2017 Hope and Suffering in Central America Middle East: Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria Eastern Europe calls on Radio Maria Africa: One Mission, All Languages The Voice of Radio Maria from the Mobile Studios 50,000 Handheld Radios for the Marginalized 1 This publication recounts the activities and projects of Radio Maria in the world. We live by Providence and the daily sacrifice of many people: volunteers, listeners, and benefactors. Mariathon is the missionary event that unites our stations, drawing hearts near to one another and helping in the neediest situations. Take part in this event to help build Radio Maria’s world Project. Thank you. Vittorio Viccardi, WFRM President 2 SUMMARY Providence and Spirituality: The Motivation of the World Project 4 Past and Present of Our Mission in the World 6 THE AMERICAS The world of poverty in Central America 9 EUROPE Two Projects, One Mission 12 THE MIDDLE EAST Means of Mercy for Persecuted Christians 15 AFRICA Radio Maria, Instrument of Evangelization and Hope 18 Radio Maria’s Mobile Studios: Hope on Four Wheels 21 Mother of Mercy Project 23 © 2017 World Family of Radio Maria graphic project Paolo Marchetti 3 PROVIDENCE AND SPIRITUALITY: THE MOTIVATION OF THE WORLD PROJECT Radio Maria was born and develops in the light of its natural charism of drawing near to those most in need, the least, and the marginalized. Trust in the Lord and a profound Marian spirituality are the pillars of our missionary spirit throughout the world. Fr. Livio Fanzaga WFRM Directors’ Advisor and RM Italy Director umming up Radio Maria after its almost 30 Fr. Livio Fanzaga years of outreach is near impossible unless you Sconsider its great missionary zeal. From its first foundational stages, it has been clear to us that, because of its nature, Radio Maria’s presence over the airwaves has to reach everywhere possible. This inspiration to overcome the boundaries of what technology allowed many years ago is, today, more relevant than ever when we consider the communications revolution made possible by the Internet, satellites, and modern mobile phones, possibilities that were previously unknown. The work that we have entrusted with complete confidence to Divine Providence gives Radio Maria’s mission the atypical aspect of being in the world of communications while not abiding by its laws of commercialization. Instead, we follow the higher value of living God’s presence everyday as “the good Christian”, without advertising constraints. This is the only way to explain the sacrifices that our listeners and volunteers have made and continue to make to spread Radio Maria throughout the world and to faithfully maintain its mission, without compromises. 4 The Radio Maria World Mariathon was established during the Fifth World Convention of 2012. From this spirit of faithfulness, many priests and lay persons together were the motivation for the numerous new Radio Maria initiatives, bearing direct witness to all our listeners around the world. From that moment on, the Mariathon has become an expression of the joy and universal hope of all our listeners as well as a sharing in the need for the significant material assistance needed to help Greetings with build the new Radio Marias throughout the world. Pope Francis (October 2015) Our missionary zeal makes Radio Maria a simple instrument of that Church of outreach that is so and many conflicts that unfortunately afflict dear to our Pope Francis that it has thus been thousands of innocent Christians, victims defined as the most significant aspect of our of so much violence. Materially helping the programming schedule: “[You] transmit hope, that establishment of new stations around the world, true hope that derives from the salvation brought especially when the call comes from these by the Lord Christ.” troubled lands, becomes a priority for us at Radio Today’s world is upset by much uncertainty Maria. Radio Maria Italy Offices 5 PAST AND PRESENT OF OUR MISSION IN THE WORLD Interview with our renown World Family and Radio Maria Italy president, Emanuele Ferrario, on the story of the first steps of the Project in the world and its development up to Mariathon 2017. Vittorio Viccardi WFRM President irst of all, we have to thank everyone who helped us with the last Mariathon. With the Fsupport of our listeners around the world, 77 Radio Marias (national stations as well as ones for linguistic minorities) have been established. Last year, the Kibeho, Rwanda project became a reality and work will be completed on it this year. Many have asked us how this great chain of global solidarity originated. Behind the scenes are the sacrifices and dedication of many “invisible” people. Radio Maria was born in 1987, an initiative of volunteers and priests in Italy, but the idea of taking it to the entire world seemed a madman’s dream. Today we are asking our dear co-founding president, Emanuele Ferrario, when the idea of Radio Maria in the world first emerged. The first thoughts were born of spontaneous contacts that occurred in 1991. The Church— that is, in some of its Eastern Emanuele Ferrario EF European priests and bishops who 6 were looking at the first glimmers of freedom after Vittorio Viccardi the fall of the Wall—was the first recognize Radio Maria’s originality. I remember contacts with Poland, Slovakia, and the Archdiocese of Toledo, Spain, asking for information and help, even though they had decided to establish a local radio. In 1992, we brought Radio Maria Italy to the United States, but only for Italian-language listeners. At the end of 1993, Radio Maria Burkina Faso was started, thanks to an agreement with the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou. That experience in Africa, however, was still at the beginnings of the Project. I can say that the first true Radio Maria outside of Italy that was established according to a well-defined plan was the one born in Peru on 13 May 1995. I say that because, for that occasion, our listeners, who are always informed of every development, had wanted to shoulder the economic burden of the project as Peru was a very poor country at the time. From that moment on, Radio Marias are continually being established. You spoke of the “Radio Maria Project” because people wanted to help set up, first a radio in Italy, and then many other “faraway” stations. Some things cannot be understood unless you know the story of our very beginnings. Our listeners worried about Radio Maria Italy’s growth because—since there were no satellite connections at the time—the line had to follow a channel of bridges and frequencies from north to south. They cheered and prayed for the Radio’s arrival in Rome, then Naples, EF then all the other regions in Italy. Then, in 1995, this passionate interest was turned toward the new calls coming from around the world: we needed prayers not just for Naples, but for Kampala, Bogota, Zagreb… and people kept count of the countries where we had arrived. They were becoming geography experts! 7 Radio Maria has thousands of volunteers in Italy, in Europe, and around the world. Did anyone foresee such involvement from so many and such a diversity of WORLD people? And how can listeners participate and help projects that are so far away? MARIATHON PROJECTS ACCOMPLISHED Radio Maria is a missionary operation. Italy and Europe have 8 new national radios a long missionary history, which has certainly helped, particularly 8 new sites or substations EF at the beginning of the world 34 new frequencies Project. Actually, the volunteer spirit is the same around the world regardless of the vast cultural 1 Digital Audio Broadcasting and social differences that exist. (In Latin America, (DAB) network for example, the missionary care for Africa is not as strong.) Even today, a listener’s prayers and 2 HD frequencies generous help are those “five loaves and two fish”, which Providence then multiplies with miraculous 15,000 handheld radios sent to abundance. prisons and refugee camps Over these years, you have certainly been the true protagonist of Radio Maria’s missionary motivation in the world, travelling to over 120 countries. Will you tell us of an experience that particularly touched you and showed you the value of this mission? There are endless touching testimonies but I would just like to mention how I started down this path. It came from a true “calling” to be a missionary, not as a religious but as a lay man, fished from a small Italian region known for its industriousness. I think my experience was balanced by the fact that I never gave up, certain and confident that this Project held the EF very reason of its existence in its call. Behind every new Radio Maria, therefore, In conclusion, what does Radio Maria lies the story of a “call”. All the new need to be able to respond to all these Mariathon 2017 projects are important, but requests from the Church around the which do you think is the most urgent? world? I could say that just the thought A perfect organization would be of Radio Maria in Cuba a year the death of the Project. ago would have been quite The answer comes straight from unthinkable, but today there’s Jesus, that the vineyard is always EF a strong hope: “nothing is EF thriving and bears good fruit. We impossible” to God and Our Lady will inspire us have the task of pruning, to renew and maintain a regarding how and whom to help. Surely we need style of serene confidence. prayer that moves mountains and the widow’s We have to learn the art of acting with humility, mite.