The Ave Maria Radio Hour first aired on April 26, 1935, on radio station WOR. It was presented by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement to help the humanitarian work of St. Christopher’s Inn. The show was a hit, with about one million listeners tuning in each week, which resulted in large pilgrimages coming to Graymoor for many years.
Each episode featured dramatizations of the lives of the saints, stories from the Gospel, and inspiring accounts of faith. Although the Ave Maria Radio Hour stopped airing in 1969, it continued to have a profound impact on many people.
In 2008, the Friars began to convert more than 2,500 recorded episodes to digital files that could be streamed on the web. Fr. Bob Warren, SA recorded a new opening message for each of the 30-minute episodes. During the past 12 years, over 352,450 listeners have enjoyed these weekly presentations.
As the Ave Maria Radio Hour turns 85, we continue to be grateful for this wonderful treasure trove of Catholic inspiration and to share it with listeners today and in the future.
A new episode airs every Friday morning at 10:00 EST on BlogTalk Radio. Episodes that have already streamed can be accessed on iTunes and SoundCloud. To listen to iTunes on any computer or mobile device, click here!