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Catholic radio station may be coming to area

By JIM SCHUH
of The Gazette
Sometime in the year 2000, a powerful new Catholic radio station will begin broadcasting to the 19-county Diocese of La Crosse.

The station is the dream of Steve Gajdosik, who lives near Rozellville. The former seminarian and active Catholic layman points to the Second Vatican Council's Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, saying "On all Christians rests the responsibility to bring the Word of Christ to all people everywhere." The radio station he's planning to start will do that, he says.

Gajdosik, along with La Crosse Bishop Raymond Burke and Deacon William Steltemeier Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), discussed evangelization and outlined plans for the station to a group in Stevens Point on Sunday night.

Negotiations for the purchase of the 100,000-watt FM station are still in progress, so Gajdosik doesn't yet want to provide much in the way of detail. But a brochure shows the center of his coverage area (and therefore the broadcast tower) to be west of Marshfield. He's well on his way toward raising the necessary $1.8 million necessary to purchase the station. Donations so far exceed $800,000.

What he will reveal is that the station will be in proximity to the four major cities in central Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield and Wausau - because that's where the Catholic population concentration lies. But there are thousands of other listeners in the Eau Claire and La Crosse areas, who also will be able to hear it.

Gajdosik said earlier, he looked without success at two area radio stations that were on the market - a 1,000-watt AM station in Stevens Point, and a 25,000-watt FM station in Marathon City.

Bishop Burke told the Gazette he's "convinced radio is a very effective medium for evangelization we're not using. It's one of the most effective means of getting the word out." But Burke says the diocese is not in a position to take the radio project on itself. And while the diocese hasn't provided any funding, Burke says the initiative "is close to my heart, and has my full support. It lets us put our story out straight."

Gajdosik, who calls the project "a bold undertaking," has established a nonprofit corporation that will own the station. It's called Totus Tuus - Latin for "totally yours." A board of directors and advisory board already are in place.

Gajdosik, who's working to earn a master's degree in theology, is a general agent for a Catholic insurance firm. He says he felt a calling from God to establish the station, and now is "asking for help in answering the call of Jesus Christ." He and his wife, Tonia, a convert to Catholicism from Pentecostalism, are spending many of their waking hours to make the radio station a reality.

The station will be the second religious station to operate in the central Wisconsin area - the other is Christian station WGNV, (88.5 FM), located north of Milladore and owned by Evangel Ministries.

The new station will be one of only about 35 Catholic radio stations in the United States. When it takes to the airwaves, listeners can expect to hear plenty of programming from Mother Angelica's radio network, WEWN. But Gajdosik says as the station becomes more established, there will be increased locally originated programming. He says Bishop Burke and the editors of the Catholic diocesan newspaper, the Times Review, each have already committed to half-hour weekly programs.

Steltemeier, the EWTN executive, says his network will provide Catholic programming to the new station without charge. He noted that next year - 2000 - is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church, adding it will be only the second time since the Resurrection of Christ that the Church celebrates a
millennium. Steltemeier said that without the new station in the diocese, the vast majority of people won't get the true meaning of the millenium. In his words, "The Gospel must be proclaimed. The world is starving for the message of the Good News of Our Lord, Jesus Christ." He calls Catholic radio a supplement to the work of priests from week to week.

Gajdosik says he's looking for assistance from people willing to share their time, talent and resources to make the project move forward. He's accepting donations to the nonprofit Totus Tuus Communications, at D2030 County Road C, Stratford, WI 54484.



	Catholic radio station may be coming to area By JIM SCHUH of The Gazette Sometime in the year 2000, a powerful new Catholic radio station will begin broadcasting to the 19-county Diocese of La Crosse. The station is the dream of Steve Gajdosik, who lives near Rozellville. The former seminarian and active Catholic layman points to the Second Vatican Council's Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, saying "On all Christians rests the responsibility to bring the Word of Christ to all people everywhere." The radio station he's planning to start will do that, he says. Gajdosik, along with La Crosse Bishop Raymond Burke and Deacon William Steltemeier Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), discussed evangelization and outlined plans for the station to a group in Stevens Point on Sunday night. Negotiations for the purchase of the 100,000-watt FM station are still in progress, so Gajdosik doesn't yet want to provide much in the way of detail. But a brochure shows the center of his coverage area (and therefore the broadcast tower) to be west of Marshfield. He's well on his way toward raising the necessary $1.8 million necessary to purchase the station. Donations so far exceed $800,000. What he will reveal is that the station will be in proximity to the four major cities in central Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield and Wausau - because that's where the Catholic population concentration lies. But there are thousands of other listeners in the Eau Claire and La Crosse areas, who also will be able to hear it. Gajdosik said earlier, he looked without success at two area radio stations that were on the market - a 1,000-watt AM station in Stevens Point, and a 25,000-watt FM station in Marathon City. Bishop Burke told the Gazette he's "convinced radio is a very effective medium for evangelization we're not using. It's one of the most effective means of getting the word out." But Burke says the diocese is not in a position to take the radio project on itself. And while the diocese hasn't provided any funding, Burke says the initiative "is close to my heart, and has my full support. It lets us put our story out straight." Gajdosik, who calls the project "a bold undertaking," has established a nonprofit corporation that will own the station. It's called Totus Tuus - Latin for "totally yours." A board of directors and advisory board already are in place. Gajdosik, who's working to earn a master's degree in theology, is a general agent for a Catholic insurance firm. He says he felt a calling from God to establish the station, and now is "asking for help in answering the call of Jesus Christ." He and his wife, Tonia, a convert to Catholicism from Pentecostalism, are spending many of their waking hours to make the radio station a reality. The station will be the second religious station to operate in the central Wisconsin area - the other is Christian station WGNV, (88.5 FM), located north of Milladore and owned by Evangel Ministries. The new station will be one of only about 35 Catholic radio stations in the United States. When it takes to the airwaves, listeners can expect to hear plenty of programming from Mother Angelica's radio network, WEWN. But Gajdosik says as the station becomes more established, there will be increased locally originated programming. He says Bishop Burke and the editors of the Catholic diocesan newspaper, the Times Review, each have already committed to half-hour weekly programs. Steltemeier, the EWTN executive, says his network will provide Catholic programming to the new station without charge. He noted that next year - 2000 - is a Jubilee Year in the Catholic Church, adding it will be only the second time since the Resurrection of Christ that the Church celebrates a millennium. Steltemeier said that without the new station in the diocese, the vast majority of people won't get the true meaning of the millenium. In his words, "The Gospel must be proclaimed. The world is starving for the message of the Good News of Our Lord, Jesus Christ." He calls Catholic radio a supplement to the work of priests from week to week. Gajdosik says he's looking for assistance from people willing to share their time, talent and resources to make the project move forward. He's accepting donations to the nonprofit Totus Tuus Communications, at D2030 County Road C, Stratford, WI 54484.