Immaculate Heart Radio AM 1010 is on the air

Bishop Wester said in his homily, "This certainly is an exciting moment for all of us in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, which encompasses the entire State of Utah, almost 35,000 square miles.

Bishop Wester placed the inauguration of KIHU 1010 under the patronage of Mary Queen of Heaven on her feast day.

"How appropriate, and what a great grace God has given us to inaugurate this station on Mary’s feast day," said Bishop Wester. "I pray that all of us when we hear this station will remember this connection to this wonderful feast day, and that Aug. 22, will always be special in our diocese.

"The Word of God can now go out over this radio station, KIHU 1010," said Bishop Wester. "We pray that that Word might touch our hearts always, and deepen us as Christ’s holy Church. We are so blessed that God loves us so much that he has touched our hearts and our ears to hear his holy Word. May this radio station continue to proclaim that Word faithfully so that Jesus Christ might be praised."

Bishop Wester then blessed all those present, the transmitter, the tower, and all the radio equipment with holy water.

Colleen Gudreau, director of communications for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, said the fact that the Church provides a ritual blessing for this type of event is a sign that the Church recognizes radio as an extremely important means of communication and evangelization.

"In the Church’s mission of evangelization, catechesis and liturgy are intimately connected," said Gudreau. "By broadcasting the liturgy over the entire Immaculate Heart Radio network, every listener was able to be actively present at the ritual," said Gudreau. "That is the power of radio."

Vicar General Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald said, "It might be surprising to some that Catholic radio stations are not new for us in Utah. While we have never before had the great privilege of having a full-blown radio station at our disposal, we do have a long history with radio.

"As early as 1938, the Paulist Fathers arrived in the Uintah Basin, Vernal, and brought with them their tradition as a community, the commitment to communications," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "So for many years, off and on, they had the Paulist radio programs and their spots played throughout Utah on commercial radio stations.

"Some time after that, the Paulists took up residence at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Layton," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "That became their mission center for the Intermountain West. From there they went out missionizing to various areas in the west, and as a part of their ministry, they were very active in broadcasting their programs on our radio stations."

Msgr. Fitzgerald said Bishop Duane G. Hunt (1937-1960) taught communications at the University of Utah before he was a Catholic priest. He was a convert to the faith. Bishop Hunt was well-known for his deep voice and his fine ability to articulate the Catholic faith. For many years Bishop Hunt had a weekly radio program broadcast throughout the west.

"We are told that people throughout the west eagerly awaited, and I too, recall as a child, listening to his broadcasts," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "Because as a minority in this large state, when we heard his voice articulate our faith and our unity with the universal Church, we understood we were a part of something much larger than ourselves."

Msgr. Fitzgerald said many might remember Father Thomas Meersman’s weekly radio program broadcast from the Cathedral of the Madeleine. He and many others would carry on the Catholic news of interest explaining the various feast days and teachings of our Church.

"Presently we have Father Omar Ontiveros, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, who has a daily 15-minute program on Spanish radio," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "We are told he has a great host of people who listen to him.

"This brings, in many ways, the tradition that has been sporadic over the years," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "We are most truly blessed to have Bishop Wester, who is young, enthusiastic, and truly grew up with technology. It is clear he truly values the potential of Catholic radio in Utah."

Bishop Wester said today radio still has a common place in our culture among all kinds of technology.

"Radio has a very important place in our culture and our society," said Bishop Wester. "People depend on and enjoy the radio while they are driving or at work. Shut-ins like the radio because it makes them feel like they are not so alone. Catholic radio fills an important place in our diocese, our society, and our church. It allows us to get the word out to people that otherwise might not be able to hear it. It is a way to reach people who are working two or three jobs to feed their families and have to miss Mass. This way they can hear the readings for the day, and hear the Word of God. It is not a substitute for Mass, but it is something that can connect them and help them."

Bishop Wester said Catholic radio offers a variety such as talk shows, questions and answers, Masses, the rosary, reflections of the Word of God, liturgical services, and music. It touches a wide variety of people.

Doug Sherman said to Bishop Wester and to Msgr. Fitzgerald, "It has been wonderful to witness this and to work with you for so many months in this collaboration.

"On behalf of thousands and thousands of listeners who are tuned in this morning and know from their experience what it has meant to have Catholic radio on the air, I would like to give you a token of our appreciation," said Sherman.

Sherman gave Bishop Wester an inscribed crystal radio tower for his desk, in thanks for his support.

Sherman said listeners have contacted the station to say hearing their faith on the air has brought them back to the Catholic Church or back to the Sacraments, into the Church for the first time, or into a deeper relationship with God.