Visit to Catholic TV

On the set of "This Is The Day"

When thinking of ideas for the Year of Faith, I thought of taking some kids to Catholic TV in Watertown, MA to show them how the Church reaches out via mass communication.  I've watched Catholic TV (formerly called Boston Catholic Television) most of my life so it was pretty cool to have the chance to visit.

Yesterday was the day.  I took 5 students, most of whom are interested in communications and/or Campus Ministry.  Catholic TV is located in a renovated convent behind Saint Patrick's Parish (where I played some basketball games when I was in elementary school in Melrose).  We got there for 9am and the kids were blown away by how professional and beautiful the facility is.  I think they were expecting a tiny community access type place.  We met the director, Father Robert Reed, who the kids immediately embraced.  He is very friendly, engaging, and disarming and the kids were very much as ease with him.  He was telling them that they should download the Catholic TV app and while he was talking one of our kids did it and it was simulcasting what was on the TV in the room we were in.  Then on the TV Father Reed was doing a promo and they were like, "Hey there you are!"

We then went into the chapel for the live TV Mass.  The chapel is beautiful and has three cameras in the back along with a timer on the back wall so the priest celebrating the Mass knows how much time he has left.  The celebrant was Father Timothy Murphy of Immaculate Conception Parish in Salem, MA and he brought four of his parishioners with him.  We all sat up front and we were all a little spooked when the crane camera snaked in over our heads and up the middle aisle.  It was pretty cool.

Note the countdown clock in the background

Following Mass we chatted with Father Murphy and the others and then were given a tour of the facility.  This place is amazing - tons of studio space, two huge control rooms, sets, a green room, etc.  We were then invited to take part in the live opening of the twice weekly show "This Is The Day" hosted by Father Reed and the general manager Jay Fadden.  The kids sat on the couches and I stood behind them with Father Reed and Jay as they did the open.  They introduced us all and then introduced the show.  When the opening credits came on we went off to the side to watch the show.  The kids were able to go back on during the news brief and stand behind the news reader, Kevin Nelson, as he wrapped up his segment.

Following the show they took tons of pictures and chatted with the kids.  Everyone was so gracious, kind, and warm.  The students loved the experience (heck, I did too) and wanted to make this an annual event.  As we were leaving Father Reed said that they are willing to help out our school in anyway possible.

Wow.

With Kevin Nelson doing the news

You can watch the Mass and the live show on Catholic TV's website.  The Mass is here and "This is the Day" is here.  Catholic TV also has tons of pictures from the day on their Facebook page.  Click here and here to see them.

After our visit I treated the kids to lunch at a nice burger place recommended by the good folks at Catholic TV.  It was a fantastic and memorable day.