Ave Maria Press is thrilled to announce that Katie McGrady—Ave author and host of Ave Explores—received the first Sheen Award for radio and podcasting. The award was presented at the inaugural Sheen Awards Gala in Peoria, Illinois, on September 25, following Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s beatification in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 24. The Sheen Awards recognize individuals whose work in media, evangelization, mission, and liturgy carries forward Sheen’s legacy of bringing Christ to the world with creativity, conviction, and joy.
McGrady joined the Ave family in 2016 with her first book, Room 24, in which she shared the lessons and challenges of teaching theology to high school students. Since then, she has authored several books, including Follow, Advent and Christmas: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens, Lent: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens, First Reconciliation and Beyond, and First Communion and Beyond.
In 2018, McGrady became the host of Ave Explores, launching the podcast with its inaugural series on the Synod of Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. Since then, she has grown the podcast to nearly one million downloads and 34 series exploring a wide range of topics, including Mary, the saints, faith and science, stress, anxiety and mental health, the Mass, liturgical living, and digital evangelization.
Today, McGrady is a leading voice in Catholic media, hosting The Katie McGrady Show on SiriusXM and serving as a Vatican analyst for CNN, in addition to her work with Ave Explores. In 2025, she facilitated a historic live conversation via Zoom between Pope Leo XIV and thousands of teens attending the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Through her writing, broadcasting, and engagement with Catholics of all ages, McGrady continues to bring the Catholic faith to new audiences, carrying forward Blessed Sheen’s legacy of communicating the Gospel with creativity, conviction, and joy.
