Radio Maria England celebrates Joyful and Inspiring Mariathon 2025

Fr Toby Lees OP Director of Radio Maria

Source: Radio Maria England

Radio Maria has announced that its 2025 Mariathon raised over £62,000, uniting listeners, volunteers and supporters from across the country in a powerful display of generosity, prayer and faith.

The three-day national broadcast celebrated the theme 'The Quiet Revival', highlighting the subtle yet profound renewal of Christianity taking place across the United Kingdom.

A Time to Celebrate, Support and Sustain

The Mariathon is Radio Maria's annual opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate, support and sustain the mission of Catholic radio in Britain.

As a charity, Radio Maria relies entirely on the generosity of listeners and volunteers to continue its ministry of evangelisation, prayer and community outreach.

Through special programming, interviews and live broadcasts, listeners were invited to rediscover the heart of Radio Maria's mission - sharing the joy of the Gospel, kindling and deepening faith, and connecting believers across the country.

Fr Toby, priest director of Radio Maria said: "I am so profoundly grateful to all the people who made this incredible result possible, to all our volunteers behind the scenes, to all the people who came on air. For the people who surrounded us in prayer, the people who spent all night in adoration in Cambridge. There are so many people to thank, not least the staff here who worked so hard alongside me. And we really had an amazing result. This radio really is a community project. It belongs to you. It's your radio. It cannot survive without you listening and supporting it, as well as letting others know about it."

Exploring 'The Quiet Revival'

This year's Mariathon focused on what many are calling 'The Quiet Revival' - a subtle but powerful resurgence of faith in modern Britain. Contrary to the idea that Christianity is fading, new research from the Bible Society shows that Church attendance in the UK has grown by two million since 2018, with the most dramatic rise among Gen Z, particularly young men - a demographic the sociologists had written off from ever returning to Church (Source: Bible Society The Quiet Revival: Gen Z leads rise in church attendance Report, April 2025).

Throughout the three-day event, guest speakers explored this growing renewal and how it manifests in parishes, schools and communities around the country.

Among the speakers were:

Monsignor John Armitage, Master of the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom, reflecting on the 'Third Spring' of faith emerging in Britain today.

Brenden Thompson, UK Programme Director for Word on Fire, unpacking the findings of The Quiet Revival report and what they reveal about generational faith trends.

Somto Boniface, professional footballer, sharing how faith shapes his career and the growing openness to prayer amongst young athletes.

Fr David Palmer, priest of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, reflecting on unity and renewal within the Church.

Bernadette Durcan, contributor to After Secularisation: The Present and Future of British Catholicism, exploring surprising signs of renewal within the Church today.

John Withers, Director of the WeBelieve Festival, speaking about joy and community through large-scale Catholic gatherings.

Fr John Church OP on the Dominican charism and the renewed hunger for truth, beauty and contemplation amongst young people.

The full schedule of speakers can be found here: https://radiomariaengland.uk/mariathon-highlight-schedule/

A Movement of Faith, Hope and Gratitude

The Mariathon was more than a fundraiser - it was a movement of gratitude and hope. Across the airwaves, volunteers shared testimonies, priests led prayers and listeners called in to offer donations and share stories of faith.

Inti Paolucci, President of Radio Maria England, shared in his remarks at St Dominic's, the Rosary Shrine, on the closing night of the Mariathon, 'Actually, it is not easy to run a non-commercial radio station 24/7, just on donations, with a small full-time team and a good number of volunteers. It's very challenging. Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for a generous donation. You're doing the right thing, I'm sure. God bless you.'

Listeners also tuned in for a final Mass broadcast from the Rosary Shrine, which was followed by an evening featuring music from Alessi's Ark, and Nathan Chan & Friends, alongside reflections from clergy and community leaders. The atmosphere was filled with thanksgiving and unity - a joyful testament to the mission that continues to grow stronger each year.

Continuing the Mission

Commenting on the success of the fundraiser on his programme The Friarside, Fr Toby said: "The next phase of our fundraising really needs to be a move into a substantial increase in the number of people who give monthly donations. Standing orders are so precious to us. We have a desperate need for more standing orders because our base level of income each month causes a lot of grey hair for me and our income is so volatile - it would really just be nice to have a steadier source of income!"

With the help of our Blessed Mother, Radio Maria remains committed to 'turning up the volume' on the Good News - reaching more hearts, nurturing prayer and supporting the quiet but powerful renewal of faith across Britain.

Pierre Petrou, Operations Manager, concluded: "The Mariathon isn't just about raising funds, it's about raising faith. What we witnessed was a movement of hearts, rediscovering the beauty of praying, giving and believing together. It shows that the quiet revival of faith in the UK isn't coming - it's already here. Every call, every prayer, every act of generosity, reflects something far deeper than a campaign; it's a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work, quietly renewing the Church in our time. Radio Maria in England is blessed to be part of that renewal - turning up the volume on hope, faith and the joy of the Gospel."

How to Listen

Radio Maria England can be accessed through various platforms:

DAB+ Digital Radio: London, Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich, King's Lynn, Peterborough, Stockport, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Tameside areas.

Smart-Speakers: ask for 'Radio Maria England'.

Radio Maria Play App: available for smartphones and tablets.

Website: www.RadioMariaEngland.uk

Podcasts: Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and others.

For more information, please email info@RadioMariaEngland.uk and follow us on Facebook, Radio Maria England, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.