Radio station is evangelization tool online, over the air

By Ricardo Gandara | Correspondent

Although Anne Marie McNew’s one-time daily 15-minute drive on state Highway 150 from her home in Arlington, Va., to her husband’s job at the Pentagon and back was monotonous, it gave her plenty of time to think.
Her mother had been urging her to connect with her faith through Catholic radio and, eventually, she found the Guadalupe Catholic Radio Network on the AM dial. Radio for the soul, the network touts itself.
The network not only touched McNew’s soul, but also it planted a little seed that grew into a dream of Catholic radio in Central Texas. In 2018, she and her husband, Tom, founded Armor of God Catholic Radio (KOOV-FM), which serves 14 parishes and schools and the Fort Hood area.
“We’d met a lot of Catholics that were listening to Protestant stations and that told me enough that we needed Catholic radio,” Anne Marie said. “It was really the Holy Spirit.”
Armor of God — KOOV-FM 106.9 — reaches Andice, Belton, Bertram, Burnet, Copperas Cove, Fort Hood, Gatesville, Harker Heights, Killeen, Jarrell, Lampasas, Lometa, Salado and Temple. Those outside of the listening area can tune in at www.ArmorOfGod Radio.com.
“We’re at the budding stage,” Tom said.
The station is affiliated with Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a national network that presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. EWTN provides 90 percent of Armor of God radio’s programming through online podcasts.
Armor of God offers daily Mass and spiritual talks as well as information on events at local parishes and Catholic schools. The website features links to parishes and their Mass schedule, a calendar that highlights local events like the Knights of Columbus first Friday fish fry in Kempner, and links for listening live to call-in shows or catching the programming any time of day via podcast.
By offering commercial-free Armor of God Radio online, “we have become a global tool for the evangelization of Jesus Christ, for example, giving someone in Alaska the opportunity to listen in,” Tom said.
Armor of God radio is a nonprofit and depends on donations to pay the bills, including the $500,000 loan to purchase the existing KOOV station. It was previously a privately owned country station, and the purchase included the radio tower, satellite dish and some equipment.
The McNews, who attend Holy Family Parish in Copperas Cove, operate the station from home computers. Armor of God has a board of directors, but no paid staff.
The founding of Armor of God radio had many twists and turns. At the start of the journey, the McNews were what they themselves call “cafeteria Catholics” — choosing when to go to Mass and how to get involved.
“We were living our life and putting other things first,” Anne Marie said.
Around the time she started listening to Catholic radio during her drives to the Pentagon, the couple also started watching EWTN. They attended the network’s family celebration in 2016, where a radio conference was promoted. Curious, they decided to go. At that point, they had already returned to Texas for his second stint at Fort Hood.
In summer 2017, the McNews went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Their time there along with deep discernment convinced them what they needed to do when they returned home: form a nonprofit and start negotiations to buy KOOV.
“It was a massive idea, yes,” Tom said. “The idea to start it scared me every day, but I started to understand the responsibility that we have with this tool, God’s tool, to evangelize to the … people who live in Central Texas.”
About 20 volunteers help the McNews, who conduct pledge drives in parishes, stuff envelopes for pledge requests and serve as the voices for public service announcements.
The McNews’ long-range plans include extending Armor of God’s coverage area by boosting the signal or buying another station. They are planning live call-in shows with remote broadcasts at local events, which will require purchasing more equipment.
“This is why we’re always fundraising,” Anne Marie said.
Armor of God makes the most of its current reach to connect with Fort Hood and prisons in the area.
“For soldiers, local radio can become the wall and stronghold to lean on so that their families can get something true and faithful,” said Tom, a 27-year veteran.
The station is also in a partnership with the Diocese of Austin’s Restorative Justice Ministry, which has been especially fruitful during the pandemic. “Volunteers and ministries can’t get into prisons due to COVID-19, but radio can,” Tom said.
The Restorative Justice for All program airs on Sunday nights.
“It’s a way to let them know we haven’t forgotten about them and that we pray for them,” Anne Marie said.
All that Armor of God offers is accomplished with no background in radio. Anne is a graphic designer, and Tom is a retired Army officer.
“We tell people that most days we don’t know what we’re doing, but it looks good and is run with military precision,” he said.
For more information about Armor of God Radio, visit www.armorofgodradio.com or tune in to 106.9 FM.