Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder pull up a chair for an unplugged, no-guest coffee chat on their favorite prayers and novenas, sharing real stories of answered prayers and everyday miracles from their own lives. From a longtime parish rosary group to the Seven Sorrows Rosary, the novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague, the Undoer of Knots novena, and a thirty-day novena to Saint Joseph, this episode covers the go-to Catholic prayers women turn to in times of need. Tune in for practical inspiration on which novena to pray the next time you're waiting on a miracle of your own.
On this unplugged episode of Catholic Women Now, hosts Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder set aside their usual guest format for a coffee-chat-style conversation about the prayers and novenas that have carried them through hard seasons, and the miracles they've witnessed along the way.
The Rosary Group That Keeps Growing
Julie shares how her parish rosary group at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines, Iowa has met for nearly eight years, including a recent answered prayer when her three-month-old grandson's high fever dropped within minutes of the group's prayers. She and Chris also recall a moment when a stranger they had prayed for turned out to later become a guest on their own show.
Learn more at St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
Two Everyday Miracles
Chris tells the story of an unexpected answered prayer while house-hunting in Kansas City, and Julie recalls how a "coincidental" TV turning on, followed by a confirming line in her daily devotional, let her know Jesus was near right when she'd asked to know Him better.
The Seven Sorrows Rosary
Chris explains how she first learned about the Seven Sorrows Rosary from Catholic author and speaker Immaculée Ilibagiza at the Christ Our Life conference in Des Moines, and shares how praying it for her son before a major exam led to an unexpected, life-changing outcome.
Learn more at Christ Our Life Iowa, which returns to Casey's Center in Des Moines September 26–27, 2026.
A Novena for Financial Miracles: Infant Jesus of Prague
Julie shares how an emergency nine-hour novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague, prayed in front of a statue she encountered during a silent retreat, led to a surprising financial breakthrough ahead of a fundraising concert — and how she still leans on this devotion for her family's finances today.
Undoer of Knots, Saint Therese, and a Thirty-Day Novena to Saint Joseph
The two also cover the long-form Undoer of Knots novena that helped untangle a difficult family decision, the Saint Therese novena and its "sign of the rose," and Julie's thirty-day novena to Saint Joseph that led to a life-changing decision about where to raise her family.
The Emergency Novena
The hosts close with the nine-hour emergency novena attributed to Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), which Julie has turned to for more than one last-minute travel miracle.
Learn more about Iowa Catholic Radio's full program lineup at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
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