Radio Maria
Encyclopedia
Radio Maria is an international Catholic radio broadcasting
service founded in Erba
, province of Como
, in the diocese of Milan
in 1983. The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998 and today has branches in 55 countries around the world. Its mission includes Liturgy
, Catechesis
, Spirituality
, Spiritual assistance with everyday issues, Information, Music, and Culture.
, it was founded as an instrument of the Church, and as a tool for evangelization
, implementing and adhering to the teachings of the Church. It was inspired by the Marian apparitions at Fátima, Portugal
(and in more recent years in Medjugorje), pleading for worldwide conversion. As such, Radio Maria is not subsidized or funded by the Roman Catholic Church; instead it is underwritten by listener contributions.
The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998 out of its subsequent international growth in the 1990s, and following the 1987 speech by Pope John Paul II
in St Peter's Square addressing the need for a new evangelization. Emanuele Ferrario (inspired by the Pope's words to form that new evangelization) is the founder and president of Radio Maria Inc., which has since grown into an association of 40 multilingual broadcast operations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Overall, Radio Maria operates approximately 1,500 terrestrial radio transmitters worldwide.
(AM) in Alexandria, Louisiana
being the originating English language station, together with a network of several FM and AM repeaters in Louisiana, an AM repeater in Port Arthur, Texas, and an FM repeater in Anna, Ohio. An AM repeater in Springfield, Ohio east of Dayton commenced broadcasting in June 2008 with new FM repeaters in Hollidaysburg,Pennsylvania coming on the air in June 2009, D'Iberville, Mississippi and Peshtigo, Wisconin both in May of 2010. Spanish-language programming is heard on FM subcarrier
frequencies in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City and Washington, D.C.. Italian-language programming can also be heard on New York City FM subcarrier as well as French Canadian and English speaking services on FM subcarriers in Toronto
, Ontario. Audiostreaming is available from most of these stations.
, along with various talk and teaching programs discussing the Catholic faith, frequent recitals of the Holy Rosary, novenas and Masses.
, also known as SCA (for "Subsidiary Communications Authority
") facilities of FM stations, requiring the use of a receiver designed to receive SCA signals. Since the emergence of the internet, audiostreaming has been used extensively as a means to help fill-in gaps left by the unavailability of AM or FM frequencies in metropolitan areas already taken up by commercial, public, or other religious broadcasters.
Beginning in June 2008, there are now shortwave
transmissions originating from Italy at 26000 kHz and at 26010 kHz DRM making it the only (and last) shortwave service originating in Italy besides Vatican Radio
. There are presently no commercial satellite radio subscription services (such as Sky Digital
, Sirius
or XM) of Radio Maria. However its Spanish, Italian and Polish language stations may be available in some areas served by the Dish Pronto division of Dish Network
, a satellite television subscription service.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
service founded in Erba
Erba (CO)
Erba is a comune of some 17,000 inhabitants in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy...
, province of Como
Province of Como
The Province of Como is a province in the north of the Lombardy region of Italy and borders the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grigioni to the North, the Italian provinces of Sondrio and Lecco to the East, the Province of Milan to the south and the Province of Varese to the West...
, in the diocese of Milan
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan
The Archdiocese of Milan is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy. It has long maintained its own rite: the Ambrosian rite. It is led by the Archbishop of Milan who serves as metropolitan to the dioceses of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Crema, Cremona, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, and Vigevano.The...
in 1983. The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998 and today has branches in 55 countries around the world. Its mission includes Liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, Catechesis
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
, Spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, Spiritual assistance with everyday issues, Information, Music, and Culture.
History
Its first broadcast facility was originally parish operated, but was later re-formed as a separate entity outside its home parish as an association of lay people and priests in 1987 as Radio Maria Italia. In less than five years, it grew into a national Catholic radio network throughout Italy. Though not directly connected with the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, it was founded as an instrument of the Church, and as a tool for evangelization
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, implementing and adhering to the teachings of the Church. It was inspired by the Marian apparitions at Fátima, Portugal
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
(and in more recent years in Medjugorje), pleading for worldwide conversion. As such, Radio Maria is not subsidized or funded by the Roman Catholic Church; instead it is underwritten by listener contributions.
The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998 out of its subsequent international growth in the 1990s, and following the 1987 speech by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in St Peter's Square addressing the need for a new evangelization. Emanuele Ferrario (inspired by the Pope's words to form that new evangelization) is the founder and president of Radio Maria Inc., which has since grown into an association of 40 multilingual broadcast operations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Overall, Radio Maria operates approximately 1,500 terrestrial radio transmitters worldwide.
Radio Maria USA
Its USA operations is one of the newest joining the World Family in May 2000 with KJMJKJMJ
KJMJ "Radio Maria" is an American AM radio broadcasting stationin Alexandria, Louisiana where the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana is also headquartered and is the originating English language station of Radio Maria USA airing Catholic programming.-History:Originally founded in 1935 as KALB ,...
(AM) in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
being the originating English language station, together with a network of several FM and AM repeaters in Louisiana, an AM repeater in Port Arthur, Texas, and an FM repeater in Anna, Ohio. An AM repeater in Springfield, Ohio east of Dayton commenced broadcasting in June 2008 with new FM repeaters in Hollidaysburg,Pennsylvania coming on the air in June 2009, D'Iberville, Mississippi and Peshtigo, Wisconin both in May of 2010. Spanish-language programming is heard on FM subcarrier
Subcarrier
A subcarrier is a separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. More technically, it is an already-modulated signal, which is then modulated into another signal of higher frequency and bandwidth...
frequencies in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City and Washington, D.C.. Italian-language programming can also be heard on New York City FM subcarrier as well as French Canadian and English speaking services on FM subcarriers in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario. Audiostreaming is available from most of these stations.
Radio stations in Europe
| Country | Station name (language) | Availability | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
 Albania |
Radio Maria Shqiptare | FM coverage in major cities of Albania | http://www.radiomaria.al/ |
 Austria |
Radio Maria Österreich | FM in selected cities; digital and cable nationwide | http://www.radiomaria.at/ |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Radio Marija BiH | FM in Sarajevo and Banja Luka | http://www.radiomarija.ba/ |
 Independent State of Croatia |
Radio Marija Hrvatska | FM in Zagreb, Split and Virovitica | http://www.radiomarija.hr/ |
 Early Modern France |
Radio Maria France | 95.4 FM in Monaco, 1467 AM in Southern France | http://www.radiomaria.fr/ |
 Germany |
Radio Horeb | FM in Munich and other cities; digital and cable nationwide; FM in Maspalomas, Canary Islands |
http://www.horeb.org/ |
 Hungary |
Mária Rádió Magyarország | FM national coverage | http://www.mariaradio.hu/ |
 Italy |
Radio Maria | FM national coverage in Italy, San Marino, Monaco, parts of Switzerland and Austria; FM coverage in major cities of Albania |
http://www.radiomaria.it/ |
| Radio Maria Südtirol | FM in South Tyrol South Tyrol South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants... (Italy) and Tyrol Tyrol (state) Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of... (Austria) |
http://www.radiomaria.bz.it/ | |
 Lithuania |
Marijos Radijas Lietuva | FM national coverage | http://www.marijosradijas.lt/ |
 Malta |
Radju Marija Malta | FM national coverage | http://www.radjumarija.org/ |
 Netherlands Belgium |
Radio Maria Nederland & Vlaanderen | 675 AM in Netherlands; FM in Dutch-speaking part of Belgium - Flanders Flanders Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp... |
http://www.radiomaria.nl/ http://www.radiomaria.be/ |
 Kingdom of Romania |
Radio Maria România | FM in Transylvania Transylvania Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... : Oradea, Zalău, Blaj and Baia Mare |
http://www.radiomaria.ro/ |
| Mária Rádió Erdély | FM in Transylvania Transylvania Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... : Oradea, Hargita and Tășnad |
http://www.mariaradio.ro/ | |
 Russia |
Радио Мария | 1053 AM in Saint Petersburg 92,6 FM in Vyborg |
http://www.radiomaria.ru/ |
 Serbia |
Radio Marija Srbija Mária Rádió Szerbia |
FM in some cities, mainly in Vojvodina Vojvodina Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad... |
http://www.radiomarija.rs/ |
 Spain |
Radio María España | FM national coverage in Spain and Andorra | http://www.radiomaria.es/ http://www.radiomaria.cat/ |
 Switzerland |
Radio Maria Deutschschweiz | Digital and cable in the German-speaking part of Switzerland | http://www.radiomaria.ch/ |
 Ukraine |
Радіо Марія | 69.68 FM (OIRT band) in Kiev | http://radiomaria.org.ua/ |
Radio stations in the Middle East, Asia and Oceania
| Country | Station name (language) | Availability | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
 Indonesia |
Radio Maria Indonesia | 104.2 FM in Medan, North Sumatra | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Maria-Indonesia/349975990257 |
 Lebanon |
اذاعة صوت المحبة La Voix de la Charité The Voice of Charity Ձայնը Բարեգործության |
FM national coverage of Lebanon and some parts of Syria including Damascus Damascus Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major... |
http://www.radiocharity.org/ |
 Papua New Guinea |
Rádio Maria Papua New Guinea | FM national coverage and Shortwave | |
 Philippines |
Radio Maria Philippines Radio Maria Pilipinas |
FM in some cities, mainly on Luzon Island | http://www.radiomaria.ph/ |
Radio stations in Africa
| Country | Station name (language) | Availability | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
 Burkina Faso |
Radio Maria Burkina Faso | 91.6 FM Ouagadougou, 96.9 FM Koupéla | |
 Burundi |
Radio Maria Burundi | http://www.radiomaria.bi/ | |
 Central African Republic |
Radio Maria Beafrika | ||
 Republic of the Congo |
Radio Maria Congo-Brazzaville | ||
 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Radio Maria RDC | ||
 Gabon |
Radio Maria Gabon | 97.2 FM Oyem | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Maria-GabonOYEM/114727065248824 |
 Kenya |
Radio Maria Kenya | 88.1 FM Murang'a | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Maria-Kenya/211084098917796 |
 Malawi |
Radio Maria Malawi | FM in major cities | http://www.radiomaria.mw/ |
 Mozambique |
Rádio Maria Moçambique | FM in major cities | http://www.radiomaria.org.mz/ |
 Rwanda |
Radio Maria Rwanda | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomaria.org.rw/ |
 Sierra Leone |
Radio Maria Sierra Leone | FM in major cities | |
 Tanzania |
Radio Maria Tanzania | FM in major cities | http://www.radiomaria.co.tz/ |
 Togo |
Rádio Maria Togo | FM in major cities | http://www.radiomaria.tg/ |
 Uganda |
Radio Maria Uganda | FM in major cities | |
 Zambia |
Radio Maria Zambia | FM in major cities, covering also areas of Malawi and Mozambique | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Maria-Zambia/19072418761858 |
Radio stations in America
| Country | Station name (language) | Availability | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
Radio María Argentina | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomaria.org.ar/ |
 Bolivia |
Radio María Bolivia | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomaria.org.bo/ |
 Brazil |
Rádio Maria Brasil | 107.9 FM in Brasília | http://www.radiomaria.net.br/ |
 Canada |
Radio Maria Canada Radio Maria Canada |
FM-subcarriers Subsidiary Communications Authority Subsidiary Communications Authorization in the United States, and Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation in Canada, is a subcarrier on a radio station, allowing the station to broadcast additional services as part of its signal.-Background:"Subsidiary Communications Authorization" is the... in Toronto CHIN 100.7 FM and Montreal 91.3 FM |
http://www.radiomariacanada.org/ |
| HMWN Radio Maria HMWN Radio Maria HMWN Radio Maria is a non-commercial Catholic broadcaster which operates as a closed circuit Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation and uses the subcarrier frequency of 67 kHz removed from the centre FM broadcast frequency of 102.1 mHz in Toronto, Ontario... |
Internet streaming only | http://www.hmwn.net/ | |
 Chile |
Radio María Chile | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomaria.cl/ |
 Colombia |
Radio María Colombia | AM in major cities | http://www.radiomariacol.org/ |
 Costa Rica |
Radio María Costa Rica | 610 AM in San José | http://www.radiomaria.cr/ |
 Dominican Republic |
Radio María República Dominicana | 1240 AM in Santo Domingo | http://www.radiomariadominicana.org/ |
 Ecuador |
Radio María Ecuador | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomariaecuador.org/ |
 El Salvador |
Radio María El Salvador | 810 AM nationwide and 107.3 FM San Salvador | http://www.radiomaria.org.sv/ |
 Guatemala |
Radio María Guatemala | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomaria.org.gt/ |
 Mexico |
Radio María México | 920 AM in Guadalajara | http://www.radiomariamexico.com/ |
 Nicaragua |
Radio María Nicaragua | 1400 AM Managua, FM in major cities | http://www.radiomaria.org.ni/ |
 Panama |
Radio María Panamá | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomaria.org.pa/ |
 Paraguay |
Radio María Paraguay | 107.3 FM in Asunción | http://www.radiomaria.org.py/ |
 Peru |
Radio María Perú | FM national coverage | http://www.radiomariaperu.org/ |
 Uruguay |
Radio María Uruguay | FM in major cities, 1470 AM in Melo | http://radiomaria.org.uy/ |
 United States |
Radio Maria United States | AM and FM in Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin; AM affiliate in New York City |
http://www.radiomaria.us/ http://nye.radiomariausa.org/ |
| Radio Maria Stati Uniti | FM-subcarriers Subsidiary Communications Authority Subsidiary Communications Authorization in the United States, and Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation in Canada, is a subcarrier on a radio station, allowing the station to broadcast additional services as part of its signal.-Background:"Subsidiary Communications Authorization" is the... in NYC, Chicago and Bridgeport |
http://www.radiomarianyi.org/ http://nyi.radiomariausa.org/ |
|
| Radio María Estados Unidos | FM-subcarriers Subsidiary Communications Authority Subsidiary Communications Authorization in the United States, and Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation in Canada, is a subcarrier on a radio station, allowing the station to broadcast additional services as part of its signal.-Background:"Subsidiary Communications Authorization" is the... in Boston, NYC, Washington, Chicago and Houston |
http://www.radiomariausa.org/ http://www.radiomariahispana.org/ http://mas.radiomariausa.org/ http://nys.radiomariausa.org/ http://dcs.radiomariausa.org/ http://www.radiomariachicago.com/ http://www.radiomariahouston.com/ |
|
 Venezuela |
Radio María Venezuela | 1450 AM in Caracas | http://www.radiomaria.org.ve/ |
Programming
Programming mostly consists of traditional Catholic worship music, but some stations also air a mix of traditional and Contemporary Catholic musicContemporary Catholic music
Contemporary Catholic music is a subset of Contemporary Christian music. Since Vatican Council II Catholic music has become more open to popular influences and influences from other Christian denominations. In the 1970s Mary Lou Williams began doing Catholic themed jazz, including a jazz mass....
, along with various talk and teaching programs discussing the Catholic faith, frequent recitals of the Holy Rosary, novenas and Masses.
Facilities
Radio Maria's programming mostly emanates from one centrally located studio or station in a given region or country, and is then re-broadcast (or "simulcast") on a network of repeater transmitters on the AM and FM bands. Some employ the use of a subcarrierSubcarrier
A subcarrier is a separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. More technically, it is an already-modulated signal, which is then modulated into another signal of higher frequency and bandwidth...
, also known as SCA (for "Subsidiary Communications Authority
Subsidiary Communications Authority
Subsidiary Communications Authorization in the United States, and Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation in Canada, is a subcarrier on a radio station, allowing the station to broadcast additional services as part of its signal.-Background:"Subsidiary Communications Authorization" is the...
") facilities of FM stations, requiring the use of a receiver designed to receive SCA signals. Since the emergence of the internet, audiostreaming has been used extensively as a means to help fill-in gaps left by the unavailability of AM or FM frequencies in metropolitan areas already taken up by commercial, public, or other religious broadcasters.
Beginning in June 2008, there are now shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
transmissions originating from Italy at 26000 kHz and at 26010 kHz DRM making it the only (and last) shortwave service originating in Italy besides Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican.Set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave , medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. The Jesuit Order has been charged with the management of Vatican...
. There are presently no commercial satellite radio subscription services (such as Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
, Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
or XM) of Radio Maria. However its Spanish, Italian and Polish language stations may be available in some areas served by the Dish Pronto division of Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
, a satellite television subscription service.
See also
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- List of religious radio stations
- Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
- Christian radioChristian radioChristian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
- Contemporary Catholic musicContemporary Catholic musicContemporary Catholic music is a subset of Contemporary Christian music. Since Vatican Council II Catholic music has become more open to popular influences and influences from other Christian denominations. In the 1970s Mary Lou Williams began doing Catholic themed jazz, including a jazz mass....