Gaylord, MI 49735 
Dedicating Radio Hermanos
We awoke to another warm, sunny day in Matagalpa knowing we would soon be headed back to snow. After breakfast with Gladys and a chat with the parrots, Kristin and I were off to experience our primary purpose for coming to Nicaragua – the celebration of the re-opening Radio Hermanos (Radio Brothers).
The station was originally established in 1993 and transmitted to the majority of the diocese, but over time the equipment aged resulting in a decrease of power to reach only ten percent of the original area. More recently, it was forced to stop broadcasting entirely. This was a huge loss to the people of Matagalpa – particularly in the poorest and outlying areas where electricity, telephones and other forms of communication simply do not exist.
For Kristin and me -- and I suspect many people reading this -- radio is a source of entertainment. We listen to music, informational programs or sports. We have it on when we drive, walk or work around the house. It is not our primary link to rest of the world. Here we pick up our telephone to announce joyous news or to dial 911 in an emergency. In the outlying areas of Matagalpa, radio provides the means to share and receive news and information. Advisories could be that firefighters are needed at a location, or that a doctor will soon be in the area, or to prepare for an approaching hurricane.
Further, they use radio to announce upcoming visits of priests or the bishop and to let people know when Mass will be celebrated in their area. It’s telling that people in Matagalpa will walk for hours for the somewhat rare opportunity to participate in the Mass at all, while here we often complain when Mass times change because it’s no longer offered at the most convenient time for our personal schedules. Clearly, we do have some things to learn from our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua.
Of course, there are other radio stations, but the diocesan-run Radio Hermanos has a much broader mission than simply providing news. Radio Hermanos seeks to be a communicator of hope to a region which is almost always in the middle of a hostile environment created by the aftermath of war, politics, natural disasters, poverty and unemployment. Radio Hermanos is also the forum for Catholic evangelization and catechesis. It is clearly a bridge to enliven the faith of the people as well as helping to address the very real social, education and other human needs of the area.
Without Radio Hermanos, the diocese was void of its most effective tool for communicating to the people. Rebuilding and re-equipping the “heart and voice of the Diocese of Matagalpa” became the first priority for our partnership. Generous donors in the Diocese of Gaylord provided the $67,000 needed to complete the project and in less than a year, Kristin and I we were standing in front of the new building to represent the people of our area and to celebrate this mutual accomplishment.
Fr. Francisco Reyes, who serves as the communications officer, grinned non-stop as he showed us through the simple two-story cement building. The major transmission equipment is located in the lower level and a brand new, higher-powered transmitter stands tall and proud on a small piece of donated land on a hill in view of much of Matagalpa.
Kristin and I both giggled out loud when we entered the first studio lined floor to ceiling with the square fiber egg cartons to provide sound absorption. “It’s the best thing for sound,” Fr. Francisco exclaimed. I thought about how in the old diocesan building we had special heavy curtains made for the same purpose and in the new Pastoral Center, sand had been poured in the holes of the concrete blocks during construction to provide sound proofing between some rooms. Not only were the egg cartons effective, but lent a somewhat artistic feel as well.
Fr. Francisco was especially proud of one microphone. “There are 13 radio stations in the department of Matagalpa, but we have the only one like this!” he beamed. “Thank you! Thank you!”
The ceremony itself was simple held on the walkway outside the station with secular media also in attendance. I was invited to assist Bishop Solorzano unveil the wall plaque marking the 14th anniversary and reinauguration of Radio Hermanos “…with eternal gratitude to our sister Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan...” I followed along as Bishop Solorzano blessed the facility. I’ve attended numerous dedications with Bishop Cooney and noticed that Bishop Solorzano had a much more serious demeanor as he moved from room to room; Bishop Cooney typically smiles on such occasions and it especially widens during a Sprinkling Rite. (Those who have ever attended the Easter Vigil or a parish dedication know exactly what I mean.)
After the ceremony at the station, we traveled around the block back to San Pedro Cathedral for another special Mass. Again during the procession of gifts, there were a number of items presented to the bishop for blessing and then placed on the floor in front of the altar, including a microphone and large framed picture – a smaller version of which now hangs in Gaylord.
At the end of the Mass, certificates were presented to the many volunteers and few paid staff of Radio Hermanos, including our friend, Gladys. She joins several ladies every morning at 8:00 to pray over the airwaves for various intentions which are hand-carried to the studio by listeners so that the entire faith community will join them in prayer for a special joy or burden.
Then I had an opportunity to address the assembly. They tried to surprise me, but I had come prepared having written some brief remarks prior to leaving Gaylord and Anne Carlson at
Of course, the celebration ended with yet another mariachi band – this time in green.
Following the Mass, we returned to the school for a Festival of Christian Music. It was a talent show for which people had come from miles around – some walking three or more hours in order to then board a bus to travel to the festival -- where the top contestants would win a basket of food to take home with them.
Soon, we would be traveling the road back to Managua for our return flight.
You may have noticed I have written little in this series about the extreme poverty in Nicaragua which is very real. It is among the top three poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. Homes are often constructed of mud with a tin roof. Medical care and medicine are virtually non-existent in much of the territory of the diocese. A teacher in Nicaragua makes about $70 a month; a country laborer, $30. Of course, there are those who are quite wealthy by Nicaraguan standards, but the majority of people have very little materially. Still, all opened their hearts to welcome the strangers in their midst and their joy was contagious.
It would be easy to focus on how truly needy the people are, to rant about the inequity and beg for assistance on their behalf – but “poor” should not be the sole definition of who they are. Poverty exists here in our communities too. The people of Matagalpa are our brothers and sisters. My hope is that readers will understand that through our partnership we stand in solidarity with a people who are very much like us. We seek the same things – to provide the best we can for our families including adequate food, water and shelter; access to education and affordable healthcare; and to respond to the love of God with lives which promote peace and justice throughout the world.
My passport is now safely back its drawer with a simple stamp on Page 5. In the future, I’ll see it and remember the faces and experiences of my first – but not my last – trip to Matagalpa.