Ave Maria!

Yesterday, on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Year of Our Lord 2010, our first radio station in the United States, Holy Virgin Mary Radio, WHVM 91.9 FM,  Owego, NY went On Air!  Deo Gratias!

It is only a small transmitter compared with what we have a license for, which ultimately will reach 47,000 people, but it will enable us to get on air without any further delays. The next phase will upgrade to full power (donations needed). Currently, we are only rebroadcasting the signal from EWTN, but soon we will complete our recording studio (donations needed) at Mt. St. Francis and we will be producing our own radio programs.

You can listen live here (coming soon).

This station compliments the many other stations that the FIs operate throughout the world, including Benin Africa (French), Brazil (Portuguese), Philippines (English and Tagalog) and Italy (Italian) as well as our other extensive internet, TV and printing apostolates. As St. Maximilian encouraged: use every licit mean available to spread devotion to Our Lady.

Photos of erecting the tower on Monday:

Satellite Dishes at the Transmitting Site – The large one on the right picks up the signal from EWTN’s satellite and the small one picks up the signal for our internet connection.

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The crane arrives

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The tower on the ground

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Tower lifted vertical

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Fra Augustine giving the commands

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Checking for vertical

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Adjusting the guy wires

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Hooking up the antenna

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Lifting the antenna vertical

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Fra Augustine preparing to  climb – His brothers think he’s crazy.

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Fra Augustine climbing into the storm

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Strapping himself in

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Yup, he’s crazy!

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Getting close

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Just another nudge.

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Bolting it down

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Installed!

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Pluggin her in!

Deo Gratias!

The post Fi-News – First FI Radio Station in USA Goes On Air first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave on the Air

New Catholic radio station launches in Southern Tier
By Jennika Baines
SUN Assoc. Editor

The first radio station in the U.S. owned and operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate has taken to the airwaves in the Syracuse Diocese.

The station, called Holy Virgin Mary Radio, can be found at 91.9 FM and is transmitting out of Barton, N.Y. The station is run from the Friars’ Mount St. Francis Hermitage in Maine, N.Y. and from the Franciscan Friary in Griswold, Conn.

The station is the first of a wave of similar stations that are planned across the U.S. – – More…

The post FiNews – Diocese of Syracuse Newspaper Features FI Radio first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #101031 ( 08min) Play – Fr. Dominic preaches on the importance of honoring the saints who lived heroic lives in their following in the footsteps of Christ. The saints have very different lives that speak of very different aspects of Christ’s life. We must live our lives well, do our daily duty and offer up our sufferings that our station of life tends to bring.
Ave Maria! – Mass: –Readings:
1st: rev 7:2-4, 9-14
Resp: psa 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
2nd: 1jo 3:1-3
Gsp: mat 5:1-12

Audio (MP3)

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The post Oct 31 – Homily – Fr Dominic: All Hallows Eve first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Yesterday, 16 December 2010, was the unofficial birthday of Radio CorMariae. At around 5:30pm we jerry-rigged the newly installed antenna line, connected it up to the transmitter, and fired up the radio station for the first time. It was an incredibly joyful event as this was the culmination of over 2 years of hard work by a huge team of volunteers to get this radio station up and running – and we, the privileged few, got to enjoy the fruit of all that hard work – if only for a brief period of time.

Don’t get excited and tune in your radio to 88.5 FM yet! This was only our first test transmission and there is still a lot of technical and engineering work to be completed before we can go on the air full-time. Our official launch date is set for 25 March 2011.

A picture tells a thousand words:

All hands on deck to assemble the antenna.

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Dave, the “Tower Monkey” prepares to climb the tower.

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The antenna is hoisted up the tower.

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The “Jerry-Rigged” antenna line is connected to the transmitter.

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Frank Baptista fires up the transmitter for the first time!

We can’t thank all our benefactors enough – we can do nothing without your help and support. You are too many to be listed – you are all in our daily prayers.

Merry Christmas and long live Radio CorMariae!

Ave Maria!

The post The Birthday of WPMW, Radio CorMariae, 88.5 FM, New Bedord MASS first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fi News #131 – At The Tower Site ( 13min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Here Friar Juniper gives his first news report, and this report is on the 1st radio station erected by the Franciscans of the Immaculate in America. Little by little we will put our own programs on this station.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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The post Video – Fi News #131: Friar Juniper: The Radio Station of Mt. St. Francis Hermitage first appeared on AirMaria.com.