15th Anniversary Celebration Get ready, because the preparation for a celebration is underway! With the coming of 2015, Relevant Radio is excited to celebrate a great milestone in the history of the Catholic radio network – our 15th Anniversary! On November 26, 2000, the Feast of Christ the King, Relevant Radio officially went on the air with the Mass LIVE from St. Francis Xavier Cathedral on our first station, WJOK 1050 AM in Green Bay, WI. Previously a sports talk station, the WJOK initials stood for “Jock” Radio. Little did we know that in God’s mysterious Providence, those initials would someday mean “With Jesus Our King!” What began as a humble seed of a station has since flourished under the watchful eye of Our Lady of Guadalupe, into a wonderful and widereaching Catholic radio network, serving the Church with 38 stations reaching 18 states, with a potential listening audience of 48.6 million people and accessible 24/7 via the airwaves, online, mobile app and web archives. Relevant Radio is proud to commemorate 15 years of Evangelization and, with the grace of God and your continued support, we can and will grow! You are a critical part of this mission and so we hope that you will join us in celebrating this milestone. Look for details in this and upcoming issues of On The Dial, on-air announcements, and our facebook pages!
Donor Spotlight: The Frischmon Family
By Karin Freihammer, Twin Cities Development “Our Faith is our heritage,” Kathleen Frischmon enthusiastically shares. Married nearly 50 years, Kathleen and her husband, Jerry, of New Brighton, Minnesota, have four children, twelve grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Jerry, a retired railroad engineer, and Kathleen, a retired medical lab worker, credit their Catholic way of living to the witness of previous family generations. Kathleen describes the passing on of faith as a “ripple effect” and cherishes seeing the youngest generation witness the love of God to their peers. Adamant that Catholics had it all wrong, Kathleen and Jerry’s son-in-law, Mark, eventually
could no longer resist the beauty and truth of the Catholic Faith. Mark and his wife, Mary Pat, are committed to ongoing formation in their faith with their nine children. At Mark’s urging, Kathleen and Jerry gave Relevant Radio 1330 AM a try eight years ago and were hooked. “Relevant Radio reinforces our faith and equips us with answers to questions we are asked about the Catholic Church,” Kathleen explains. “I have it on all day!” Jerry is part of a weekly men’s fellowship and encourages the men to listen to and support Relevant Radio. Jerry adds, “my fervor is increased; I am
brought closer to Christ and the Church.” A favorite feature on Relevant Radio is the Divine Mercy Chaplet with call-in’s of prayer requests and testimonies of prayers answered. The Frischmons gather with son, Joseph, to pray with show host Drew Mariani and listeners all over the world. Daughter, Margaret, leads the children at her daycare in Divine Mercy, as they listen to the live broadcast. Kathleen says, “The parents have given Margaret permission to pray with their children and to listen to Relevant Radio – even though none of them are Catholic! The daycare children are evangelizing their parents at home!” The amount of their first contribution stretched Kathleen’s faith. “When Jerry told me how much he gave Relevant Radio, I was angry! I asked him how we
would pay the bills?! He told me that God would provide. And He does!” Kathleen adds, “The heart of our family is faith in God. Relevant Radio helps families live and pass on that faith.” Relevant Radio is the Frischmons’ partner in evangelization – part of the “ripple effect” of faith that can change lives, families and the world.
Donor Spotlight: The Pizzuti Family
Planned Giving
By Lise Doyle, Providence Development “It all begins with our Lord and flows through our faith made active by the Holy Spirit,” explained Everett and Carole Pizzuti, Relevant Radio 550AM listeners and donors in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Native Rhode Islanders and retirees, Everett and Carole raised their children in the Catholic faith through the tumultuous 1960’s and 70’s, instilling in them the solid foundations of the faith through the sacraments, CCD, Catholic school, the weekly Eucharist, and the importance of love of neighbor. “We are grateful to our God for His grace in helping us plant the seeds of faith that are now blossoming in the lives of our five children and eight grandchildren, nurtured by Relevant Radio.” Everett and Carole feel a deep sense of responsibility yet also joy in supporting Relevant Radio. “Our Catholic faith calls us to be generous and charitable, and so we are thankful for the opportunity to be good stewards and share God’s blessings and love not only within our own family, but with others through Relevant Radio,” says the couple, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on October 22nd of this year. Everett and Carole first learned of Relevant Radio in 2012 through the Diocese of Providence’s Catholic newspaper, RI Catholic. At that time, Relevant Radio had just opened its Rhode Island broadcast station. With call letters reflecting the intercession of St. Joseph the Worker in the success of the Relevant Radio expansion into Rhode Island, 550AM WSJW has been a source of 24-hour spiritual guidance for the Pizzuti family and the surrounding area, spanning Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut. “Relevant Radio is powerful evangelization that has brought joy and a renewed sense of faith, hope
and purpose to our world,” say the couple, who listen to Relevant Radio throughout the day. “We introduced our children to Relevant Radio and never imagined that they would be as enthralled as they are. They use the Relevant Radio app to listen in while traveling on business, even on trips to the West Coast, Japan and China! Two of my sons and their wives listen constantly when not at work, and have been on fire in their faith ever since.” Relevant Radio has moved the extended Pizzuti family members to become more involved with their local parishes and diocesan events, including mission trips, retreats, community service, and faith services, as well as Relevant Radio activities. “Our family has attended the Relevant Radio anniversary celebration and the Christ Brings Hope Award Dinner. The dynamic Catholics attending those events impressed us with their deep faith, hope, love and mercy that reflect the Holy Spirit at work.” The Pizzutis have generously donated to Relevant Radio and to its various campaigns out of a sense of mission to live their faith every day, glorifying God by their lives, and helping others do the same. “A donation to Relevant Radio goes a long way in spreading the Good News in this world about the love and mercy of the Lord, in a loaves and fishes kind of way,” says Mrs. Pizzuti. “We are humbled and blessed by the Holy Spirit working though all of those at Relevant Radio, and our prayers and blessings are for the continued success of this mission.”
According to finance experts, less than one third of Americans have planned for what happens to their estate after the Lord calls them out of this world. A comprehensive “life” plan also directs assets and daily affairs in the event you lose personal freedom to make those decisions, as well as names guardians for dependent children, beneficiaries of accounts, etc. Planning is more than just “having a will.” Thankfully, there are many wonderful professionals who can expertly guide you in this process, and often times don’t cost a lot in time or expense. We encourage you to take the important steps of creating a plan that provides for you during your lifetime, and enables you to continue your legacy of Christian love and caring, long after the Lord saves your own soul. And we can also help connect you to useful resources, such as the following: • On January 27, John Harper and the Morning Air® team featured Joseph Senglaub (estate planner - owner/manager of Trinity Retirement Solutions, LLC) and Susan Hansen (estate attorney - Hanson & Santaga, S.C.), to share practical advice and considerations for estate planning. You can listen to this archived segment at www.relevantradio.com – keyword: “estate” (segment begins at 29:00 minutes). • We’ve also created a concise, educational brochure to walk you through common questions and implications of estate planning, and the stewardship opportunities to remember your parish, diocese or Relevant Radio® in a planned gift. This is available on our website, using the keyword “plan” in the search field. If you prefer, I’d be happy to mail you a copy. Just let me know. Please don’t wait until it’s too late. Wouldn’t you prefer to know your loved ones and favorite charities will be provided for, instead of first paying the courts or government? I welcome your confidential contact to answer questions or make a professional referral: (920) 406-7316 or jdraves@relevantradio.com. Wishing you all peace and good in Christ Jesus!
Joseph Draves, Development Director
Due to the generosity of six donors, Relevant Radio® was able to install six beautiful stained glass windows in the Chapel of the Nativity at headquarters. Deo Gratias!
BEFORE AND AFTER: The open windows now depict images
of St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Faustina, Multiple Saints, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Andre Bessette and St. John Paul II.
Mission Message Happy Lent! I pray that you are embracing Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving this Lent and making use of our Lenten Resources on the Relevant Radio website and mobile app. We are happy to provide you with many audio prayers and other tools to help you strengthen your prayer life during these 40 days. One of my favorite prayers for Lent is the Stations of the Cross, which we have recorded for your continued use throughout this season. I hope that you share our Lenten Resources and Stations of the Cross with your family and friends. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has been making headlines recently for his commentary on the importance of the family. He said in a weekly general audience, “Children are the joy of family
and society. They are not a problem of reproductive biology, or one of many ways to realize oneself in life. Let alone their parent’s possession. Children are a gift. Do you understand? Children are a gift!” Pope Francis says that large families are a blessing! He encourages parents to provide better catechesis for their children, and to spend more time with them. He instructs children to always honor their parents. The Pope’s message to parents imitates Our Lady’s message to Adele Brise at what is now the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help – “Gather the children and teach them what they should know for salvation.” Are we doing our best to imitate Christ’s love in our families? Are we making quality time and prayer with our families a priority? This Lent, let us all make an extra effort to visit someone who
is lonely, or smile at someone who is sad. We are all part of the family of Christ. This year, the Relevant Radio family is celebrating 15 years of service to the Church and to you. Thank you for being a part of our family through your prayers and support. We are so blessed to have such wonderful listeners who care so much about catechizing the faithful and welcoming more of God’s children into the flock. God bless you. With prayers and best wishes,
Rev. Francis Hoffman, JCD “Father Rocky” Executive Director