Midnight Mass goes global on internet radio

Albany's sole commercial, internet-only radio station, www.radioalbany.com, will broadcast the Mass live around the world. They also plan to rebroadcast it on Christmas Day at 1 p.m.

"You can tell I'm excited about this," station owner Joe Condon told The Evangelist. "If everything goes smoothly -- and God, I hope it does -- I would like to do this every year."

Connections

The effort is a first for the top-40 radioalbany.com, which went on the air July 11.

"We said we wanted to be part of the community," Mr. Condon noted. "Years ago, this Mass was broadcast on the radio, and a lot of people miss it." He added that many residents of the Albany Diocese stationed overseas would like the chance to hear a Mass from home.

Narrators

For Msgr. Jones, the broadcast will be an opportunity to practice some skills he hasn't used in more than 40 years: Before the days of television, he co-hosted the Mass on radio.

"On special occasions, Father Bill Turner, who was principal of Cardinal McCloskey [High School in Albany], and I would do it together," he remembered. "The Mass was in Latin, so one of us would do the commentary and one would do the readings, because the people listening wouldn't understand what was going on" otherwise.

On the air

However, the retiree didn't mind donning his radio announcer's hat and climbing to his old viewing post in the Cathedral's choir loft again. "The one thing that excites me at 81 is the Lord," he stated. "If I can do something for Him...."

Msgr. Jones told The Evangelist that the key to being a good "Mass host" is to make the flow of the liturgy come alive for listeners by describing the action and atmosphere: "Draw them into the mystery that is happening here."

This broadcast will be "a challenge," he said. "There's so much that can be heard today, which is wonderful -- but you can't put too many words in."

First time

She and Msgr. Jones have already written a script for their narration of the Mass and split up the parts between them. Sister Maria gave one example: During the Sign of Peace, when voice-overs are needed to fill the time, her narration will begin, "Whenever Jesus came amongst the people, He brought the peace of Christ to them."

She noted that "the one thing that made me say yes" to hosting is her long experience as a lector at Mass.

"It'll be a novel experience," she concluded, "but I hope it'll be one that'll be inspiring for the people that tune in who are far away from home."

Worldwide audience

Radioalbany.com garners more than 500 listeners an hour during its peak times, but Mr. Condon couldn't venture a guess at how many people around the world will take advantage of this special event.

"The web is growing every day," he noted. "We have listeners in Brazil, Australia, the Arab Emirate."

Msgr. Jones, for one, isn't concerned about how many people tune in to the broadcast. "We're revving up for it," he said. "It's a new experience for me."

(To hear the Christmas Midnight Mass on-line, go to www.radioalbany.com.)

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