In the year in which it celebrates 350 years of history, the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception of Brazil, through the Frei Rogério Foundation, took another step in the communication of the OFM in the country on the 8th March with the inauguration of Rádio Frei Galvão in Guaratinguetá (SP).
The ceremony was attended by ecclesiastical authorities, including Cardinal Jaime Spengler, OFM, president of the CNBB (National Conference of Bishops of Brazil), Msgr. Orlando Brandes, Archbishop of Aparecida, Br. Paulo Roberto Pereira, Minister Provincial, as well as the inhabitants of the city and the region.
This moment marked a new stage in the Franciscan evangelizing mission, strengthening the relationship with the local community and with the Paraíba Valley, a region of the State of São Paulo where the new station is based, through an important means of communication whose main characteristic is proximity to the listener.
According to Br. Paulo Roberto, Radio Frei Galvão is of great importance for the communicative mission of the Province of the Immaculate Conception: "The main mission of the Franciscan Province is Evangelization. The mission of the Church in the world is to proclaim the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. All of us who have had the privilege of knowing Jesus Christ must exclaim with the Apostle, "Woe unto me if I do not preach the gospel!" (cf. 1 Cor 9:16). Evangelizing is therefore the task of the Church, of the Franciscans and of all the baptized. To succeed in this task, it will be necessary to use all the resources at our disposal. In order that evangelization may bear fruit "a hundred times one" (cf. Mt 13:23), commitment and creativity, attention to the urgencies and emergencies of the times, courage and prophecy, fidelity to Jesus' proposal and trust in his words are required. On the basis of our history, over the years, the Franciscan Province has defined a path and a method to proclaim the Gospel. In this direction we have elected what we call Evangelization Fronts, which are five in total: Solidarity with the Poor, Missions, Parishes and Shrines, Education and Communication. Rádio Frei Galvão thus emerges as an expression of the strengthening and expansion of the mission of communicating, of proclaiming the Gospel of Peace and Goodness."
For Br. Diego Atalino de Melo, rector of the Frei Galvão Shrine, this initiative represents a significant milestone, as it will expand the scope of the Shrine's message: "It is God's grace and spiritual fruitfulness that are concretely expressed in these projects that have developed over time and are now becoming reality."
Legacy and influence of Br Galvão
With the slogan "Communicating Peace and Goodness", from the 9th March Rádio Br. Galvão strengthens the spread and devotion to St Anthony of St Ann Galvão, known to the Brazilian people as Br. Galvão, by spreading his story, his messages and the activities of the Shrine dedicated to him.
The new visual identity of the station, linked to the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception of Brazil, was created by Br. Leandro Costa Santos. "This mission is a source of joy and satisfaction. Whenever I look to the future, I imagine the days ahead and the brand expressing values, conveying messages, bringing back memories, and awakening memories. The function of a symbol is precisely this: to connect, to unite with something much greater, not only achieved by my ability, but also by what visual language can awaken," the friar emphasized.
Today, Rádio Br. Galvão de Guaratinguetá's mission is to be an active voice at the service of society and the Church, spreading content that promotes peace, fraternity, human values and Franciscan spirituality. Guided by the charism of St. Francis of Assisi, the station proposes itself as a means of communication that welcomes, orients and informs, contributing to the construction of a more just and supportive society. As a radio station that communicates "Peace and Goodness", it seeks, in every program, to be an instrument of transformation, bringing hope, faith and brotherly love to the hearts of its listeners.
Br. Augusto Luiz Gabriel and Adriana Rabelo
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