When Pope Francis passed away in April 2025, Catholic media entered an intense and emotional season of reporting. Among those on the ground in Rome was Gretchen R. Crowe, Editor-in-Chief of OSV News and a Catholic mom of three. In this episode, Katie McGrady talks with Gretchen about the whirlwind of covering a papal funeral, the interregnum, and the election of Pope Leo, all while navigating the personal cost of being away from her family.

Links:

• Visit OSV News for coverage and daily updates
• Subscribe to The Bulletin, OSV News’ daily newsletter: osvnews.com
• Follow Gretchen Crowe on Twitter/X: @GretchenOSV
• Listen to OSV’s daily newscast: OSV NewsCast

An OSV Podcasts original. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

What if the best way to raise a curious, creative, and confident child… is to let them be bored?

This week on Like A Mother, Katie McGrady is joined by Catholic school librarian and mother of two boys, Elizabeth Nava, to talk about parenting through summer break, encouraging a love for reading, and why building a “capacity for boredom” might be the best gift you can give your kids.

They unpack:

• The joy of summer reading competitions (and Outback Steakhouse gift cards)
• How to actually get your kids excited to read
• Why audiobooks and podcasts are secret parenting superpowers
• Setting healthy screen boundaries without guilt
• Why boredom fuels imagination, wonder, and resilience

This episode is equal parts nostalgic, practical, and empowering—perfect for moms seeking a more peaceful, purposeful summer at home.

Plus, Katie shares her own story of catching her family in a “summer snapshot” moment, and why it was better than any Instagram photo could’ve been.

An OSV Podcasts original. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

In this rewind-worthy conversation, Katie is joined by Elizabeth Nava — Catholic mom, school librarian, homemaker, Etsy shop owner, and everyday theologian of the domestic church. Together, they dive deep into the danger of absolutes in motherhood — the “I’ll always” and “I’ll never” — and explore what real discernment looks like in the mess of everyday life.

Elizabeth shares candidly about her identity as a homemaker, navigating secondary infertility, returning to work for the sake of her family, and discovering God’s grace in the pivot. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, a working mom, or somewhere in between, this episode is a warm, thoughtful reflection on surrender, flexibility, and living the vocation of motherhood with purpose.

An OSV Podcasts original. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.