Feb. 25 dinner will help Catholic Radio Indy mark 20th anniversary

Shown above is the coverage area of Catholic Radio Indy, which has grown from one station to five stations since its inception in 2004. (Graphic courtesy of Catholic Radio Indy)

By Natalie Hoefer

Catholic Radio Indy, which covers most of central Indiana, will celebrate its 20th anniversary at its annual Real Presence Dinner on Feb. 25. The celebration will take place at the Biltwell Event Center, 950 S. White River Pkwy. Dr. W., in Indianapolis, starting at 3 p.m. and concluding around 6:30-7 p.m.

“This is a tremendous achievement,” says Gordon Smith, general manager of Inter Mirifica, Inc., which operates as Catholic Radio Indy (CRI). “We started 20 years ago with one station. We now have five stations covering most of central Indiana with a terrestrial broadcast. At the same time, we put out a digital footprint with streaming through devices.”

The mission of the non-profit organization is “to bring Jesus Christ to everyone, and everyone to Jesus Christ,” as stated on its website.

Since CRI’s inception, it has served as an Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) affiliate, offering EWTN programming.

“We also add a lot of local programming content, not only our own shows that we create but also a lot of announcements for parish activities and different events and conferences,” says Smith. “It’s been a labor of love from the beginning.”

The Real Presence Dinner will feature a keynote address by Dr. David Anders, host of EWTN’s “Called to Communion” radio show, broadcast weekdays at 2 p.m.

In addition to the keynote address, the event includes a cocktail hour, dinner, a live auction and presentation of the organization’s Archbishop Fulton Sheen Evangelist of the Year award. This year’s co-recipients are Deacon Ronald Pirau of SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi Parish in Greenwood and Deacon Paul Lunsford of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Carmel, Ind., in the Lafayette, Ind., Diocese.

In announcing the honorees, Smith noted, “In the spirit of the evangelization that Fulton J. Sheen exuded with his work on television and radio, captivating millions with his shows like, ‘Life is Worth Living’ [reruns of which are seen and heard on EWTN to this day], Catholic Radio Indy each year presents the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen-Evangelist of the Year Award to an outstanding supporter [or supporters] of the ministry of Catholic radio in central Indiana.”

In discussing the Feb. 25 dinner honoring the station’s anniversary, Smith says, “We moved the event to downtown Indianapolis at the Biltwell in honor of our two latest acquisitions. One broadcasts from Trafalgar and covers a seven-county area around Johnson County, and a northern station that covers the city of Lafayette [Ind.].”

He calls the new venue “a truly beautiful building.” The restored 1922 factory venue offers free parking. And with the event taking place in the afternoon, attendees can take in the view of Lucas Oil Stadium located just across the White River.

Tickets are $115 per person, $230 per couple or $1,150 for a table of 10 and can be purchased online at catholicradioindy.org. To register by mail, send a check made out to “Catholic Radio Indy” to Catholic Radio Indy, 8383 Craig St., Suite 280, Indianapolis, IN 46250.

Sponsors are also needed. Those wishing to sponsor the event can sign up at catholicradioindy.org/sponsorship-portal.

For additional questions, call CRI at 317-870-8400 or e-mail corky@catholicradioindy.org.
 

(Listen to Catholic Radio Indy locally by tuning in to 89.1 FM—west Indianapolis; 89.5 FM—south Indianapolis; 90.9 FM—Hamilton County, Ind.; or 94.3 FM—Lafayette, Ind., 98.3 FM—Anderson, Ind.; or anywhere by downloading the Catholic Radio Indy app from an app store, by dialing 641-793-5507, by asking Alexa to “play Catholic Radio Indy,” or by clicking “Listen Live Now” at catholicradioindy.org.) †