🎙️ She called it. In 2005, as a high schooler, Katie McGrady emailed her principal requesting they air the papal conclave on school TVs — and she correctly predicted Benedict XVI. Fast forward to 2026, and she was front row in Rome on a CNN panel when white smoke rose over the Sistine Chapel. No theology PhD required — just a lifelong obsession, a microphone, and a Cajun accent.

In this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison sits down with Katie to unpack the Catholic revival happening right now (those 139% conversion spikes aren't a fluke), why Gen Z is actually turning toward the Church, what it really means that we have an American Pope — and what parishes have to get right before this moment slips through their fingers. This one's for you if you love the Church and want to actually understand what's happening inside it right now.

Guest Bio:
Katie McGrady is a Catholic media personality and radio host based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, known for her work as a Vatican commentator and her on-air presence in Catholic broadcasting. She serves as a regular contributor for CNN and hosts a show on SiriusXM, where she has covered papal transitions including the elections of Benedict XVI and Leo XIV, the latter of which she reported on live from Rome. She and her husband Tommy co-host *Family Mass Prep* on the Hallow app and she recently launched a segment called *Call In the Converts* on The Katie McGrady Show. A lifelong Louisiana native, Katie has chosen to root her broadcasting career in her small hometown while maintaining connections to major media markets in New York and beyond.


In This Episode

00:00 Colors Done, Taxes Paid, and One Toilet Flush for NASA
02:20 The American Girl Book, an 8-Year-Old, and Impending Doom
05:15 Karma, Kids, and Bluey at Easter Mass
07:00 Two Catholic Kids and the NFP Judgment Olympics
09:30 Europe, Legoland, and the Grace of the Family of Four
11:45 Matt Maher, Spontaneous Concerts, and the Joy of a Small Family
13:30 Why Katie McGrady Has Not Left Lake Charles
16:00 Her Sister Entered the Convent — And She's It for Her Parents
18:20 Missing Ryan Gosling at SiriusXM (And Getting Andy Weir Instead)
20:00 "I've Been Vatican Influencing Since High School" — The Origin Story
22:30 Predicting Benedict XVI as a Teenager, and Getting the Call from CNN
24:45 Was She Surprised It Was an American Pope?
26:00 "He's Not Conflicting — He's Contrasting": Breaking Down Pope Leo XIV
28:30 The Catholic Revival Is Real — Here Are the Numbers
31:00 What Parishes Have to Do Before This Moment Slips Away
33:30 Hallow, Call In the Converts, and the Digital-to-Parish Pipeline
36:00 Bob from Chicago Is Still WhatsApp-ing People
38:30 AI, Human Wisdom, and the Moon Crater Named After Someone's Late Wife
42:30 Prayers for Big Transitions — and Sister LP Who Kept Her Initials
44:00 Big Cajun Hug Goodbye

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