The Power of Prayer: Julie Nelson & Chris Magruder Share Their Favorite Novenas – 08/20/2026

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.   #CatholicWomenNow #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast #Novena #Rosary #CatholicFaith #AnsweredPrayers #CatholicWomen #Prayer #SevenSorrowsRosary #InfantJesusOfPrague #SaintJoseph #UndoerOfKnots #CatholicMiracles #FaithJourney Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our StationsLINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.