When you support Mater Dei Radio, you impact souls and help lead them to Jesus Christ! Our listener Michael recently shared his powerful story of returning to faith, and the many ways that Mater Dei Radio was an instrument of God’s grace during his journey.
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Listen to Michael’s Testimony
Patrick Ryan, Executive Director of Mater Dei Radio, and Sarah Kuenzi, Digital Media Manager, recently sat down for a powerful conversation with Michael Boltri. Listen to this inspiring interview as Michael shares about listening to Mater Dei Radio while delivering food, the workings of God’s providence, and the impact of the Eucharist.
From Our Executive Director
Dear Mater Dei Radio listeners,
Saint Joseph gave me a special gift on the eve of his feast day back in March. I met Michael Boltri that weekend during a Lenten retreat at Mount Angel Abbey. Our initial conversation on the Hilltop made a deep impression in my mind, and I was anxious to hear more. In between a busy retreat schedule of prayer and talks on Saint Joseph, Michael shared his transformational story with me, and I gained powerful insight into how your giving is saving souls.
Like many young adults, Michael worked in Portland’s gig economy, driving for a food app. His faith life was dark and empty. “I had fallen away from the Church and was seeking truth in my own way, in anything but Christ. It was largely a period of darkness, a lot of despair, a lot of really, really hard experiences.”
Fortunately, the Light of Christ found its way into Michael’s life through the unique conditions of his delivery job. Spending a lot of time in his car, Michael discovered Mater Dei Radio and his dial seldom moved after that. “Early on when I was delivering food, I’d listen to Catholic Answers and The Journey Home every day. It helped me a lot. All the programming that I’ve listened to has been so fruitful.”
Working at night also allowed Michael to better discern how God was calling him to serve. “I had been searching for this deeper meaning, an encounter with the divine. I would work in the evenings, so I was able to attend Daily Mass, spend an hour in Adoration each day, and frequently go to Confession. He slowly started chipping away and changed my heart so profoundly.”
Mater Dei Radio provided Michael with profound confirmation that he was on the right road. “I had an experience where I had come out of Mass, and it was the first time I met the priest. I turned on my car and he was praying the Saint Michael Prayer on Mater Dei Radio! Then the same thing happened again at another parish, where I just met the priest. It happened a third time, and God’s providence was so clear to me. I’m getting chills talking about it because He was making it obvious that this is the path. It felt like a sign that ‘Yes, you’re home!’ ”
This amazing journey took Michael back “home” to the Catholic Church at last year’s Easter Vigil. The Lord also called him into fulltime ministry recently as Coordinator of Single & Married Young Adults for Ascension Catholic Church in Portland. “I never thought that I’d have the strength to witness to those things or the Truth that has transformed me. I feel like they’re miracles. I don’t know why I continue to be surprised when He answers prayers so profoundly. It’s very frequent, but it continues to surprise me.”
Our next step is to respond boldly and help more souls escape the darkness like Michael. “I heard Archbishop Sample talk recently on The Voice of the Shepherd about the anxiety that young people are experiencing. And I tell you, nothing lasts the way that placing your trust in the Lord lasts. Nothing does! If more young people could have a genuine encounter with Christ, the anxiety and other issues could improve significantly. I feel so blessed by this whole journey and by the impact that Mater Dei Radio continues to have because I listen to it every day.”
Catholic media is a lifesaver because it can become the connection that translates into rescuing a soul. The dynamic of Mater Dei Radio is that it’s the one place on the dial where God’s grace is at work over the airwaves. Michael’s story demonstrates vividly how your giving saves souls. Through your prayers and financial gifts, you are bringing new life to countless souls, helping them find freedom from loneliness and anxiety through Mater Dei Radio and the Hail Mary Media app. As a part of the Mater Dei Radio family, would you keep us in your prayers, financially support this vital ministry, and – so very importantly – please promote the programming to others? You may find that in just telling someone about the station or the app, you become the instrument of the Holy Spirit, helping someone through the storms that so often assail us in life. Establish a legacy of saving souls!
May God richly bless you for your generosity and help reaching others with the fullness of the Catholic faith through this ministry. A Novena of Masses is being celebrated for you and your intentions. Please know that you are in our daily prayers. And when you pray, please remember us and all those souls like Michael who the Lord desires to reach through Mater Dei Radio and the Hail Mary Media app. Thank you.
To Jesus through Mary,
Patrick Ryan
Executive Director