Located in the northern suburbs of Chicago, the Saint Gilbert Catholic Church serves a community of parishioners, families, friends, and visitors. With both a main church and a chapel on its campus, the parish is committed to offering meaningful, accessible worship experiences for all attendees, including those who rely on assistive listening technologies to fully participate in mass, homilies, and announcements. Auracast helps deliver every word today and in the future.
While the church’s standard sound system worked well for many in the congregation, others struggled to clearly understand the clergy during homilies or guest presenters during announcements. Although a hearing loop system had been installed, it did not fully resolve these issues. Some listeners still reported difficulty, and the system’s performance depended heavily on the precise positioning of T‑coil hearing aids or receivers. These limitations made it clear that a more flexible, reliable, and future‑ready solution was needed.
The parish had previously installed an Ampetronic hearing loop, which remains in use today. However, after consulting with Thunder Hearing and Sound in Elgin, IL, the team learned about Auracast broadcast audio. Based on this recommendation, the church chose to install Auri TX2N transmitters in both the main church and the chapel.
Thunder Hearing and Sound conducted a thorough survey of both spaces and designed the system to ensure strong coverage across each worship area. The system supplements the existing loop, allowing the parish to continue supporting current T‑coil users while preparing for the growing number of devices (hearing aids, earbuds, smartphones, etc.) that will soon include native Auracast support.
The deployment process was smooth and exceeded expectations in several areas. “I was particularly impressed with the clarity, fidelity, and propagation of the Auracast signal,” said Mark Meyer, Saint Gilbert Catholic Church’s sound system caretaker. “Auracast broadcast audio delivers even, consistent coverage across the entire worship space and even into areas beyond the loop’s reach. It also eliminates the need for precise receiver positioning, reducing a common source of frustration for T‑coil users.”
The system is already delivering value. Its coverage quality ensures that as more members transition to Auracast enabled devices, the church is fully prepared. Meanwhile, the existing hearing loop continues to serve current users, creating a dual‑system environment that supports today’s needs while embracing the future.
The church’s early adoption of Auracast broadcast audio positions it well for long‑term accessibility improvements. As more hearing aids, smartphones, and consumer audio devices begin offering native Auracast compatibility, the parish will be ready to offer seamless assistive listening to a broader audience.
