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Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation PCPA, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, was an American Catholic nun and founder of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic television network. She was also the founder of WEWN, a radio network used by members of the Catholic Church to spread their religious teachings. Angelica was known for her conservative views and traditionalist Catholicism, which brought her both fame and controversy. She passed away on March 27, 2016, at the age of 92. The name Angelica itself is a female given name derived from the Latin angelicus meaning angelic and is not specifically associated with Catholicism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Mother Angelica, Mother Mary Angelica, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, Sister Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, Rita Antoinette Rizzo |
| Birth name | Rita Antoinette Rizzo |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Profession | Nun, founder of EWTN, radio host |
| Place of birth | Canton, Ohio, US |
| Date of birth | April 20, 1923 |
| Date of death | March 27, 2016 |
| Cause of death | Complications from a stroke, Bell's palsy, heart disease, asthma |
| Age at death | 92 |
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Mother Angelica was an American Catholic nun
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, was an American Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She was born on April 20, 1923, in Canton, Ohio, and was an only child. Her father, John Rizzo, was a tailor, and her mother, Mae Helen Rizzo, was a housewife. Growing up in the red-light district, also known as "the slums," Mother Angelica was exposed to a range of social issues, including high rates of illiteracy, extortion, sex work, corruption, and mob-related violence.
Despite her mother's opposition, Mother Angelica felt a strong calling to dedicate her life to God and secretly entered a monastery, leaving a note for her mother expressing her devotion. She wrote, "I have entered the Monastery of the Adoration. Something happened to me after the cure. I don't know what it was, but I have fallen completely in love with Our Lord."
Mother Angelica began her journey as a nun facing various challenges. At the age of 16, she experienced severe stomach pain, which was later miraculously healed when she was 20 years old. Additionally, she suffered a serious accident around the age of 30 that almost left her paralyzed. Despite these setbacks, she persevered in her devotion to God.
Mother Angelica is widely recognized for her significant contributions to Catholic media and evangelization. In the 1970s, she started recording talks on Catholicism, which were broadcast on radio and television networks. In 1981, she founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a nonprofit civil corporation dedicated to spreading Catholic teachings. She converted a monastery garage into a TV studio and launched EWTN as a cable channel. Over the years, EWTN expanded into a global media network, reaching millions of households worldwide.
Mother Angelica's emphasis on tradition and conservative values led to some disagreements with members of the Church hierarchy. She held strong opinions on various theological and social issues, often expressing her anger toward theologians, liberal priests, and those promoting inclusive language and women's ordination. Despite these controversies, Mother Angelica received recognition for her service to the Catholic Church. On October 4, 2009, she was awarded the Papal Medal (Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice) by Pope Benedict XVI.
Mother Angelica passed away on March 27, 2016, at the age of 92, leaving behind a legacy of faith and dedication to Catholicism.
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She founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo (also known as Rita Frances Rizzo), founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in 1980. The network began broadcasting on 15 August 1981 from a garage studio at the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama, which Mother Angelica founded in 1962.
Mother Angelica was 58 years old when she founded EWTN. She began taping her series on Catholic teachings in the mid-1970s for a CBS-affiliated station but stopped after the network aired an improper film. Undeterred, she decided to start her own TV station. She converted the monastery garage into a TV studio and officially launched EWTN as a cable channel.
Mother Angelica's involvement in television ministry began in March 1978 when she was interviewed by a Chicago station. Following that interview, she began videotaping programs for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). In 1978, she recorded her first half-hour production, titled "Our Hermitage", and sold it to CBN. By 1980, the television studio was fully operational, and pre-recorded programs began airing on local commercial stations as well as nationally on CBN. However, Mother Angelica wanted to reach a national audience, which she believed was only possible if the monastery invested in a satellite network. With the help of her friend and attorney, Bill Steltemeier, she founded the nonprofit civil corporation EWTN, serving as the umbrella organization for the broadcasting effort.
EWTN has since expanded its broadcasting services globally, reaching an estimated 100 million homes worldwide by 2002 and 425 million people in 160 countries by 2017. In addition to television, EWTN also has a 24-hour radio network, offering Catholic talk and worship programming to about 350 radio stations in the US and internationally. The network also owns the National Catholic Register newspaper and the Catholic News Agency.
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Mother Angelica held conservative Catholic beliefs
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, was an American Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic cable television network, and hosted the program Mother Angelica Live. She also established WEWN, a radio network used by members of the Catholic Church to spread their religious teachings.
Mother Angelica's beliefs were shaped by her upbringing in the slums of Canton, Ohio, where she witnessed social issues such as high rates of illiteracy, extortion, sex work, corruption, and mob-related violence. She sought to improve the lives of those around her, and her work in the Catholic Church was influenced by these experiences.
In addition to her conservative beliefs, Mother Angelica held the Catholic belief in redemptive suffering, wherein human suffering can become meritorious if offered to Jesus Christ and mystically united with his suffering. She also had mystical visions of the Christ Child and believed in the power of prayer and miracles, as evidenced by her own experience of miraculous healing at the age of 20.
Overall, Mother Angelica's conservative Catholic beliefs were an important part of her identity and influenced her work in founding and leading EWTN, a network that reached millions of households globally.
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She had visions of the Christ Child
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, was an American Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic television network, and hosted the program Mother Angelica Live. She also established WEWN, a radio network used by members of the Catholic Church to spread their religious teachings.
Mother Angelica had a profound spiritual life that was marked by a special devotion to the Divine Child Jesus. She had mystical visions of the Christ Child on a regular basis. In 1995, she visited South America to garner support for a Spanish version of EWTN. During this trip, she had an encounter with the Child Jesus. She visited a small shrine of the Divino Niño in Bogotá, Colombia, where she saw a statue of the Child Jesus. According to Mother Angelica, the statue came to life, smiled at her, and spoke to her, asking her to build a church.
Mother Angelica interpreted this as the Christ Child desiring an elaborate shrine. Through a series of providential events, she was able to build her "temple" to the Divine. Private donors contributed $48.6 million, and she opened the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, in 1999. After the construction of the church and the attached monastery, Mother Angelica continued to have visions of the Divine Child Jesus. She would see and talk to the Divine Child Jesus in the hallways and in her cell. She loved him dearly and desired that all people see the intimate love God has for them through devotion to the Child Jesus.
Mother Angelica's visions of the Christ Child were an important part of her spiritual life and influenced her actions as a Catholic nun. Her devotion to the Divine Child Jesus and her belief in his message to build a temple led to the creation of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. This shrine became a place of worship and devotion for Mother Angelica and those who shared her faith.
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She died on March 27, 2016, at age 92
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, was an American Catholic nun. She founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic cable television network, and hosted the programme Mother Angelica Live. She also established WEWN, a radio network used by members of the Catholic Church to spread their religious teachings.
Mother Angelica passed away on 27 March 2016, at the age of 92. Her death was caused by complications from a stroke she had suffered 14 years prior. At the time of her death, she also suffered from Bell's palsy, heart disease, and asthma.
Mother Angelica was a well-known and influential figure in the Catholic Church. She was known for her traditionalist Catholicism and her anger towards theologians who led people astray, disobedient laypeople, and liberal priests and sisters who favoured women clergy and inclusive language. She was also known for her mystical visions of the Christ Child and her belief in redemptive suffering, wherein human suffering can become meritorious if offered to Jesus Christ and united with his suffering.
Mother Angelica's fame, due to her creation of EWTN and her regular appearances on the network, rivalled that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Her work in Catholic media and her dedication to spreading Catholic teachings through television, radio, and print publications have left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church and its followers worldwide.
The date of Mother Angelica's passing, 27 March, holds significance as it was Easter Sunday, a day of celebration and reflection in the Christian faith. Her death at age 92 serves as a reminder of her long life dedicated to her religious beliefs and her contributions to the Catholic Church.
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Frequently asked questions
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, was an American Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic television and radio network, and hosted the program Mother Angelica Live.
Mother Angelica is known for her traditionalist Catholic views and her anger towards theologians who lead people astray, disobedient laypeople, and liberal priests. She also founded the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, following a vision she had of the Child Jesus.
Mother Angelica passed away on March 27, 2016, at the age of 92.
