The LIVingroom with Liv Harrison

🤍 She was a federal law clerk in Vegas, a managing editor of Law Review, and a prosecutor — and she drove home one morning drenched in spit-up thinking, who am I? Nell O'Leary spent decades performing her way through life until a daughter's mysterious illness, the collapse of a ministry, and a silent retreat stripped everything away and left her with one answer: beloved.In this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison and Nell cover the identity crisis hiding inside early motherhood, what it actually feels like to enter silence when you have the gift of gab, how Nell's marriage deepened when she finally understood her husband's prayer life — and the Catholic mommy wars nobody wants to admit are real. If you've ever felt like you are what you accomplish, this one is for you.Guest Bio:Nell O'Leary is a Catholic writer, speaker, and ministry consultant based in St. Paul, Minnesota. A former federal law clerk and prosecutor, she went on to spend nearly a decade in women's ministry before transitioning to freelance consulting, writing, and speaking for Catholic organizations. She contributed to or edited over 50 books, wrote the prayers for Ascension's 2026 planner, and is currently finishing her first solo book with a mainstream publisher. Nell and her husband Anthony have five children.In This Episode00:00  Welcome — Nell and Liv in the Living Room01:30  What Nell's life looks like online (and why it works)02:15  18-year-old Nell: poetry, horses, and zero plan03:45  How a love of show jumping led to law school04:30  Ave Maria Law School and meeting her husband05:45  The Vegas clerk era — dry cleaning and federal judges06:30  Liv's origin story: kindergarten teacher to podcaster07:45  The identity crash of early motherhood09:30  Dropping her husband at a big law firm, covered in spit-up11:00  "You are not what you do" — the Nazareth years12:15  The thread connecting law, ministry, and storytelling13:30  Nell's Substack and a first book she can almost announce14:30  Learning when things are for the internet — and when they're not15:15  "Who are you at 43?" — the identity question16:00  What "I'm his beloved" actually cost her to believe17:30  When her daughter got sick and she stepped away from everything18:30  The 30-week Ignatian retreat — what it is and how it works20:30  The first third: accepting that she was worth God's time21:30  The middle third: imaginative prayer she didn't expect22:15  The last third: real silence, and finding God in it23:30  "Just turn your face" — what silence looks like now25:30  Turning toward God all day long, not just in a prayer room27:00  Nell's love story: two attorneys, law school, Nebraska28:30  Her husband — ex-seminarian, former hermit, most patient man30:00  How the retreat finally helped her understand her husband's prayer life32:00  The strongest years of their marriage — and the hardest33:30  Sending your spouse on silent retreat (even with five kids)35:30  The evolution of arguments across 17 years of marriage37:00  Choosing your family's life over your individual preferences39:00  Female friendship: the good, the painful, the evaporated besties41:30  Realistic expectations as a love language43:00  Catholic mommy wars: beeswax candles, home births, and judgment45:30  "Is your baby alive? Great." — on not policing other women47:15  How can we pray for Nell?⚡ Subscribe on YouTube!⚡ Visit Liv on the web at: https://www.thelivharrison.com/⚡ Follow Liv on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivharrison/⚡ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more!⚡ Subscribe to Liv's newsletter: https://bit.ly/livnewsletter#thelivingroom #livharrison #catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast #wherefaithfeelshuman

🎨 She quit a stable youth ministry job to become a full-time Catholic artist — then, after her biggest vendor event ever, realized she never wanted to do it again. Valerie Delgado (known online as Pax Valerie) spent three years running her own Catholic shop, illustrating books, and traveling to conferences. Then she closed it all down. Not because she failed, but because she finally figured out who she actually wanted to be.In this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison and Valerie also dig into the pressure Catholic singles face about vocation, a doctor's wake-up call about food and heart health a month before her 30th birthday, and how Bad Bunny's Super Bowl set made her cry thinking about Hurricane Maria. This one's for you if you've ever built something good — and then had to let it go anyway.Guest Bio:Valerie Delgado is a Catholic artist, illustrator, and parish communications professional based in Houston, Texas, known online as Pax Valerie. She spent three years running her own Catholic art shop — selling prints, traveling to conferences, and building a following on social media — before closing the shop to focus on illustration and parish work. She has illustrated nearly 10 books, primarily reflective journal-style titles, working with multiple publishers. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Texas, her identity as a Puerto Rican Catholic deeply shapes both her art and her faith.In This Episode00:00 Welcome to The LIVing Room — Liv & Val's Houston Reunion 01:00 "Are You Pax?" — The Origin of the Name Pax Valerie 02:00 Wait, Val Does Art? How a Non-Artist Discovered She Was One 03:30 A Random Summer Day, Hobby Lobby, and a Sunflower on YouTube 05:00 Painting Bible Covers, Grace Painted, and Praying Through Art 06:30 COVID, Youth Ministry Falling Apart, and a Shop Being Born 07:30 Quitting the Stable Job to Sell Art Full-Time (With No Idea What She Was Doing) 09:00 The FOCUS Conference, the Big Booth, and "I Never Want to Do This Again" 10:30 Giving Up Social Media for Lent — and Finding the Most Peace She'd Ever Felt 11:30 "I Don't Want to Be a Businesswoman. I Just Want to Doodle for God." 13:00 What She Does with Her Art Now — Etsy, Digital Downloads & Illustrating Books 15:00 The Scariest Part of Listening to God (and Trusting Him Through Anxiety) 16:30 Ministry Is Not Always Rainbows — The Church as a Hospital Full of Broken People 20:30 Being Catholic and Single: The Pressure to Have a "Capital V Vocation" 24:00 Growing Up, Not Going to College, and Feeling Like She Missed the Bus 27:30 A Doctor Said She Could Have a Heart Attack at 30. One Month Before Her Birthday. 29:00 What She Actually Did — Discipline, Blood Work, and Leaving Food at the Foot of the Cross 31:00 Spiritual Directors, Therapists, and Why Finding One Feels Like Dating 33:00 Life in Her 30s — Dog, House, Church Job, and a Dream Trip to Puerto Rico 36:00 Born in Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny, and the Super Bowl Halftime Nobody Was Ready For 38:30 Hurricane Maria, Her Grandma Walking to Church Every Day, and Crying at the Power Lines 42:30 What Does Being Catholic Mean in Puerto Rico? Culture vs. Intimate Faith 44:00 How Can We Pray for You? Val's Ask + Liv's Therapist Referral⚡ Subscribe on YouTube!⚡ Visit Liv on the web at: https://www.thelivharrison.com/⚡ Follow Liv on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivharrison/⚡ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more!⚡ Subscribe to Liv's newsletter: https://bit.ly/livnewsletter#thelivingroom #livharrison #catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast #wherefaithfeelshuman

🎙️ He came out, left the Church, got a dream from God he tried to ignore, and now he works full-time for a ministry that helped bring him home.Manny Gonzalez is a Catholic campus minister turned mission development director at Eden Invitation, an apostolate for LGBT+ disciples pursuing the Lord in alignment with Church teaching. In this episode, Manny walks through his full story — the years of suppression, the combustion, the ultimatum he gave Jesus on his knees in his bedroom — and what it actually looks like to carry a cross you didn't ask for.They also dig into conversion therapy narratives, the "father wound" assumptions Catholics throw around, what the Church gets dangerously wrong about belonging, and the belong → believe → behave framework that should flip how we think about evangelization. This one's for you if you love someone navigating this — or if you've ever said something well-meaning that landed like a brick. The LIVing Room with Liv Harrison — pull up a chair.Guest Bio:Manny Gonzalez is a Catholic speaker, content creator, and mission development director at Eden Invitation, a lay apostolate for LGBT+ disciples pursuing faithful discipleship in alignment with Church teaching. He holds a master's degree in catechetics from Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he also served as a campus minister for three years. Now based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Manny works on community growth and mission partnerships for Eden Invitation while using his platform to share his story and speak hope to disciples navigating similar experiences. He is a self-described dramatic Hispanic man who once gave God an ultimatum on his knees — and credits what happened next as the turning point of his life.In This Episode00:00 Technical Chaos, Pet Birds, and Getting This Thing Rolling04:10 Manny's New Life in Minnesota (One Month In)05:45 Six Months Unemployed After Franciscan — The Real Talk10:30 Breaking Performance Mentality and Learning Who God Actually Is13:00 21-Year-Old Manny vs. 27-Year-Old Manny17:50 The Both/And: You Can Be Grateful AND Say "This Sucks"19:00 Saints Were Messy Too — Why Grit Is the Point22:00 Manny's Conversion Story: Growing Up Catholic, Coming Out, Leaving the Church30:00 October 2018: The Ultimatum on His Knees33:30 Eden Invitation — What It Is and Why Manny Joined Their Staff36:00 "I Could Have a Girlfriend and Still Go to Hell" — Dismantling the Wrong Goal38:30 What the Church Actually Teaches on Chastity (And What It Doesn't Mean)40:30 Conversion Therapy, Father Wounds, and the Dumb Stuff We Say to People43:00 Liv Gets Real About Her Own Cross — Weight, Suffering, and What "Rid Of" Actually Costs47:00 How to Be a Better Ally Without Becoming the Savior Nobody Asked For50:30 Belong, Believe, Behave — The Framework That Should Change Your Parish53:30 How Can We Pray for You, Manny?55:45 Goodbyes and "We're Definitely Road-Trip Friends"⚡ Subscribe on YouTube!⚡ Visit Liv on the web at: https://www.thelivharrison.com/⚡ Follow Liv on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivharrison/⚡ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more!⚡ Subscribe to Liv's newsletter: https://bit.ly/livnewsletter#thelivingroom #livharrison #catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast #wherefaithfeelshuman

🎙️ He got on a bus at 17 with no faith, no plan, and honestly — hoping to meet a girl. He got off it a completely different person. That one weekend in Monterrey set the next three decades in motion: a career switch from economics to communications, a conviction that the Church deserved better storytelling, and the founding of Digital Continent — the creative powerhouse behind some of Catholic media's most recognizable productions, including Seeking Beauty on EWTN.But building something great on the outside doesn't mean everything is okay on the inside. In this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison sits down with Edmundo Reyes for the conversation behind the résumé — the 14 months that quietly took everything apart and put it back together differently. Therapy for the first time at 48. This one is for anyone who has been building, serving, and showing up — and suspects there's still something God is trying to get to underneath all of it.Guest Bio:Edmundo Reyes is the founder and creative director of Digital Continent, a Catholic media and production collective that partners with organizations and individuals to bring mission-driven content to life. His work spans high-profile Catholic media productions, most notably Seeking Beauty, a series currently airing on EWTN that he counts among Digital Continent's proudest achievements. He and his wife Melanie live in Michigan where they have grown a beautiful family over the last 24 years.In This Episode00:00 Cold open: the retreat, the therapy, the spiritual director 01:30 Welcome, marriage jokes, and how Liv keeps getting Edmundo's story wrong 05:30 Meet Melanie's husband — and the man behind Digital Continent 07:00 Not an agency — a collective of dreamers and builders 09:30 Liv calls him a creative architect — and he nearly cries 12:00 Why great creative work looks effortless — and what that actually costs 13:30 Your team is not a contract — they're brothers and sisters in Christ 16:30 Growing up Catholic in Mexico — faith as a subject, not a relationship 18:30 17 years old, friendless, and talked into a retreat he didn't want to go to 19:30 Arms crossed in the back row — his first encounter with charismatic Catholics 21:30 The retreat leaders wrote him off as a lost cause — then God showed up 23:00 "What if this is actually true?" — the leap of faith that changed everything 24:30 From economics to communications — why the Church needed better storytellers 27:00 God's dodgeball team — and raising his hand to be picked 30:00 He said yes before he knew what he was good at — and that's how he found out 31:30 How is your prayer life different now? — the question that opens everything 32:30 Walking 46 miles on Holy Week because his ego takes two hours to quiet down 34:30 He used to see himself as St. Francis. Now he sees Pontius Pilate. 36:00 The Jesuit spiritual director who stopped him mid-sentence 37:30 Two things he finally learned: the depth of his sin and the depth of God's love 40:30 Gen X, Mexican, male — and finally in therapy at 4842:30 The JP2 Institute healing work — and crying in a reflection he didn't expect 44:00 Healing shows you the wounds. Therapy explains why you kept reopening them. 46:00 How can we pray for you? — closing a chapter of healing, entering one of giving 47:30 Hurt people hurt people — but healed people heal people 48:00 Seeking Beauty on EWTN — where to find it and why you should watch it#livharrison#catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast #thelivingroom

🇻🇦He named all four of his sons after Popes — Leo, Gregory, Nicholas, and John Paul — and he's a contractor who fixes toilets by day. Matt from The Popecast joins Liv in The LIVing Room for one of the most surprisingly moving conversations about papal history, faith, and what it actually feels like to "meet God on the way down." Matt opens up about his first marriage, a quick annulment, and how sitting in a Starbucks writing six and a half single-spaced pages finally gave him peace beyond understanding.They also dig into the Pope who accidentally kicked off the Reformation with a pet elephant, why Pope Leo XIV's Lutheran best friends still call him "Bob," and what the loneliness epidemic looks like from the front seat of a contractor's truck. This one's for you if you've ever loved the Church but felt like the mess of your life didn't quite fit the story.Guest Bio:Matt is the creator of The Popecast, a podcast and Instagram account dedicated to papal history with a mission to remind people that the chaos of today is nothing new in the life of the Church. He launched the podcast in 2018 after writing a daily email series on the full history of the papacy, and his Instagram following has grown larger than his podcast audience — a fact he finds equal parts ironic and delightful. By day, Matt runs a small remodeling company in the Diocese of Spokane; by night, he digs into 2,000 years of Church history. He and his wife are expecting their fourth child, whose name — John Paul — was never really in question.In This Episode:00:00 Mystery Face Reveal: Matt Finally Shows Up on the Internet 01:20 What Is The Popecast? Papal History, Instagram, and One Man's Anxiety Cure 03:30 The Hiatus, Pope Francis Dying, and Getting Back in the Game 04:00 Father Rich from Duluth and the World's Largest Private Papal Collection  05:00 How Marilys and the Conclave Put Matt on Liv's Radar 06:00 "Aggressively Normal Catholicism" — Matt's Approach to Faith Online 07:30 Faith Journey: Growing Up Catholic in Montana, Carroll College, and FOCUS 09:00 The 2013 SEEK Conference That Changed Everything 09:45 "I Met God on the Way Up, Got to Know Him on the Way Down" 10:30 The First Marriage, the Divorce, and What Nobody Talks About at Mass 12:00 Pope Francis, the Annulment Process, and Why Matt Defends It 15:30 Starbucks, Six and a Half Pages, and Peace Beyond All Understanding 18:00 Contractor by Day, Pope Nerd by Night — What Self-Employment Actually Looks Like 20:00 Digital Life vs. Real Life: What the Loneliness Epidemic Looks Like from a Truck22:00 The Widow with the Alzheimer's Husband and the Cup of Coffee That Matters 24:30 Historian of Real Life — Teaching Kids to Reverence Old People and Old Things 25:30 Meet the Kids: Leo, Gregory, Nicholas, and Baby John Paul 27:30 Pope Leo XIV, "Bob," and His Lutheran Best Friends Who Called It 46 Years Ago 31:30 The Wildest Pope Facts: A Pet Elephant and Death by Eel 35:00 The Pope Who Founded Western Civilization: Gregory the Great Explained40:00 Five Popes at the Mac and Cheese Dinner Table 46:30 How Can We Pray for You? Matt's Request and Closing Prayer⚡ Subscribe on YouTube!⚡ Visit Liv on the web at: https://www.thelivharrison.com/⚡ Follow Liv on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivharrison/⚡ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more!⚡ Subscribe to Liv's newsletter: https://bit.ly/livnewsletter#livharrison #thelivingroom #catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast 

🎙️ 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 Episode00:00 Colors Done, Taxes Paid, and One Toilet Flush for NASA02:20 The American Girl Book, an 8-Year-Old, and Impending Doom05:15 Karma, Kids, and Bluey at Easter Mass07:00 Two Catholic Kids and the NFP Judgment Olympics09:30 Europe, Legoland, and the Grace of the Family of Four11:45 Matt Maher, Spontaneous Concerts, and the Joy of a Small Family13:30 Why Katie McGrady Has Not Left Lake Charles16:00 Her Sister Entered the Convent — And She's It for Her Parents18:20 Missing Ryan Gosling at SiriusXM (And Getting Andy Weir Instead)20:00 "I've Been Vatican Influencing Since High School" — The Origin Story22:30 Predicting Benedict XVI as a Teenager, and Getting the Call from CNN24:45 Was She Surprised It Was an American Pope?26:00 "He's Not Conflicting — He's Contrasting": Breaking Down Pope Leo XIV28:30 The Catholic Revival Is Real — Here Are the Numbers31:00 What Parishes Have to Do Before This Moment Slips Away33:30 Hallow, Call In the Converts, and the Digital-to-Parish Pipeline36:00 Bob from Chicago Is Still WhatsApp-ing People38:30 AI, Human Wisdom, and the Moon Crater Named After Someone's Late Wife42:30 Prayers for Big Transitions — and Sister LP Who Kept Her Initials44:00 Big Cajun Hug Goodbye⚡ Subscribe on YouTube!⚡ Visit Liv on the web at: https://www.thelivharrison.com/⚡ Follow Liv on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelivharrison/⚡ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more!⚡ Subscribe to Liv's newsletter: https://bit.ly/livnewsletter#livharrison #catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast #thelivingroom

🥒 He got diagnosed with one of the rarest childhood liver cancers in the world — only 1 to 3 kids a year — and two months after his liver transplant, he's walking 1.5 miles a day and going viral for it.Fitz (short for Fitzgerald, age 9) joins Liv Harrison in The LIVing Room for a conversation that will wreck you in the best way. They talk about what it's like to grow up in the hospital, how dark humor becomes a survival tool, and the miracle that happened on a runway when a better liver showed up right before the wrong one took off. If you're a parent, a caregiver, or anyone who's forgotten how to be brave — this one's for you.Guest Bio:Fitz (George Fitzgerald) is a 9-year-old content creator and positivity advocate from Houston, Texas. Diagnosed with a rare liver cancer affecting only 1–3 children per year, Fitz received a liver transplant and began documenting his journey online immediately after his diagnosis, quickly going viral. He now runs "Positive Pickle," a daily video series spreading encouragement and joy to viewers of all ages. His family and Liv's family are longtime best friends.Chapter Markers00:00 Green Donuts, Dr. Pepper, and the Guest Liv's Known Since the Womb01:00 "My Name Is Fitz for Fitzgerald" — And Why That Became His Intro 02:00 The Hospital Is Basically His Second Home 03:00 Disney World, a Buffet, and Throwing Up Three Times Before the Characters Came 05:30 Dad Covered the Plate and Moved It — A Dad Move for the Ages 06:30 The ER, a Wrong Diagnosis, and Texas Children's Downtown 07:30 The Tumor Was Growing Like a Bomb — and They Had to Take the Whole Liver Out 08:30 Corn Dogs, Pink Throw Up, and Thinking He Just Had a Tummy Bug 09:30 McDonald's, Barely Three Chicken Nuggets, and a Stomach Like a Rock 11:00 Dark Humor as a Coping Strategy: "If You're Not Laughing, You're Crying" 12:00 Dr. Pepper With Aunt Liv and the Recap So Far 13:00 Yes or No on the Transplant — And the Miracle That Happened on a Runway 15:00 Two Months Post-Transplant, Walking 1.5 Miles a Day 16:30 How Fitz Stays Close to God Through All of This 18:00 Why He Started Making Videos — and What "Positive Pickle" Even Means 19:30 The Letter From a 20-Year Survivor and the Person Who Started Walking Again 21:00 Positive Tacos, Positive Potatoes, and the Future Career Plan 22:30 What to Say to a Kid Who Just Got a Cancer Diagnosis 23:30 It's Okay to Not Be Okay — "Ups and Downs Connect the Puzzle Pieces" 25:00 How to Pray for Fitz: Platelets, His Arm, and "Love the Liver"

🔔 Mary Lenaburg and her husband Jerry started reviewing Hallmark Christmas movies to honor their daughter Courtney, who was blind and loved the sound of bells. What began as Instagram Stories turned into a viral moment on Yahoo Entertainment with Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar sliding into their DMs.But this episode goes way deeper than movie reviews. Mary opens up about navigating perimenopause, healing from a seven-year pornography addiction in her marriage, and what intimacy actually looks like after 38 years together. This one's for you if you've ever felt like nobody talks honestly about what happens to your body, your marriage, and your faith after 40. Welcome to The LIVing Room with Liv Harrison.Guest Bio:Mary Lenaburg is a Catholic speaker, author, and mentor known for her candid teaching on marriage, grief, and midlife faith. She and her husband Jerry have been married for 38 years, and she cared for their daughter Courtney, who had severe disabilities, for 22 years until Courtney's passing in 2014. Mary speaks nationally at universities and parish events, and she and Jerry went viral on Yahoo Entertainment for their Hallmark movie reviews on Instagram. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia.Chapter Markers00:00 Virginia Snow, Texas Tornadoes, and Mother Nature's Hot Flash01:45 Wait — Nobody Gave Us the Menopause Talk?03:10 Hysterectomies, Catholic Sex Ed, and the Nun's Supply Drawer05:00 Aunt Mary's Honest Guide to Perimenopause (She's Been Through It)06:30 Finding the Right Doctor: Why Mary Now Sees a Menopause Specialist07:45 Cortisol, Adrenal Support, and Healing Your Gut — Liv's Type 2 Diabetes Too11:00 Nobody Talks About Midlife Intimacy — So Mary and Liv Will12:30 Quality Over Quantity: Real Talk About Sex After 5014:00 Porn Addiction, Trauma, and the Marriage God Restored — Mary Gets Vulnerable16:30 "Things That Used to Live in Maine Now Live in New Mexico" — The Body Changes18:30 Growing Old Together Is NOT the Notebook — It's Depends and Mushy Food20:30 Mary's 85-Year-Old Mom Still Goes to Daily Mass — Aging as a Gift23:00 The Titus 2 Woman: Reaching Back and Pulling Another Woman Forward26:00 How a Hallmark Christmas Movie and a Daughter Named Courtney Started It All29:00 Yahoo Entertainment, Danica McKellar DMs, and Going Viral in Their Late 50s34:30 Candace Cameron Bure, Silver Bells, and Favorite Hallmark Films38:30 Marriage Books, Theology of the Body, and What Actually Helps Couples40:30 Praying for Mary: Her New Marriage Ministry and What God Is Stirring

🎬 Evan Matthews never knew his father. When he finally met him at 37, cancer took him six months later. That story of loss, forgiveness, and healing is the same emotional DNA that made Evan the perfect director for Motherland, a film he landed after a tear-filled sushi lunch turned into the pitch of a lifetime.On this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison sits down with Evan to talk about making films during the Hollywood strikes, why Catholic art should never be preachy, his six-year streak of 3 AM rosaries and gym sessions, and the books that brought him back to the faith. This one's for you if you've ever felt called to create something bigger than yourself but didn't know where to start.⭐️ Guest Bio:Evan Matthews is a Catholic filmmaker and director based in Los Angeles. He directed his debut feature film Motherland, produced by MPI Original Films, which premiered at the Napa Institute Arts Festival and is available on Amazon. Evan is currently in development on a biopic about a prominent Catholic figure and is a regular presence at the Napa Institute, where he advocates for excellence in Catholic art and filmmaking.

🍪 Francesca Jansen got pregnant with twins barely a year into her marriage, tore her ACL right before a missionary program she'd planned her whole life around, and spent years believing she wasn't worth pursuing because of her weight. In this conversation with Liv Harrison, she gets radically honest about what it's like to be a plus-size young mom in the Catholic world and how she stopped letting the internet define her worth.They also dig into the breastfeeding guilt no one talks about, why surrender isn't a one-time thing, and how Saint Maria Goretti taught her to forgive herself. This one's for you if you've ever scrolled past a friend's photo and felt like you didn't measure up.💛 Guest BioFrancesca Jansen is a Catholic content creator, handmade jewelry maker, and twin mom based in Chicago. She runs Ite Ad Joseph, an Etsy shop where she designs faith-inspired jewelry by hand after her boys go to sleep. Francesca is known online for her honest, unfiltered perspective on body image, young motherhood, and navigating faith as a plus-size woman in the Catholic space. She lives in the city with her husband Christian and their twin sons, Joseph and Benedict. Follow Francesca: https://www.instagram.com/francescajanssen_/Chapters00:00 Babies and Beautiful Chaos00:40 Meet Fran: Twin Mom at 2403:44 The Unsolicited Advice Industrial Complex05:00 Newly Married, Immediately Outnumbered06:43 "Trying to Find Myself Through Other People"08:50 Falling Down Stairs Tearing ACL10:55 First Dates and the Feast of St. Joseph13:30 "Never Thought I Was Worth Pursuing"15:00 Liv's 300-Pound Weight Loss17:30 Friends Who Make a Living Being Beautiful20:20 Pregnant, Plus-Size, Carrying Twins23:00 "If I Just Hit This Number" Lie25:50 Every Woman Sees Something She'd Change27:20 Curvy Catholic Fashion Finds30:30 Learning to Forgive Yourself34:20 Twin Mom Survival Tips35:50 Breastfeeding Guilt Nobody Talks About38:10 Birth Plans, Epidurals, and Letting Go of "Superwoman"40:40 Where Comparison Really Starts41:10 Fran's Jewelry Shop43:10 Prayer Requests and Closing

🎨 Fabiola Garza spent 10+ years at Disney, then left it all to draw saints for kids. In this episode of The LIVing Room, she sits down with Liv Harrison to talk about hitting a creative plateau, the moment her side project outgrew her day job, and what it took to go full-time as the artist behind the beloved Princesses of Heaven children's book series.They also get real about Catholic singleness over 30, why God promises himself and not a white picket fence, and Fabiola teases what's next. Including Catholic toys, Princesses of Heaven Vol. 2, and the long-awaited boys' saints book.⭐️ Guest BioFabiola Garza is a Catholic artist, author, and illustrator with over 10 years of experience at Disney in merchandise design. She is the creator of the Princesses of Heaven children's book series and has worked with publishers including Pauline Books & Media. Her work brings a Disney-trained eye for whimsy and storytelling to Catholic children's content.🔗 LinksConnect with Fabiola Garza: https://www.instagram.com/fabiolagarzacreates/Follow Liv Harrison: https://instagram.com/@livharrisonIn This Episode00:00 Why Whimsy Isn't Immaturity04:08 How Imagination Became a Vocation06:01 Holiness Over Catholic Check Marks08:44 The JPII Book That Almost Didn't Happen11:20 10 Years at Disney and the Creative Plateau14:06 "When Are You Leaving Disney?"17:20 Saying Yes to the Unknown21:22 St. Therese, Rosary Walks, and Discernment 24:20 Playing Convent at the Playground29:50 What the Church Gets Wrong About Singleness33:40 "God Promises Himself, Not a Husband"37:37 Toys, Princesses of Heaven Vol. 2, and the Boys' Book42:50 Prayer Request

🎧 In this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison sits down with Marilis Piñeiro, former religious sister, Vatican insider, and the woman behind Ex Nun on the Run, for a conversation that covers convent life, conclave chaos, singleness, hot takes, and what it actually looks like to build a life you love on your own terms. Marillis tells the story of working alongside Pope Francis during his 2015 US visit, including the moment she accidentally told him to go to bed (he meant the next dinner course). If you've ever wrestled with vocation, boundaries, singleness, or what it means to live with both courage and peace, this one's for you.⭐️ Guest BioMarilis Piñeiro is a former religious sister who spent almost nine years in the convent and three years working for the Vatican, including during Pope Francis's 2015 apostolic visit to the United States. She's the voice behind Ex Nun on the Run, where she shares honest conversations about faith, singleness, boundaries, and navigating life after religious life. She currently lives in Italy and co-hosts a podcast on Catholic singleness with her friend Gabrielle.👉 Links✅ Connect with Marilis Piñeiro: https://www.instagram.com/exnunontherun/✅ Follow Liv Harrison: https://instagram.com/@livharrison🗒️ In This Episode00:00 What "Normal" Looks Like After Rome Jubilee01:25 Conclave 2025 05:52 Telling Pope Francis to Go to Bed10:00 Hot Takes and Travel Stories11:15 Catholic Social Teaching Doesn't Pick a Party14:30 The Courage to Speak Up16:10 Leaving the Convent: Almost Nine Years In19:20 Rebuilding a Prayer Life After Hurt and Anger22:10 Why She Started a Podcast About Being Single 24:50 "I'm Not Dying to Get Married"28:30 Bare Minimum Men and Fulton Sheen 32:20 Vulnerability With Boundaries36:10 How to Pray for Marilis

🎤 In this episode of The Living Room, Liv Harrison sits down with actress, writer, and producer Siobhan Fallon Hogan for a hilarious, heartfelt, and totally unfiltered conversation about being Catholic in Hollywood for over 30 years. She tells incredible stories about going to Sunday night Mass with Chris Farley after SNL, how the Hallow app helped Catholics finally "shout it out," and why she thinks the culture is shifting. Siobhan opens up writing her way into Hollywood with a one-woman show when nobody would cast her, restarting her parish Bible camp after Uvalde because "the kids thirst for faith," and how her new EWTN+ podcast Catholics and Cappuccinos was born at the Napa Catholic arts gathering. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to be loud, funny, faithful, and totally yourself in an industry that doesn't always make that easy, this conversation is for you.Guest BioSiobhan Fallon Hogan is an actress, writer, and producer known for roles in Forrest Gump, Holes, Dancer in the Dark, Charlotte's Web, Seinfeld, and Saturday Night Live. She has written and produced multiple films including Shelter in Solitude and Rushed, and her play about her mother's passing will open at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago this fall. She is the host of Catholics and Cappuccinos on EWTN+.LinksConnect with Siobhan Fallon Hogan: https://www.instagram.com/siobhanfallonhogan/Watch Catholics and Cappuccinos on EWTN+: https://www.ewtn.com/programs/9949-ca...Follow Liv Harrison: https://instagram.com/@livharrisonChapter Markers00:00 The Play, The Nails, and Why This Already Feels Like a Living Room03:20 Meet Siobhan Fallon Hogan (and Catholics and Cappuccinos)07:37 Being Catholic in Hollywood Before It Was Cool09:26 She Quit a TV Role Over an Affair Scene That Started in Mass11:20 Chris Farley, Sunday Night Mass, and Two Irish Terrors14:10 Kevin James Fasted 40 Days16:01 A Priest Required Mass and 2,000 More People Showed Up17:22 Bible Camp, Uvalde, and Why the Kids Thirst for Faith18:15 "Stop Thinking About Yourself": The Fallon Family School of Tough Love20:34 Forrest Gump and What Your Favorite Role Says About You26:30 From Receptionist to SNL29:48 The Salty PTA and Writing Through Every Phase of Life30:00 Imposter Syndrome, Creative Visualization, and Adding Faith

🎙️ In this episode of The LIVing Room, Liv Harrison sits down with Mackenzie Hunter: content creator, digital strategist, and the voice behind Caffeinated Catholic, for a honest, funny, and real conversation about taking the scariest leap of your life when God makes it obvious.Mackenzie Hunter is the creator behind Caffeinated Catholic and the founder of ACC Digital Strategy, where she helps Catholic and mission-driven companies expand their reach through digital strategy. With a background in advertising and a double major in Strategic Communications and Catholic Studies, she recently made the leap to full-time freelance work in the Catholic media space. She is also part of the production team for EWTN’s Seeking Beauty and a member of the Digital Continent Collective.✅ Follow Mackenzie Hunter / Caffeinated Catholic: https://instagram.com/@caffeinatedcatholic✅ Follow Liv Harrison: https://instagram.com/@livharrison

🎙️In this episode of the living room, Liv Harrison sits down with Edmund Mitchell for a raw, unfiltered conversation about marriage, consent, and what happens when faith gets stress-tested in real life. Edmund shares the kind of behind-the-scenes honesty Catholics rarely hear out loud. They talk about the hidden reality of separation, divorce, and annulments in Catholic circles, and how complex these stories often are. Edmund describes reaching out for help and feeling a “don’t ask, don’t tell” awkwardness, then finding some of the most practical resources outside explicitly Catholic spaces. He opens up about anxious attachment, the painful truth that you can’t fully say yes if you don’t have the inner capacity to say no, and what healing has looked like since. If you’ve ever felt trapped by pressure, confused about annulments, or wondered how to trust God when life doesn’t “work out,” this episode will hit home.Edmund Mitchell is a brand strategist, catechist, and content creator with over 10 years experience in Catholic parish ministry, marketing, and business. He is part of Digital Continent, and is co-founder of Real+True, The Faith & AI Project, and Zealous Parish Ministers.✅ Connect with Edmund Mitchell: https://instagram.com/@edmundmitchell✅ Follow Liv Harrison: https://instagram.com/@livharrisonIn this Episode00:00 Feeling Saturated By Catholic Content02:02 Does It Matter If Catholic Creators Aren’t Believers?04:08 When Artistic Casting Works (And When It Breaks The Story)06:34 Acting Vs Believing: Shia LaBeouf, Padre Pio, And Immersion11:26 Divorce Isn’t Always Simple: Agency, Blame, And Complexity13:45 “The Church Was Ill-Equipped”: Separation, Shock, And Support16:11 Annulments Explained: The Topic Catholics Don’t Get A Brochure For18:50 Family Pressure, Consent, And What Can Make A Marriage Invalid23:35 Healing After It Breaks You: Attachment, Fear, And Raising Kids Differently25:57 Would He Ever Remarry? Vocation, Fatherhood, And Starting Over28:19 Freedom Vs Fear: Trusting Yourself Again After Trauma34:34 Facing The Shadow Side: Capacity For Sin And Honest Spirituality36:13 Meeting Jesus After Divorce: “I’m Not Going Anywhere”45:11 Choosing Change In Every Relationship49:57 AI, Doom Vs Boom, And Edmund’s Work Today52:17 Practical Tools: Reclaiming Agency + Nervous System Awareness54:19 Praying With The Saints: Asking St. Anthony For Courage59:07 Vulnerability, Safety, And Real Conversations#itsnotthatlate #livharrison #catholicradio #catholiclatenight #latenightshow #catholicshow #catholicyoutube #catholicpodcast #permissiontobeextraordinary