Praying with the Popes: Words of Hope and Peace from Leo XIII to Leo XIV

A Spiritual Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching

Winner of a 2026 CMA Book Award from the Catholic Media Association: Catholic Social Teaching (First Place).

In this unique collection, the timeless teachings from twelve modern popes are gathered into one powerful prayer book. Praying with the Popes invites you to journey through a century and a half of papal wisdom--from Leo XIII to Leo XIV--and discover a unified witness to hope, justice, and peace, offering a window into the heart of the Vatican and the soul of the Church.

Catholic speaker and author Katie McGrady writes in the introduction "As you pray with our popes from Leo XIII to Leo XIV, may you discover anew the hope and peace of Christ, which compels us all to engage the social ills of our day and move forward in making the world a better place for all people now--and for generations to come."

Praying with the Popes: Words of Hope and Peace from Leo XIII to Leo XIV gathers powerful quotes from the writings of these successors of Peter. Their words are offered as a source of reflection and prayer--inviting readers to grow in hope, to deepen their understanding of the Church's vision of peace, and to foster a Christ-centered love that moves us to daily action on behalf of justice.

At once a spiritual, theological, and doctrinal introduction to Catholic social teaching, Praying with the Popes also serves as a practical guide for living it out in our world today. When Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope, was elected to the papacy in May 2025 and took the name Leo XIV, many recognized in his choice a clear alignment with the legacy of Leo XIII, the final pope of the nineteenth century. The twelve popes from Leo XIII to Leo XIV guided the Church through tremendous economic, political, and social upheaval. In doing so, they consistently encouraged the faithful to engage more deeply with the Church's social teachings--teachings that equip believers to live out Christ's commandment to love as he loves and to help bring about God's kingdom of peace on earth.

Each chapter begins with a short profile of the featured pope, followed by six brief excerpts from his writings. Quotes are paired with prompts for personal reflection, prayer, and sometimes concrete actions that embody the message of justice and love.

The popes featured in this book served the Church from 1878 to 2025:

• Leo XIII
• Pius X
• Benedict XV
• Pius XI
• Pius XII
• John XXIII
• Paul VI
• John Paul I
• John Paul II
• Benedict XVI
• Francis
• Leo XIV

Before they were bishops of Rome, the popes of the Catholic Church were first sons of God and men of prayer. Each was uniquely gifted in mind and heart and, through those graces, led the Church--and each soul within it--closer to Christ. Let their voices guide you into deeper prayer and greater commitment to the Gospel call to champion justice, peace, and the dignity of every human person.

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Katie Prejean McGrady is host of the Ave Explores podcast and The Katie McGrady Showon Sirius XM's The Catholic Channel. She is an international speaker, the author of Room 24: Adventures of a New Evangelist and Follow: Your Lifelong Adventure with Jesus, and the coauthor of Lent: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens, Advent and Christmas: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens, and First Reconciliation and Beyond: A Family's Guide for Learning and Living Forgiveness.

Prejean McGrady also serves as host of the Like a Mother podcast and cohost of Family Mass Prep on the Hallow app. She writes for several outlets, including Blessed is She, Our Sunday Visitor, and Aleteia, and contributes coverage on the Vatican and Church news to CNN. Prejean McGrady has spoken at the National Catholic Youth Conference, Steubenville Youth Conferences, and the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, as well as in dioceses and parishes throughout the world.

Prejean McGrady earned a theology degree from the University of Dallas.

She lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with her husband Tommy and their children.

Shannon Wimp Schmidt is the content director of the ecumenical youth ministry collaboration TENx10, coauthor of Fat Luther, Slim Pickin's: A Black Catholic Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Diversity, cohost of the Plaid Skirts and Basic Black podcast, and a founding member of Catholics United for Black Lives.

Schmidt earned a bachelor's degree in theology and Italian from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree in pastoral studies from Catholic Theological Union. She has more than a decade of experience in youth and pastoral ministry and has served in various capacities, including director of OCIA, adult faith formation coordinator, diversity educator, interfaith ministry leader, and theology teacher.

Schmidt is a regular contributor to FemCatholic and U.S. Catholic magazine. Her work has been featured in the Catholic Standard, in the National Catholic Reporter, and on CatholicTV's This Is the Day.

Schmidt lives with her husband and their four children in the Chicago, Illinois, area.

Eileen M. Ponder is executive editor of ministry resources at Ave Maria Press.