Our Blessed Lord makes it clear through his holy Church that he desires to bring all people into loving communion with himself. Today, the Holy Spirit exhorts each and every one of us to participate in proclaiming the Gospel message in every way possible, including through the use of modern media.

“We deem it opportune to remind our children of their duty to take an active part in public life and to contribute toward the attainment of the common good of the entire human family as well as to that of their own political community… Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a vivifying leaven amidst his fellow men. And he will be this all the more perfectly, the more closely he lives in communion with God in the intimacy of his own soul.”

“On all Christians rests the noble obligation of working to bring all men throughout the world to hear and accept the divine message of salvation”

It is easy to recognize that there are many hurting people in our society. Indeed, Jesus’ world was also full of those who were hurting and lonely, broken and sick. It was those people that Jesus ministered to. Jesus loved each person he met and shared with them his message of love and forgiveness. We are called to follow Christ’s example. To reach out in love to those in need. To teach those who are hungry and searching for truth. We must bring the Faith to the crippled and poor of the world.

The Church today utilizes many avenues of evangelization and catechesis. These include Catholic schools and hospitals, as well as RCIA and religious education programs. Sadly, these programs are often unsuccessful in spreading the truths of the Faith to those they encounter and to whom they minister.

Just a few statistics are needed to highlight the impact and effectiveness of traditional means of catechesis.

· Just “10% of lay religious teachers accept church teaching on contraception. 53% believe a Catholic can have an abortion and remain a good Catholic. 65% believe that Catholics may divorce and remarry.”[1]

· 77% “Believe one can be a good Catholic without going to mass on Sundays.”[2]

· Responses to the “Survey of Persons Who Were Received Through RCIA” show that only 50% of those who went through RCIA were actively involved in a “ministry or committee in the parish… any other” service.[3]

· Almost half of all Catholic high schools in the United States have closed since 1965. About 4,000 Parochial schools closed their doors, and the number of pupils is under 2 million -- from 4.5 million.[4]

Radio as a Tool for Evangelization
Because of the changing social and cultural environment, many traditional programs of catechesis and evangelization have been relatively ineffective in reaching the lost and teaching the Faith. The Catholic Church must develop new ways to evangelize and catechize. With the advent of new technology, there are new means of evangelization and catechesis available. These media, including television, radio, and the internet, offer effective, unique, and innovative ways to reach out to the lost.

Among them Catholic radio has proven to be one of the most effective means in this mission of evangelization. Because Catholic radio is personal, timely, local, and cost-effective, it has become “The Instrument of the New Evangelization.”

The Church herself recognizes the role that Catholic radio has in spreading the Faith. The voice of the Holy Spirit in our time, the Second Vatican Council says that:

“The most important of these inventions are those media which, such as radio…, can, of their very nature, reach and influence, not only individuals, but the very masses and the whole of human society” (Inter Mirifica, 1).

The Catholic Radio Association has prepared a booklet that addresses the issue of “Why Catholic Radio?” in more depth. The booklet, “Catholic Radio: The Instrument for the New Evangelization,” is available as a reference and information source. Please utilize this booklet to spread the word about Catholic radio. An in-depth study and analysis of Catholic radio, and its impact on catechesis and evangelization, is currently being researched and written. This analysis will be available in book format when it is completed.

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[2] Jones, “Index of Leading Catholic Indicators: The Church since Vatican II”.

[3] Dean R. Hoge, “Appendix A: Survey of Persons Who Were Received Through the RCIA,” Amazing Growth, The RCIA Story (Washington, DC: Secretariat for Evangelization, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2003). USCCB, 24 August 2004, http://www.usccb.org/evangelization/appendixa.htm.

[4] Jones, “Index of Leading Catholic Indicators: The Church since Vatican II”.