'Radio Fiesta' Broadcasts Spanish Masses at Holy Family Church

By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 2/20/03)

Two Virginia radio stations broadcast live the Spanish Sunday Mass celebrated by Father José Eugenio Hoyos.

With the idea of reaching Hispanics unable to attend Sunday Masses, radio entrepreneurs Carlos Aragón and Clara Marshall, a married couple, decided to broadcast live the Spanish Mass celebrated at Holy Family Church by Father José Eugenio Hoyos, administrator of the Dale City parish.

The transmissions began last November on one of their radio stations, "Radio Fiesta" (1480 AM), located in Woodbridge, with such encouraging results that they recently started experimental broadcasting on a second station, "Latino Mix" (1350 AM) to reach the growing Hispanic population in Fredericksburg.

"We knew that there are thousands of Hispanic Catholics unable to attend Sunday Mass in their language, due to work, illness or confinement, so we decided to bring them the Mass wherever they were," said manager administrator Carlos Aragón, a native of El Salvador and a long- time resident of Virginia.

Aragón said that they chose Holy Family Parish given the popularity of Father Hoyos, a native of Colombia.

"Since the arrival of Father Hoyos, this parish has increased its congregation by thousands. For those faithful unable to attend Mass either occasionally or for a long time, the radio is a vehicle to put them in touch with their Catholic Faith," said Aragón.

The Mass is broadcast every Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. on both stations, although the Aragón family recognizes that technical problems have to be resolved to get better transmission on Latino Mix.

According to Aragón, 5,000 Hispanic families are listening the Mass through "Radio Fiesta", and once the transmissions are fixed and clear on "Latino Mix", the total combined listeners could reach 10,000 to 15,000 households in Woodbridge, Dale City, Manassas, Stafford, Triangle, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Burke and Fredericksburg, among other areas.

"We have received many accolades for our initiative. Our people appreciate that we are serving both the need for information and entertainment, and bringing them a message to enhance their faith," said Aragón.

Gabriela Barrientos, a loyal parishioner of Holy Family, said that the broadcast is the remedy to those elderly people who cannot attend, or for families who do not have transportation. "We all are very happy with these radio stations," said Barrientos, recognizing that she had never heard the transmissions for one simple reason: "I never fail to attend."

"I feel very happy with this live broadcasting now on two radio stations," said Father Hoyos.

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