The following article appeared in the October 12, 2007 edition of The St. Louis Review

"Archbishop Burke answers faith questions on local Catholic radio"

by Jean M. Schildz, Review Staff Writer

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke now can be heard weekly on Covenant Network radio stations answering children’s questions about the Catholic faith and related topics.

The local Catholic radio network operates two stations in the St. Louis area. It began airing its newest local program with the archbishop late last month.

The pre-taped show is called "Ask the Archbishop." Its host is native St. Louisan Patty Schneier.

She asks the archbishop questions submitted to her from participating schools and helps produces the 15- to 20-minute segments. The show airs four times weekly.

"Ask the Archbishop" can be heard on WRYT (AM-1080) and KHOJ (AM-1460) Mondays at 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.

The program also will be broadcast on the network’s six other full-power stations and nine low-power translators, including its newest site, FM-91.3 in Martinsville, Ill.

Topics include the Eucharist, Mass, saints, Mary, sacraments, Old and New Testaments, Church teachings and the pope. The first show was about getting to know the archbishop.

Covenant Network president Tony Holman said last week he already has received positive comments about the show. He expects it to be "pretty popular" because "it’s fun and informative. We’re just very honored that the archbishop is doing this," he added.

While the network has run Archbishop Burke’s homilies from time to time, this is its first program to involve him on a regular basis, Holman said.

Schneier said in an interview last week that the program was "a great way for children to have a personal connection with our own archbishop. It’s a way for all of us to benefit from the great catechesis the archbishop brings to St. Louis."

The program host was raised in North County and grew up in St. Norbert Parish. She and her husband, Larry, have three children. The Schneiers have been members of St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant for 17 years.

Schneier began listening to Catholic radio about three years ago. She became involved with Covenant Network, helping with fund drives and other efforts. The former teacher at Mary Institute/Country Day School had never hosted a radio program until now. She credited the Holy Spirit for inspiring the idea for the show.

Earlier this year Holman asked her to interview the archbishop for the radio network. While praying and writing in her journal in preparation for the interview, the idea for the radio show came to her, she said. Holman encouraged her to pursue the idea with the archbishop. She did, and he agreed to do it.

The project, Schneier said, combines her love of her faith, teaching, children, Catholic radio and the archbishop. "I guess that’s why God put this in my heart."

Added Schneier, "It’s a wonderful opportunity for us as a diocese to have Catholic radio and to have Archbishop Burke, so you put the two together, and it’s a win-win situation."

Among those helping her get the program off the ground were the archbishop’s secretary Msgr. Henry J. Breier, Teresa M. Holman of Covenant Network, Sue Brown of the archdiocesan Catholic Education Office and Anne Steffens of the archdiocesan Communications Office.

Earlier a letter was sent to Catholic elementary and high school principals, leaders of PSR programs, home-school groups and others asking if they would like to take part. The response was tremendous, Schneier said. "Within a few weeks, we had enough schools to cover us through the entire broadcast" for this school year.

Covenant Network plans to eventually invite others to submit questions, including RCIA groups, young adult groups and college students.

For more information, call Covenant Network at (314) 752-7000 or see their website at www.covenantnet.net.