Prayers and perseverance are paying off for a Relevant Radio® affiliate that will soon be back on the air, after nearly a year of radio silence. Marshalltown, IA has been without an English-language Catholic radio station after a tornado ripped through the area last July. During the storm, the buildings that housed the studios and tower for Relevant Radio affiliate KCRM 96.7 FM were destroyed.

Fortunately, no deaths or major injuries were caused by the tornado. However, the storm and the tornado winds (which reached 144 mph) caused approximately $30 million worth of damage to downtown Marshalltown and nearby neighborhoods.

Due to the damage that many buildings in the area sustained, finding a new space proved difficult. The affiliate station is operated by Marshalltown Catholic Radio, a lay organization, and their prayers were recently answered when space for the station opened up.

Bob Dick, president of Marshalltown Catholic Radio explained, “Things opened up this Spring for us to use an office in the Parish Center at one of our churches. And we were offered tower space by a parishioner, so that arrangement should work well for us.” The station is anticipated to be back on the air July 1.

KCRM airs programming from Relevant Radio and EWTN, and relies on donations for its broadcast expenses. Please keep Marshalltown Catholic Radio and all their efforts in your prayers. If you live in the Marshalltown area or if you’ll be passing through on a road trip this summer, be sure to check out KCRM 96.7 FM on your radio. Or if you know someone who lives in the area, tell them to tune-in starting in July!

Updates and more information about Marshalltown Catholic Radio can be found on their Facebook Page.