“The Ridiculously Miraculous!”

Our first episode of The Catholic Man Show is in the books!

We thought it would be fitting to have our first episode revolve around how St. Michael Catholic Radio came into existence and pay tribute to the late Mother Angelica, foundress of EWTN.

Typically, The Catholic Man Show will consist of 3 parts:

1. A manly “drink”
2. A manly “item”
3. A manly “topic”

All 3 parts will have a theme of a virtue that a Catholic man should obtain.

Here is an overview of the 3 parts to this week’s show called, “The Ridiculously Miraculous”:

PART 1:

The manly “drink”

We selected for our first manly “drink” a single pot still Irish whiskey. Powers is one of the best-selling Irish whiskey in its native Ireland. It is considered one of the best value single pot still whiskeys on the market. This is made from a robust style of single pot still spirit and predominantly matured in refill ex-bourbon barrels. A small proportion of 1st bourbon and sherry casks are also used to balance out the whiskey.

Here are the tasting notes:

You can find more information on Powers’ website.

Part 2:

The manly “item”

Leatherman Skeletool 7-in-1 Multi-Tool.

• FEATURING 7 TOOLS: needlenose pliers, regular pliers, hard-wire cutters, wire cutters, 420HC combo knife, carabiner/bottle opener, large bit driver.
• 420HC Stainless Steel: An improved, high-carbon (HC) form of 420 stainless steel that works well with high production tooling. 420HC’s strength is optimized in Leatherman multi-tools by heat treatment.
• The Skeletool is just what you need in one good lookin’ package.
• Weighs in at a mere five ounces.
• ONE TOOL. A COUPLE THOUSAND USES.

Part 3:

“The Ridiculously Miraculous”

Here is an excerpt of an article the Tulsa World featured regarding St. Michael Catholic Radio and The Catholic Man Show:

Two men in their 20s are the unlikely owners and operators of Broken Arrow’s only local Catholic radio station, St. Michael Catholic Radio, 102.9 FM.

Neither David Niles nor Adam Minihan had any experience or expertise in broadcasting when they launched the project.

They met in kindergarten and have been lifelong friends. Now married with children, their families live one house away from each other in Broken Arrow.

They roomed together after college and got in the habit of listening to Catholic radio. They often talked together about issues facing Catholics.

Their adventure in broadcasting started in late 2013, Niles said. The two friends were together at Minihan’s house when an email arrived from Jeff Finnell, the president of Oklahoma Catholic Broadcasting in Oklahoma City, whom they had never met.

The email said, in effect: “I have a crazy idea for a radio station in Broken Arrow. You’ve got to call me tonight if we’re going to pull this off.”

They called him and learned the Federal Communications Commission was offering a license to run a low-power, 100-watt radio station in Broken Arrow, and that the application deadline was at midnight that night, just three hours away.

“We loved the idea. We were big fans of Catholic radio,” Niles said. “We thought it was cool.”

With help from Finnell, they completed the application before the deadline and submitted it online. It had an error that would have caused it to be rejected, but the FCC website crashed that night, and the deadline was extended one day, allowing them to submit a corrected application.

In less than two weeks, they learned they were approved. They had two years to get on the air, otherwise they would lose the license.

With the backing of Bishop Edward J. Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa, they promoted the idea at Catholic churches in the area. In one weekend, they raised the $30,000 needed to buy all the broadcast equipment, rent space on Channel 47’s tower on south Memorial Drive and hire a tower-climber crew to put up an antenna. The equipment is in a small shed at Channel 47 and is run remotely from Minihan’s and Niles’ homes.

They incorporated as a nonprofit, and St. Michael Catholic Radio went on the air Nov. 23, 2014.

The station carries 24-hour-a-day programming provided free of charge by Eternal Word Television Network, a global Catholic network based in Birmingham, Alabama. EWTN was founded by Mother Angelica, who died on Easter Sunday this year at age 92.

Low-power FM stations usually have a reach of about 10 miles, depending on terrain. St. Michael Catholic Radio on 102.9 reaches less than 10 miles north, but much farther south and east.

The monthly operating cost of about $1,000 comes from an annual fundraiser, from business sponsors who pay for air time and from donations. Niles, a Morgan Stanley financial adviser, and Minihan, a manufacturer’s representative, volunteer their time to run the station.

Did you miss the first episode? 

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