The Catholic Morning Show

Monica Pugh's Award-Winning Column on Prayer - 07/22/2026

Episode Summary

Monica Pugh, Director of Faith Formation at St. John the Apostle Parish in Norwalk and columnist for the Diocese of Des Moines' Catholic Mirror, joins The Catholic Morning Show to celebrate her honorable mention in the 2026 Catholic Media Awards. Monica opens up about the personal side of writing her "On Prayer" column, including this month's reflection on Saint Mary Magdalene, and why she leans into vulnerability when writing about faith. She and host Bo Bonner also discuss why supporting local Catholic media and journalism matters alongside national Catholic programming.

Episode Notes

Episode Notes

About Monica Pugh

• Director of Faith Formation, St. John the Apostle Parish, Norwalk, Iowa
• Writes the monthly "On Prayer" column for the Catholic Mirror, the Diocese of Des Moines' newspaper
• Recently earned an honorable mention in the 2026 Catholic Media Awards from the Catholic Media Association

In This Interview

• How Anne Marie Cox first invited Monica to write the column for the Jubilee Year
• This month's column on Saint Mary Magdalene, inspired by a piece of artwork in a chapel at the University of Mary
• Why Monica writes with vulnerability, focusing on the everyday struggles of prayer
• The Catholic Mirror's new magazine format and why local Catholic journalism matters

Read Monica's Column Subscribe to the Catholic Mirror and read "On Prayer": https://www.dmdiocese.org/catholic-mirror

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