Radio Maria, formally known as The World Family of Radio Maria, is an international Catholic radio broadcasting service founded in Erba, province of Como, in the diocese of Milan, Italy, in 1987.
The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998, mainly based on the Our Lady of Medjugorje apparitions and messages, and today has branches in 86 countries around the world. Its mission includes: liturgy, catechesis, spirituality, devotions, prayer, spiritual assistance with everyday issues, information, music and culture.
History Its first broadcast facility was from a parish in Arcellasco d'Erba (province of Como, Italy), but in 1987 it became a separate entity outside its home parish as an association of lay people and priests as Radio Maria Italia. In less than five years, it grew into a national Catholic radio network throughout Italy. Though not directly connected with the Roman Catholic hierarchy, it was founded as an instrument of the Church and as a tool for evangelization, implementing and adhering to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Initially it was inspired by the appeals made by the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, and in more recent years based on the Marian messages from Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, pleading for worldwide conversion. As such, Radio Maria is not subsidized or funded by the Roman Catholic Church; instead it is underwritten by listener contributions.
In 1994, the principal founder don M. Galbiati left Radio Maria and founded Radio Mater, also in Arcellasco d'Erba, as a totally separate entity. Since 5 September 1994, transmissions started in Albavilla in the province of Como. The Liturgy of the Hours is diffused in the Roman Rite. Radio Mater is broadcast via radio in Italy, in Europe via satellite (DVB-S Hot Bird), and worldwide via Internet (WMP).
The World Family of Radio Maria was formed in 1998 out of its subsequent international growth in the 1990s, and pursuant to the 1987 speech by Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square addressing the need for a new evangelization. Emanuele Ferrario (inspired by the Pope's words to form a new evangelization) is the founder and president of Radio Maria, Inc., which has since grown into an association of 40 multilingual broadcast operations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Overall, Radio Maria operates approximately 1,500 radio transmitters worldwide.
Radio Maria USA
Its United States of America operation is one of the newest to join the World Family, in May 2000, with KJMJ (AM) in Alexandria, Louisiana, being the originating English-language station, together with a network of several FM and AM repeaters in Louisiana, an AM station in Port Arthur, Texas, on 1250 AM (KDEI), and an FM repeater in Anna, Ohio. An AM repeater in Springfield, Ohio, east of Dayton, commenced broadcasting in June 2008 with new FM repeaters in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, coming on the air in June 2009, D'Iberville, Mississippi, and Peshtigo, Wisconsin, both in May 2010. Spanish-language and Italian-language programming is heard on FM subcarrier frequencies in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City and Washington, D.C.. Italian-language programming can also be heard on the New York City FM subcarrier as well as French Canadian and English speaking services on FM subcarriers in Toronto, Ontario. Audiostreaming is available from most of these stations.
World Family of Radio Maria
Radio stations in Europe Nation Radio station Language Website Availability Catholic Church Radio Maria Shqiptare Albanian http://www.radiomaria.al/ FM coverage in major cities of Albania Albania Radio Maria ArmeniaArmenian http://www.radiomariam.am/ Armenia Radio Maria Österreich German http://www.radiomaria.at/ FM in selected cities; digital and cable nationwide Austria Radio Maria Belarus Belarusian http://www.radiomaria.by/ Internet streaming Belarus Radio Maria België Dutch http://www.radiomaria.be/ FM and DAB+ coverage of Flanders (Belgium) Belgium Radio Marija BiH Croatian http://www.radiomarija.ba/ FM in Sarajevo and Banja Luka Bosnia and Herzegovina Radio Marija Hrvatska http://www.radiomarija.hr/ FM in Zagreb, Split and ViroviticaList of radio programme content providers, Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency, retrieved 25 October 2011 Croatia Radio Maria France French http://www.radiomaria.fr/ 1467 AM in Southern France, 95.4 FM in Monaco France Radio Horeb German http://www.horeb.org/ Affiliate station.FM in selected areas; DAB+ and cable nationwide Germany Mária Rádió Magyarország Hungarian http://www.mariaradio.hu/ FM national coverage Hungary Radio Maria Ireland English http://www.radiomaria.ie/ Saorview (digital terrestrial television) channel 210 Ireland Radio Maria Italia Italian http://www.radiomaria.it/ FM national coverage in Italy,parts of Switzerland and Austria;FM coverage in major cities of Albania.DAB+ and DVB-T coverage in selected areas in Italy. Italy Radio Maria Südtirol German http://www.radiomaria.bz.it/ FM coverage in South Tyrol (Italy) and Tyrol (Austria) South Tyrol Radio Maria Kosovë Albanian http://www.radiomariakosove.org/ Kosovo Radio Marija Latvija Latvian http://www.rml.lv/ FM coverage (93.2 FM in Valka, 97.0 FM in Krāslava, 97.1 FM in Liepāja, 97.3 FM in Rīga, 106.0 FM in Cēsis) Latvia Marijos Radijas Lietuva Lithuanian http://www.marijosradijas.lt/ FM national coverage Lithuania Radju Marija Malta Maltese http://www.radjumarija.org/ FM national coverage (102.3 FM in Malta, and 107.8 in Gozo). DAB+ Malta Radio Maria Monaco Italian http://www.radiomaria.it/ FM national coverage Monaco Radio Maria Nederland Dutch http://www.radiomaria.nl/ DAB+ national coverage, and internet Netherlands Радио Марија Македонија Macedonian http://www.radiomarija.mk/ FM in Strumica North Macedonia Rádio Maria Portugal Portuguese http://www.radiomaria.pt/ FM national coverage (102.2 FM in Lisbon, 100.8 FM in Porto and 97.5 FM in Alentejo) Portugal Radio Maria România Romanian http://www.radiomaria.ro/ FM in Transylvania and Moldova Romania Mária Rádió Erdély Hungarian FM in Transylvania Радио Мария Russian http://www.radiomaria.ru/ Internet streaming Russia Radio Maria San Marino Italian http://www.radiomaria.it/ FM national coverage San Marino Radio Marija Srbija Serbian http://www.radiomarija.rs/ FM in some cities, mainly in Vojvodina, but also in the south and southeast of the country Serbia Mária Rádió Szerbia Hungarian http://www.mariaradio.rs/ Rádio Mária Slovensko Slovak https://www.radiomaria.sk/ FM and online Slovakia Radio María España Spanish http://www.radiomaria.es/ DAB+ and FM national coverage in Spain and Andorra Spain Radio Maria Deutschschweiz German http://www.radiomaria.ch/ http://www.radiomaria-sr.ch/ (in French) DAB+ and cable in the German-speaking part of Switzerland Switzerland Радіо Марія Ukrainian http://www.radiomaria.org.ua/ 69.68 FM (OIRT band) in Kyiv Ukraine Radio Maria England English http://radiomariaengland.uk/ DAB+ in London, DAB in Cambridgeshire, DAB+ in Bristol United Kingdom Radio Maria Italia Italian http://www.radiomaria.it/ FM national coverage Vatican State
Radio stations in Asia Nation Radio Station Language Website Availability Catholic Church Radio Maria Indonesia Indonesian http://www.radiomaria.co.id/ 104.2 FM in Medan, North Sumatra Indonesia Radio Mariam Erbil Arabic http://www.radiomariam.iq/ 104.9 FM in Erbil Iraq Radio Maria Nazareth – Holy Land http://www.radiomariam.org.il/ Israel Radio Maria India English http://www.radiomaria.org.in/ India Radio Maria Liban Arabic https://www.radiomaria.org.lb/ Lebanon Radio Maria Macau Chinese http://www.radiomaria.mo/ Macau Radio Maria Philippines English http://www.radiomaria.ph/ FM in 4 cities, mainly on Luzon Island; cable coverage in selected areas, Cignal Channel 315 PhilippinesRadyo Maria PilipinasFilipino Middle East Radio Mariam Arabic http://www.radiomariam.org/ Internet radio Middle East
Radio stations in Oceania Nation Radio Station Language Website Availability Catholic Church Radio Maria Papua New Guinea English http://www.radiomariapng.org/ FM national coverage and Shortwave Papua New Guinea Radio Maria Australia http://www.radiomaria.org.au/ DAB+ in Sydney and Melbourne Australia
Radio stations in Africa Nation Radio station Language Website Availability Catholic Church Radio Maria Angola Portuguese https://www.radiomaria.co.ao/ Angola Radio Maria Burkina Faso French http://www.radiomariaburkinafaso.org/ 91.6 FM in Ouagadougou, 96.9 FM in Koupéla Burkina Faso Radio Maria Burundi http://www.radiomaria.bi/ FM in major cities Burundi Radio Maria Cameroon http://www.radiomaria.cm/ Cameroon Radio Maria Centrafrique http://www.radiomariacentrafrique.org/ FM in major cities Central African Republic Radio Maria RDC, Kinshasa Radio Maria RDC, Bukavu Radio Maria RDC, Goma Radio Maria RDC, Kananga French Lingala Swahili Luba-Lulua http://www.radiomaria.cd/ Democratic Republic of the Congo Radio María Guinea Ecuatorial Spanish http://www.radiomaria.gq/ Equatorial Guinea Radio Maria Gabon French http://www.radiomariagabon.org/ FM in major cities Gabon Radio Voix de la Paix https://www.radiovoixdelapaix.org/ FM in major cities (Conakry 100,7 FM) Guinea Radio Maria Côte d'Ivoire http://www.radiomaria.ci/ FM in major cities Ivory Coast Radio Maria Kenya English http://www.radiomaria.co.ke/ 88.1 FM in Murang'a Kenya Radio Maria Lesotho https://www.radiomaria.co.ls/ FM national coverage Lesotho Radio Maria Liberia https://www.radiomaria.com.lr/ Liberia Radio Maria MadagascarFrench http://www.radiomaria.mg/ Madagascar Radio Maria MalawiChichewa Chiyao Chitumbuka English http://www.radiomaria.mw/ Malawi Rádio Maria Moçambique Portuguese http://www.radiomaria.org.mz/ FM in major cities Mozambique Radio Maria Congo French http://www.radiomaria.cg/ Republic of the Congo Radio Maria Rwanda Kinyarwanda French English http://www.radiomaria.rw/ FM national coverage Rwanda Radio Maria Sierra Leone English http://www.radiomaria.sl/ FM in major cities Sierra Leone Radio Veritas http://www.radioveritas.co.za/ Affiliate station.576 AM in Meyerton South Africa Radio Maria Tanzania English Swahili http://www.radiomaria.co.tz/ FM in major cities Tanzania Rádio Maria Togo French http://www.radiomaria.tg/ Togo Radio Maria Uganda English Luganda http://www.radiomaria.ug/ Uganda Radio Maria Zambia English https://www.radiomaria.co.zm/ FM in major cities, covering also areas of Malawi and Mozambique Zambia
Radio stations in the Americas Nation Radio stationLanguage Website Availability Catholic Church Radio María Argentina Spanish http://www.radiomaria.org.ar/ AM and FM national coverage Argentina Radio María Bolivia http://www.radiomaria.org.bo/ FM national coverage Bolivia Rádio Maria Brasil Portuguese http://www.radiomaria.org.br/ 99.9 FM in Goiânia Brazil Radio Maria Canada Italian