustrate the evolution of the Mass.

INTERACTIVE MAPS
Explore possible Emmaus sites, follow Paul’s missionary journeys, discover where saintly relics are venerated today.

CAPTIVATING AUDIO
Prayers in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English as well as Gregorian chants and other liturgical music take center stage.

ENLIGHTENING VIDEO
Often incorporating 3D animations, the videos shed light on various aspects of the Eucharistic Celebration.

SCALABLE IMAGE
Zoom in to discover the intricacies of medieval illuminations and marvel at the brushwork of the great masters.

TRUSTWORTHY SCHOLARSHIP
Reviewed by priests and scholars, the app received a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur. It is faithful to the Magisterium.

What do the critics say?

“The Mass Explained app completely knocked me off my feet… There is so much to look at and so much to take in, you’ll want to go back to it over and over… I can see this being used in a classroom situation for middle school Theology classes all the way to RCIA classes.”—Katie O’Keefe, CatholicMom.com. Read full review

“The book is undeniably impressive in both content and execution. It’s a catechist’s dream…The author, Dan Gonzalez, merges solid research with a strong catechetical style and a superb sense of design to create something new in Catholic circles: a high-end multimedia learning experience that fulfills the promise of new media in the new evangelization.”—Thomas McDonald, Patheos: God and the Machine. Read full review

“I was really stunned by how good the layout is along with all the graphic media found on every page. This is a very beautiful app…I am extremely impressed.”—Jeff Miller, The Curt Jester. Read full review

“…like the Catholicism series, [MassExplained] should be a model for anyone seeking to produce engaging and substantive catechetical and evangelical materials. Yes, I’d put it at that level.”—Amy Welborn, Charlotte was Both. Read full review

“The Mass Explained is without question the most elegant, content-rich, beautiful app for the iPad that I have come across. While this app is an investment, it’s a worthy one if you want to dive deeply into the riches of the Mass.”—Clayton Emmer, The Weight of Glory.Read full review

“The Mass Explained is so brilliant and so useful, it’s not only worth the $25, it’s worth buying an iPad just to have it…every Catholic parent and educator needs to see this..My friends, this is what iPads are for. I haven’t seen a better interactive tool for teaching and explaining the faith.”—Dr. James Stone, Biltrix.com. Read full review

“Mass Explained for iPad hits a home run…This is a great application for people looking to go beyond a basic understanding of the Mass.  I could easily see RCIA catechists usingMass Explained to introduce the Mass to prospective Catholics.”—Christopher Smith, OP, Christopher’s Apologies. Read full review

“…the Mass Explained app…takes advantage of visual and aural technology…The pages are filled with pop-up definitions and explanations, podcasts, 3-D tours, slide-shows, maps and more.”—Joyce Donahue, The Liturgical Catechist. Read full review

“…it is the Mass in slow motion, explaining anthropological, biblical, historical, and symbolic background to each part…you will be delighted with this app.”—Rev. Bosco Peters, Liturgy—Worship That Works. Read full review

“This new app on the liturgy will be very helpful to both those not only in high school but also those involved in adult religious formation…”—Ana Rodriguez-Soto, The Florida Catholic. Read full review

Dan Gonzalez—the author of Mass Explained—was interviewed by Gus Lloyd, host of the morning show Seize the Day which airs on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Hear full interview (16 minutes)

“…these pages come alive; from tabbed windows and sliders, to chronological samplers of different liturgical music, to Renaissance paintings and high-quality panoramas that allow the user to scroll and zoom for a greater appreciation of the real-world art they represent, to 3-dimensional objects you can turn with the flick of a finger or get audio descriptions of with a simple tap, to embedded videos explaining ancient customs that find their fulfillment in the Mass, this app surpasses its aim to stimulate minds young and old with holy learning.”—Micah Murphy, Truth and Charity. Read full review

“…a beautifully designed, richly informative, and fully interactive experience…this is themost effective medium to display this kind of information.  The Mass is an extremely visual, interactive, and sensory experience, so why shouldn’t an in-depth guide to the Mass be the same?”—Joe Houde, John Paul the Great Catholic University. Read full review

“Dan González…spared no artistic expense in making his work a thing of beauty. The app is visually stunning, from its opening swinging thurible through its 23 well-laid-out chapters.”—Joanne Mercier, Ministry and Liturgy Magazine. Read full review

Visit MassExplainedApp.com for details, critical reviews, screenshots, FAQs, a link to a downloadable .zip file with visual resources and a link to the app in the app store.