Apologize and Don’t Be Sorry
By Father Shane Tharp
September 10, 2006
Use All Available Resources to Spread Faith
Last issue, I sang the praises of Catholic podcasting. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I must confess one thing that dissatisfies me.
I can’t talk back.
You can see the scene, can’t you? I am driving somewhere, listening to “Catholic Answers” or some other show, and someone makes a comment to which I want to respond but I can’t. I can’t because the episode is two weeks old, and I don’t care what you say about the ontological change related to holy orders, time travel is not included in the package. There’s another issue as well.
Not everybody is all that technologically savvy. For some readers, the thought of doing anything with their computer, much less the Internet left them decidedly cold. As one of my priest friend puts it, “In my book, technology is just another word for magic.” That brings up another issue.
What about all those people whom we would like to evangelize but can’t get to? Certainly, having Catholic podcasts is good for us, but what about them? The odds that they would hop onto iTunes and subscribe to “Heart, Mind and Strength” or some other Catholic broadcast seem unlikely. No, podcasts are great, but there is something better.
The better vehicle for outreach is live Catholic radio. As Catholics, we possess the fullness of Christian faith — fullness expressed in our creed, our sacraments, our moral convictions, and the diversity in the ways of prayer. This fullness affords Catholics a unique world view, a unique answer to which everyone, I am convinced, is searching. Ultimately, this fullness expresses itself in the fact that the truth we profess is not a something. It’s someone.
Evangelization means revealing the person of Christ to our neighbors (and in the interest of continuing conversion ourselves as well) so that they may respond to His offer of life and grace. Through Catholic radio, evangelization is literally the turn of a knob away. My own work with Relevant Radio suggests this is true. I regularly receive e-mails and other messages from listeners who say that they were away from the Church or were considering entering the Church but were afraid. They were afraid until they heard one program on air and that changed their mind. That one show simplified the process of returning to Christ and His Church for that person.
“If Catholic radio is so great, why don’t we have it in the Archdiocese,” some will wonder. Well, we’re working on that. Oklahoma Catholic Broadcasting, with whom I have the pleasure of being associated, is working to put together a station so that the Catholic Faith may be more broadly proclaimed. Right now, we are starting small. We are bringing “Catholic Answers Live” to KTLR 890 AM from 3 to 5 p.m. Fridays. From this small start, we hope to have our own station, but that’s a ways down the pike. In the meantime, you can check out these Catholic radio stations and get a little taste of what I am talking about.
I have to mention the station I work with, Relevant Radio. Relevant Radio broadcasts from Green Bay, Wis. Its motto is “Bridging the Gap Between Faith and Everyday Life.” Inspired by Pope John Paul the Great’s call for a new evangelization, Relevant Radio works to make available programming which answers people’s most pressing questions. Check them out at http://www.relevantradio.com
Ave Maria Radio serves a large audience as well. Al Kresta and his staff bring together some of the most excellent presenters on various topics related to Catholic life. From Catholic therapist Dr. Gregory Popcak to Teresa Tomeo, these folks work very hard to shed the light of the Catholic faith on whatever might be troubling us. For more information, check them out at http://www.avemariaradio.net.
Immaculate Heart Radio has been working to evangelize the West Coast. As they describe themselves, “[w]e are dedicated to sharing the heart of the Christian faith and changing lives through radio airwaves.” Along with nationally syndicated programming from EWTN and other Catholic media sources, they produce their own pro-life apologetics show called “Voice for Life.” Immaculate Heart is a good example of a cooperative effort in which many small stations have banded together for the same mission. Check them out at http://www.ihradio.org.
All of these stations, and several others, can be heard live on the Internet. The point today is the same point I made last issue. We have an abundance of useful resources at our disposal so that we can grow in our understanding of the teaching of Christ as found in the Catholic Church. Let’s support those apostolates which bring us closer to Christ so that we can bring all of our families, friends and neighbors closer to Christ as well.