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Tag Archives | priest

Dreaming of Iditarod

By on March 18, 2013 in Stories

Our weather alternates between blizzards and clear, calm conditions. We can feel the pull of spring as we approach Easter Sunday. KNOM brings Easter Mass to many places with no priest, keeping the faith family together.

A former KNOM volunteer sent us an email, and we would like to share some of her thoughts.

As I sit in my cabin here in Fairbanks following the end of the greatest race on earth (Iditarod Sled Dog Race), my thoughts go back to the first Iditarod…

As all eyes look to Nome, I find myself once again thankful to God for giving me a wonderful life in Alaska. As I sleep tonight, I will dream of the dogs, the amazing men and women who run this race, the volunteers who make this all happen, and, of course, you and your staff who bring it all to the world.

My prayers and donations are with you always. God’s blessings be with you in all you do.

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February 1993: Hearing the Mass in remote Diomede

By on February 23, 2013 in History, Photos

Little Diomede, Alaska

February 28, 1993

KNOM volunteer news director Cherie Collins is on incredibly remote Little Diomede Island (pictured above), her small plane having landed on a strip cleared of snow on the Bering Strait ice pack.

Diomede church

The Catholic church in Little Diomede.

Diomede does not see a priest more than one or two Sundays a year. On this day, a Sunday, Cherie climbs up the steep, icy hill to the town church to pray with the villagers. She remembers:

To my surprise, they turned on KNOM! For over a year as a KNOM volunteer, I had sat behind the audio console in KNOM’s Studio A while we broadcast Mass from Nome’s St. Joseph Church, but I had no idea what an impact it made hundreds of miles away. In the isolated Little Diomede church, there we were, celebrating Mass along with our friends in Nome. I wondered how many people in other villages were also listening and praying along with KNOM.

It was an incredible experience, the kind that gives you the chills… One woman told me that they had once tried conducting their own Eucharistic liturgies, but they preferred to pray with the radio Mass because it helps them to feel connected with the outside world. Living so remotely, you can start to feel very alone. But thanks to KNOM, the distance between friends and family in other villages doesn’t seem as far. And that was exactly how I felt.

I don’t think I had ever realized the full power of KNOM until that wonderful moment.

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A request for prayers

By on November 12, 2012 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2012 (All), The Nome Static, November 2012

Father ArmandIn this season of giving thanks, we begin our (November 2012) newsletter with gratitude and a humble request for prayers – in both cases, directed towards KNOM’s spiritual advisor, the Reverend Armand Nigro, SJ.

Father Armand has been a priest for nearly seven decades. In that time, he has been an active fixture of the Catholic faith, leading retreats in the Anchorage area and throughout the state of Alaska. There are so many whose lives have been touched by the kindness of Fr. Armand, and at KNOM, we’re honored to be among them.

We respectfully ask for your prayers at this time, as Fr. Armand faces challenges to his health. We so appreciate all who join us in wishing him good health, peace, and strength.

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Prayers for Father Armand, and new ways we’re saving power

By on October 1, 2012 in Photos, Stories
LED light

An example of the LED bulbs we soon hope to install throughout KNOM’s facilities.

We continue to give thanks and celebrate the faithful service of KNOM’s spiritual advisor, Father Armand Nigro, S.J. He has been offering prayers and Masses for the intentions of thousands of KNOM’s supporters, our staff, and listeners. We ask for your prayers for Fr. Armand as he deals with a variety of health challenges. He continues to pray for you and your intentions.

KNOM’s dynamic carrier control project continues to pay dividends in power savings. The latest billing information reveals that we are saving $101.00 per day in electricity costs! Many thanks to the Nautel Company, Chuck Lakaytis, Frank Jazzo, Jack Mullaney, Rolland Trowbridge, Les Brown, and engineers at the FCC.

The quest to find ways to trim the budget and to save money continues with our LED lighting project: a planned initiative to replace the fluorescent lighting fixtures in our facilities with cost-efficient LED bulbs. As always, we are working to save every penny we can! We thank you for the opportunity to serve.

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Back in the building! – Fr. Ross, John, and Tom

By on August 26, 2012 in Photos, Stories

Father Ross – pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nome and president of the KNOM Radio Mission board of directors – is back in Nome from a short sabbatical. Fr. Ross was a KNOM volunteer in the late 80s and has been a part of the radio mission in one way or another ever since. He was ordained a priest in Nome on July 15, 2001. We are so thankful for his service, guidance and love for KNOM’s critical radio ministry.

Tom Bunger and John Kelsey

Tom Bunger and John Kelsey in KNOM’s engineering room.

Last week, the technical dynamic duo of John Kelsey and Tom Bunger (pictured above) visited KNOM to help with a myriad of engineering issues. They coordinated with engineering volunteer Rolland Trowbridge to fix, restore, renew, and update radio equipment throughout the KNOM studio building. The improvements will extend the life of some of our equipment and increase the productivity of our computer systems. We thank all who keep KNOM on the air!

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Summer and Sunday Mass

By on June 24, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Father Ross Tozzi

Father Ross Tozzi celebrates Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nome.

Large patches of snow dot the tundra on north facing hills, but most areas are beginning to see a variety of blooming tundra flowers. Subsistence fishing and hunting will soon begin; in Western Alaska, families work hard to store up food for the winter.

Throughout KNOM’s primary coverage area, 19,230 persons are unable to worship Roman Catholic Mass in their villages more than half of the time. For these individuals, the only weekly opportunity to worship the Mass is KNOM’s Sunday morning broadcast.

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