April 25, 2023 // Bishop
Catholic Education, Evangelization Focus of Bishop’s Sharathon Hour
Catholic education, communications, and memorable stories were the focus of an hour of Redeemer Radio’s Spring “Sharathon” on Thursday, April 20, when Bishop Rhoades visited the station. Zachary Coyle, Principal at St. Vincent de Paul School in Fort Wayne, hosted the hour with Bishop Rhoades, asking questions about the various ministries within the Diocese of Fort-Wayne South Bend, as well as where the needs of the diocese lay.
The Sharathon raises money for the Catholic radio station by hosting numerous parishes, guests, and hosts for several days. In addition to evangelizing to the diocese through the airwaves, Redeemer Radio plays an important role in the execution of Bishop Rhoades’ responsibility as the chief teacher of the diocese.
Zachary Coyle, Principal of St. Vincent de Paul School in Fort Wayne, hosts the hour with Bishop Rhoades, guiding the conversation and asking questions about where the needs of the diocese lay.
“How do I teach? Well, obviously I can only reach certain people through the homilies I give because I’m in different parishes. And so, I’m always teaching, always preaching, or I can reach them through printed text in Today’s Catholic, our diocesan newspaper. But then, there are people who I would not be able to reach just by those media, but radio is another way, or by podcasts.”
He said that he is aware of people who, after interacting with the media he publishes through Redeemer Radio and Spoke Street Media, led to conversion and bolstered belief in the teachings of the Church.
“A woman this year, who came into the church at the Cathedral, she didn’t know hardly anything about the Catholic faith. And she started listening to the program and it was her conversion. So, the better we can reach more people, we’re fulfilling our evangelizing mission. I think we can use the media for these purposes.”
Photos by Joshua Schipper
Bishop Rhoades sits behind the microphone at Redeemer Radio for an hour on Thursday, April 20, during the station’s Spring Sharathon fundraiser to talk about topics ranging from Catholic education to the best use of media in the mission of evangelization.
He continued that one of the most important parts of the mission of Redeemer Radio is evangelization. “And really, evangelization — which is the fundamental mission of the Church — is also important for our Catholic schools.”
“I just had Mass on Tuesday at Saint Joseph High School, and did my pastoral visit. I spent all day there, and we had Mass. Mass lasted more than two hours because I baptized six students. Six students I baptized and gave them their first Holy Communion and their confirmation. In addition, there were five others, one was receiving full communion in the Catholic Church and the others were confirmed. It was such a joyful experience.”
He said that, when that happens in Catholic schools, it shows that the school is “living the mission.”
“And we don’t proselytize in our schools, but we invite. They’re exposed to the truth and the beauty of Catholicism. I just was really uplifted by that.”
Kyle Heimann, Chief Content Officer for Redeemer Radio, joins Bishop Rhoades for his hour of the Spring Sharathon.
Coyle recalled the bishop’s 2022 visit to St. Vincent de Paul, Fort Wayne, where he answered questions from curious students for more than an hour after Mass had ended. Coyle said that, typically, it is difficult for the younger students to sit still or to be engaged for long periods, but when Bishop Rhoades visited, they exhibited uncanny attentiveness.
“They were focused, they were excited, they were having a blast,” Coyle said. “That’s such a happy memory.”
The conversation shifted to vocations, particularly that of women religious in the diocese.
“A lot of young women today have never met or experienced religious sisters,” Bishop Rhoades said. “Unlike when I was a kid, every grade except 2nd grade, my teacher was a sister. I think we need to really work hard to not just publicize it, but hopefully to show how important sisters are in the mission of the Church.”
Coyle and Bishop Rhoades discussed this in the context of the Beloved Daughters retreat for young women, a recent diocesan-sponsored event where young women can interact with women of a variety of vocations, from mothers to sisters, even a consecrated virgin.
The mission of Redeemer Radio is to “amplify the voice of the Creator by fostering content that invites.” The station is available to stream online, as well as at 106.3-FM in Fort Wayne and 95.7-FM in Michiana. Spoke Street Media, a spinoff organization founded in 2019 as an international podcast network and media company, offers a wide variety of podcasts to strengthen faith and evangelize to those who may not actively seek Catholic content on the radio. Their podcasts, including Bishop Rhoades’ “Truth in Charity,” can be found by visiting spokestreet.com.
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