Calvary Episcopal in East Liberty to mark radio anniversary

One hundred years ago on this day, January 2, 1921, Calvary Episcopal Church in East Liberty was the site of the first worship service broadcast on radio. The parish has long had a historical marker at the front door commemorating the occasion. Church archivists Bob Dilts and Mary Ann Slater maintain numerous documents from the occasion including the bulletin. The service was that of Evening Prayer and included Christmas music and a sermon.

In the current edition of the parish’s newsletter, Agape, there is a reproduction of that Sunday’s bulletin in which one article states:

TONIGHT’S SERVICE – An interesting arrangement has been made for tonight’s service. The International Radio Company (Westinghouse) has installed wireless telephone receiving apparatus in the chancel, and tonight’s music, sermon and service will be flashed for a radius of more than a thousand miles through space! There will be special Christmas Carols and Gounod’s magnificant (sic) Credo by the choir [The Rev. Dr.] Mr Whittemore [Calvary’s assistant rector] will preach a New Year’s sermon.

Is it not wonderful to think that wireless receivers for hundreds of miles around us may hear tonight the incomparable service of the prayer book; the lovely carols of Christmas; the tremendous Nicene confession; and the spoken sermon’s word of cheer for the New Year!

Over the years, we’ve heard engineers from KDKA Radio reportedly sat in a side chapel just behind the organ console wearing the cassocks and cottas to look less conspicuous as they broadcast the service with their remote equipment.

Tomorrow, January 3, 2021, Calvary will commemorate the occasion as they tell the story of the events from that day and include some of the music from that historic service.

Perhaps an ironic twist, Bishop Dorsey McConnell of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh recently asked that all parishes remain closed to in-person worship as a result of the uptick in COVID-19 cases and instead hold services virtually where possible – the most modern take on that original broadcast 100 years later. Tomorrow’s service will air via YouTube at 11:00 a.m. and will remain available thereafter.

Calvary Episcopal Church newsletter – Agape

_{(A Small World Side note – unimportant to most: PBRTV webmaster Eric O’Brien is a lifelong member and Administrator & Director of Communications for Christ Episcopal Church, North Hills)}

UPDATE 01/03/2020: Here is The Rev. Jonathan Jensen, Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church, including the history of the broadcast during his sermon.