Together with executive director Melissa Savage and Divine Mercy Radio colleagues Chet Pajerski, Ellen White, and Mark Baratta, Bishop Luis Zarama blessed the new 1240 AM Radio Divina Misericordia, the Spanish-language companion to Divine Mercy Radio 540 AM.
As the final prayers were offered and the station officially went live, those gathered pulled out their cell phones to hear the first digital broadcast. It was a simple gesture, but a powerful one—proof that years of planning, sacrifice, and prayer had finally come to life.
The moment was especially moving because everyone present knew how difficult the road had been. The project had faced property challenges, regulatory hurdles, financial pressures, and administrative obstacles at nearly every step. Even on the morning of the blessing, cold temperatures and confusing rural roads almost prevented some attendees from arriving at the remote tower site in Wendell. It had been a long and winding journey—literally and figuratively.
“But Our Lady led us here,” Bishop Luis remarked, pointing to the profound providence that the station’s inaugural broadcast coincided with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her guidance—especially her example of patient perseverance, humility, and hope—seemed woven into the very story of the project.
The day held special meaning for volunteer Mark Baratta. Fifty years ago, Baratta was a young broadcaster—“I wanted to be the next Howard Cosell,” he joked—working at this same rural station when it was one of the area’s premier country music outlets. The voices of Charlie Rich, Waylon Jennings, and Eddie Rabbitt once filled these airwaves. Today, those same frequencies carry EWTN’s Spanish-language Catholic programming.
Inside the modest cinder-block building, the transformation is evident. While much of the technology powering both 540 AM and 1240 AM is brand new, traces of the old station remain. Executive director Melissa Savage noted that some of the original analog equipment is still in use—“the heart and soul” behind the digital systems that now allow listeners to hear radio over their phones.
For Savage, Baratta, and the entire Divine Mercy Radio team, the blessing of 1240 AM is a full-circle moment—one shaped by faith, perseverance, humility, and the unmistakable intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Because of their dedication, Catholics across eastern North Carolina can now enjoy faith-filled radio in their native language, whether over the airwaves or through their phones.
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