Each time we enter a Catholic Church, we should recognize that we are in a sacred space. Even if it’s the parish church we visit multiple times a week, there’s a reverence due the sacred items and places that lift our minds and hearts to God. Understanding the space surrounding us can help us to better focus our mind on our Lord in the liturgy and sacraments.

As a convert to Catholicism, Andrea Zachman had a lot of questions. Why does the Church do that? What is this used for? Why does a priest wear that? Her search for answers eventually led her to create a resource for others to better understand all the items in a Catholic Church.

“The Sacred That Surrounds Us: How Everything in a Catholic Church Points to Heaven” is full of all the parts and pieces of the Mass and the Church that you have often seen but may have never known much about. It describes the history and symbolism with beautiful photos of each sacred item, including liturgical vessels, vestments, and furnishings of the space. “This book was really a treasure for me to continue to ask those questions,” explained Zachman.

If you make a donation of $50 or more a month ($600 per year) to support Relevant Radio^® during the summer pledge drive, you will receive as a thank you gift a copy of Zachman’s book, “The Sacred That Surrounds Us”.

Andrea has the unique experience of being behind-the-scenes during pledge drives. She and her husband have shared their time with Relevant Radio as volunteers in the call center taking donations. “Everyone calling in, they wanted to give for different reasons, but mostly because they love this ministry and they want to help to see it stay on the air. I loved hearing those stories of how Relevant Radio impacted their lives, helped them to come back to the Church or helped a loved one to come back to the Church or just gave them the right answer … or the right message when they needed it. All of those stories really helped and really affected me,” she said.

Zachman was moved by the many prayer requests that she was able to take from donors who called in. “The prayers for wayward family members, for them to come back to the Church, was the most impactful for me to listen to. So I’m just grateful that they called, that I was a part of it, and that Relevant Radio is here for all of us.”

Relevant Radio is listener-supported and relies on your generosity to continue our mission of bringing Christ to the world through the media. Please consider making your donation today. We thank you for your prayers and support during our Reach Out and Respond Pledge Drive!