Celebrating 15 years as Central Pennsylvania’s only Catholic radio station, Holy Family Radio WHYF 720AM renewed its commitment to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and blessing of its new facility in the arts and activities center at Trinity High School in Camp Hill earlier this week.
The relocation from its former studio less than a mile away on Main Street in Shiremanstown to its new home at Trinity provides “significant improvement in our practices, procedures, recordings, overall sound and a more professional atmosphere,” said station manager Joe Nebistinsky.
“The vision and design of this renovation was based on research and visits to other radio stations,” he said. “We now have a professional facility that is more efficient than the old building.”
“This was a dream,” he said of the efforts, which began in earnest last fall. “It is said that a dream is a goal with a plan attached to it. I am happy to report that our dream of having a first-class, Catholic radio station here in Central Pennsylvania is now a reality.”
Bishop Timothy Senior joined station staff, board members, volunteers and supporters on Monday, June 15, for the ribbon cutting and blessing. Representatives of the Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce and staff from the offices of Sen. Greg Rothman and Rep. Sheryl Delozier were also on hand for the celebration.
“These new facilities are something we’ve been hard at work at since late last October, but they’ve been something we’ve been dreaming about for much, much longer,” said Joe Aponick, vice president of the station’s board of directors. “We are confident these new facilities will help us to better accomplish our mission of nourishing our Catholic family and sharing our faith with others.”
In the opening prayer for the blessing, Bishop Senior said, “The discoveries of technology, if used properly, can be of great service to the human family – not only to bring help in time of need, but also as a resource for education and entertainment, and even for the spreading and building up of the Kingdom of God.”
Offering remarks and congratulating station board members, staff and volunteers, he said, “The core mission of the Church, the timeless mission of the Church, is to proclaim Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Gospel…. As disciples of Jesus, we are called always to share with others, to proclaim the Good News.”
“How blessed we are in Central Pennsylvania, particularly here in our diocese, to have that gift of Holy Family Radio to help us touch the hearts of people who may never otherwise hear our message and learn about the great gift of our Catholic faith,” he said.
“This is a moment to give thanks to God for this gift,” Bishop Senior said. “It’s also a moment of challenge for us to continue to support this ministry and to bear in mind that the mission of Holy Family Radio is something we all share in – to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
In celebration of its 15th anniversary of on-air broadcasting in August, the station is hosting two upcoming fundraisers: a paint party at St. Theresa Parish in New Cumberland on June 27 at 3 p.m., and a train ride on the Hummelstown and Middletown Railroad on August 29 at 11 a.m. Ticket information is available through the station.
Holy Family Radio broadcasts local shows and EWTN programming that can be heard at 720AM on the radio dial, online at www.whyf720.com and via the station’s app. For more information about programming, volunteer opportunities or how you can support the station, visit www.whyf720.com or call 717-525-8110.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
