ARTICLES
February 2001 ARTICLES
Contents © 2001
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
There's A Lot of Confusion Out There
St. Joseph Radio Broadcasts Truth Worldwide
By James Andrew
Catholic radio programming has become commonplace in recent years, due in part to the dedicated efforts of Catholic evangelists across the nation. However, it was just two decades ago that such programming was scarce, with virtually all religious radio programs provided by Protestant churches. While the programming often contained positive messages, at times it was laced with anti-Catholicism, often misrepresenting basic Catholic beliefs and practices.
This scenario led to the birth of St. Joseph Radio in Orange, one of the first lay Catholic apostolates of the last generation to provide prominent Catholic speakers with access to the radio airwaves. St. Joseph Radio has grown steadily ever since, and today works with Mother Angelica's media network to present Catholic programming to listeners throughout the world.
It began in 1983, when Lu Cortese re-located with her family to Southern California. A committed Catholic, she sought an apostolate to put her faith into practice. A priest-friend, Father Donald McGuire, SJ, spiritual director to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, suggested Cortese organize an Ignatian retreat association to bring the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to lay Catholics. Hence, the St. Ignatius Retreat Association was born. Cortese and a small group of volunteers, operating out of her home in Orange, advertised their first retreat to be held at the motherhouse of the nearby Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. Forty-five women participated in exercises led by Father McGuire.
It wasn't long, however, before Cortese realized that there was more to do. Listening to the Protestant radio shows, she realized the importance of having qualified Catholic speakers present the Catholic faith and defend it from critics. Much anti-Catholicism, she believed, was due to a basic misunderstanding of Catholic teachings on the papacy, the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Mother, confession and much more. She remarks, "there's a lot of confusion out there about what we Catholics believe."
Cortese and her volunteers began organizing seminars in Southland parishes designed to teach the uninformed -- often the ordinary Catholic in the pew -- about basic Catholic teachings. Prominent Catholic speakers from throughout the United States were brought in, including Catholic Answers founder Karl Keating, philosopher Alice von Hildebrand, New Age expert Father Mitch Pacwa, cults expert Father James LeBar, Bible scholar Clayton Bower and many more.
"We were filling a need, working with the parishes to present Catholic beliefs and spirituality," explains Cortese.
But while offering conferences and retreats in Los Angeles and Orange County parishes was good, Cortese and her volunteers knew they could achieve even greater success by getting Catholic speakers on the radio.
In 1987, the association assumed control of St. Joseph Radio, an Orange County apostolate of St. Joseph Communications of West Covina, an apologetics organization headed by Terry Barber. Starting without any equipment or funding, the association, now known as St. Joseph Radio, began taping its first daily radio programs on August 15, 1988, the feast of the Assumption. Norbertine Father Thomas Nelson of St. Michael's Abbey, Silverado, served as host for the half-hour Catholic programs which centered on two themes: spirituality and education.
Father Thomas, today spiritual director and board member of St. Joseph Radio, believes the programming was sorely needed: "People need to hear the truth, because the truth has the power to effect people to be good. The mission of St. Joseph Radio is to get the truth on the airwaves so people can hear it." He adds, "The media not only reports public opinion, it forms it. St. Joseph Radio's mission is to help form public opinion in a positive way."
By 1992, it was time to move the operation out of the Cortese home and into a professional office in Orange. The new office also provided a location for a bookstore offering Catholic books, audio & videotapes, evangelization pamphlets and other resources. The office was later moved to its current location at 1215 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange, beside the well-known Lestonnac Free Clinic, founded by the late Sister Marie Therese Solomon.
Besides its radio programming, St. Joseph Radio continued to organize local conferences at parishes featuring prominent Catholic apologists. Some of the best known include: Tim Staples, on the Radio staff for four years; Rosalind Moss; Ken Howell; Marcus Grodi; Johnnette Benkovic; Cheryl Ward; Norbertine Father Hugh Barbour; Father Stephen Duffin, and many others.
In recent years, due to listener requests, St. Joseph Radio's focus has shifted from a local to a worldwide focus. Evangelization teams, for example, have provided service to high schools and parishes in Canada. Bishop Donald Reece of Antigua, West Indies recently hosted volunteers for a seminar in his diocese, and also referred them to a parish in nearby St. Lucia. Archbishop Lawrence Burke, too, recently welcomed the group to his diocese in Nassau, Bahamas. Cortese explains, "We want to be of service to bishops who want to be in the radio business."
St. Joseph Radio has also begun working extensively with Mother Angelica's radio network, WEWN, supplying radio programs which are broadcast nationwide via shortwave, AM-FM stations and the internet. Another specialty of St. Joseph Radio is biblical apologetics courses, including some specially tailored to teens. Some of these teens have been recruited for Cortese's newest initiative, In His Service (IHS) Productions, which trains high school and college students to produce radio programs for bishops to use in their dioceses.
In 1996, St. Joseph Radio began broadcasting live worldwide for two hours. The call-in show includes listeners from Africa and Europe.
About 30 volunteers work regularly with St. Joseph Radio, including Ed Gerber of Corona. Gerber, a former Jehovah's Witness, first came to St. Joseph Radio in 1993, after hearing a presentation on the Bible by Clayton Bower. Gerber heads the St. Joseph Radio Evangelization Society, which teaches parishes to conduct parish censuses. He also acts as a radio program host.
In his work with the radio, Gerber has discovered that he has benefited as much himself as those whom he has helped. "St. Joseph Radio has provided me with the means to grow in my knowledge of the faith as well as my spirituality," he declares. "When people ask me questions about the faith that I don't know, the radio provides me the means with which to learn the answers."
Gerber can personally recall dozens of examples of lapsed Catholics or non-Catholics who have been brought into full communion with the Church through the efforts of St. Joseph Radio.
A more recent volunteer is Dan Stensby of Fullerton, who has worked at the radio on a daily basis for the last several months. Stensby is on disability leave from his job in the landscape industry. He engages in audio editing, completing programs for distribution and coordinating the live Saturday broadcast (noon-2 p.m., via shortwave radio and the internet). Unlike Gerber, his work is behind the scenes: "I don't have the lips for evangelization, but I have the heart and soul."
Stensby believes his work at the Radio has been therapeutic, turning his life's focus away from the material to the spiritual: "Previously in my career I was interested in money, power and prestige. However, it left me spiritually bankrupt. Now I'm working for God."
Five-year volunteer Catherine Haydon serves as shipping manager, and, like Stensby, works behind the scenes. While shipping orders for Catholic books and tapes is not the most glamorous side of the apostolate, she sees its importance. "Each and every order is a soul God loves," she says. She frequently writes personal notes of encouragement to those who place the orders. She has begun correspondence with some, including an inmate serving a 30-year term in a California prison.
St. Joseph Radio has also received assistance from professional announcers Mark Denis (now deceased), formerly of KFI AM 640, and Jim Governali of KKLA FM 99.5, one of five hosts for the Saturday show.
New speakers on the St. Joseph Radio roster include Angels baseball player Darrell Miller and euthanasia expert Vincent Fortanasce, MD. Cortese was especially delighted when the former Bishop of Orange, Norman McFarland, came last summer and taped a program on the priesthood. McFarland has long been a supporter of the radio, once writing, "I am greatly edified by your apostolic zeal and I wish you well in your plans to operate the St. Joseph Catholic Radio Program."
An even more enthusiastic supporter has been the diocesan director of communications, Monsignor Lawrence J. Baird, who opined, "St. Joseph Radio has made, and is continuing to make, a laudable contribution to the work of evangelization in this country and elsewhere. St. Joseph Radio hosts and records excellent speakers who are articulate in their faith and loyal to the teaching of the Church."
Cortese regrets that she has yet to meet the current bishop of Orange, Tod Brown, and secure his endorsement.
Each day presents new challenges to the staff of St. Joseph Radio, particularly in securing sufficient funding and volunteers. The radio perseveres, however, placing the success of its efforts completely in the hands of God. Cortese concludes, "We try to remained focused on what God wants. We're here to do His will."
For information on St. Joseph Radio, 1215 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, call (714) 744-0336; Website: www.stjosephradio.com. The bookstore is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Additional volunteers and donations are welcome.