On Wednesday, Bishop Richard Malone of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, celebrated Mass at Portland’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in honor of the state’s first Catholic radio station, reported the diocese’s website.

Broadcasting at 106.7 FM in the Portland area, The Presence Radio Network is “a true example of the laity in action,” according to Bishop Malone.

“Today we celebrate the birth of ‘The Presence,’ a historic moment in launching Catholic radio in Maine, and our prayer, of course, is that God’s presence, the presence of his word, will come to more and more people in our wonderful state through this beautiful lay apostolate,” he said at the Mass.

Local programming will be supplemented by the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. “Our goal is to provide a consistent, courageous and genuine voice for the Catholic Church and the truths of our faith,” said Cynthia Nickless, the station’s executive director.

Said Bishop Malone, “A wonderful symbol of what John Paul II called the New Evangelization — new in methods, new in its ardor — is what we’re about today. … Until now, at least on the airwaves in Maine, the Catholic voice has been absent. That is no longer the case.”