New Catholic radio station is now on the air

Bishop Timothy L. Doherty ceremonially “throws the switch” for the new Catholic radio station in Noblesville on Oct. 12. (Photo by Caroline B. Mooney/The Catholic Moment)

By Caroline B. Mooney (The Catholic Moment)

NOBLESVILLE—A new Catholic radio station hit the air on Oct. 12—the first in the Lafayette Diocese and the second in central Indiana.

Lafayette Bishop Timothy L. Doherty blessed the venture and ceremonially “threw the switch” at the tower site of “Clearly Catholic” radio, 90.9 FM.

The bishop also celebrated Mass, which was broadcast live.

“Catholic radio literally catapulted my household into an understanding of why Catholics do what we do,” said Jerri Keller, a member of St. John Vianney Parish in Fishers, Ind., in the Lafayette Diocese. “The national call-in shows are outstanding, and eavesdropping on those shows is by far the most efficient way to learn my faith. I don’t have much time or opportunity to do so—a few minutes on the way to [the store] at night, but those minutes have been golden.

“People call in with every question imaginable about things I do and about things I will never do,” she said, “but the explanations of Church teaching, and the reasoning and logic, [are] fascinating.

“This Noblesville station is a real treasure,” Keller said. “The evangelization capacity of this station is enormous.”

Programming is offered 24 hours a day and seven days a week to Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, Fishers and surrounding areas, and is listener-supported with several programs funded through underwriting sponsors.

The listening area is an improvement for those tuning in where WSPM, Catholic Radio Indy’s original signal at 89.1 FM, is not clearly heard.

Both stations are operated by Inter Mirifica Inc., a small not-for-profit corporation named after a Second Vatican Council document that encouraged Catholics worldwide to start radio and TV stations to spread the Catholic faith.

WSPM is licensed to Cloverdale-Indianapolis, and covers an area from just east of Terre Haute to Indianapolis.

The new station’s call letters are WSQM.

Programming for both stations also can be heard anywhere through their website at www.catholicradioindy.org.

Bob Teipen, chairman of Inter Mirifica Inc., and his wife, Sharon, were instrumental in getting both stations on the air.

Work to put the new station on the air began in July 2007. There were seven applicants for the frequency at Noblesville, and the Federal Communications Commission didn’t decide until August 2010 to award the construction permit for the new station to Inter Mirifica. Since then, they have been doing engineering work, purchasing equipment, installing a 700-pound antenna and testing the equipment.

Initially, WSQM and WSPM will have nearly identical programming. In time, each station may begin to carry more locally produced programs tailored to their specific geographic areas.

In the late 1990s, there were fewer than 10 Catholic stations in the country.

Jim Ganley, Inter Mirifica’s general manager, said today there are almost 200 Catholic stations.

“Currently, the programming comes from a number of sources all over the country,” Ganley said. “The ‘Son Rise Morning Show’ originates in Cincinnati; the daily Mass and the rosary come from EWTN in Birmingham [Ala.], ‘Catholic Connections,’ ‘The Doctor Is In’ and ‘Kresta in the Afternoon’ come from Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor, Mich., and ‘Catholic Answers Live’ comes from San Diego, Calif.”

The stations also carry a number of locally produced programs, including “Faith In Action,” a local interview program that features area residents.

In his homily during the Mass, Bishop Doherty said, “It’s a wonderful moment for us to be here. … Anytime a bishop talks, he is supposed to be speaking under the umbrella of the ‘New Evangelization.’ Now what is that?

“The New Evangelization can’t add anything to the message of Jesus, but it refers to a new awareness with new tools and new opportunities. … Sometimes we have to find means to go out to meet people when they are not so mobile or available,” he said. “There are people who listen who can’t move very far from their bed or their home. They can be included in our community by hearing the things that are going on, and by joining our prayer to our faith to their prayers—this is a wonderful community builder.

“I am very proud of this,” he said. “Let’s not forget to be very proud of the Lord who calls us, and gives us life and breath. He is who we hope to represent and share.”

Msgr. Joseph Schaedel, pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis, said he remembered when people came to see Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein to talk about starting a Catholic radio station in the Indianapolis area.

“It was just a dream at that time,” he said. “We were amazed at how quickly the Providence of God allowed that dream to be fulfilled. Not without struggles, not without sacrifice, and not without the generosity of lots and lots of people.

“… It is a great delight for me to be here today,” said Msgr. Schaedel, who is also vicar for religious and director of the archdiocesan Mission Office and Society for the Propagation of the Faith. “You can be sure Catholic radio has the continued support of the archdiocese and of Bishop [Christopher J.] Coyne,” the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator.

Gordon Smith, an Inter Mirifica board member, said the new station “is all good. It’s for the betterment of the Church and our Catholic faith. We try to get our diocesan priests involved as much as possible, asking them to come by, and record seasonal greetings and prayers and do interviews.

“This is a great resource for this area,” he said. “We can catch people and give them information about the faith at times when they aren’t around their priests.”

Jill Metz, a member of St. John Vianney Parish in Fishers in the Lafayette Diocese, said she is excited for the new station to reach more people.

“I have enjoyed listening to Catholic radio,” she said. “I like the interviews a lot, and I have learned a lot from our local priests who have been on the air. I enjoy getting to know people in the diocese who are interviewed and learning about them in a more personal way.”

(Caroline B. Mooney is a contributing editor for The Catholic Moment, newspaper of the Lafayette Diocese. For more information, log on to the website at www.catholicradioindy.org or call Jim Ganley at 317-870-8400, ext. 21, or send an e-mail to him at jim@CatholicRadioIndy.org.) †