![]() He cited her broadcast of the traditional Latin Mass, her belief in the literal reality of miracles and her skepticism of the liberalizing reforms of Vatican II in the 1960s. In a 1994 article in the National Catholic Reporter, Jesuit priest Raymond Schroth assailed Mother Angelica for what he considered her lack of intellectual sophistication. Her outspoken championing of orthodox Catholicism and her criticism of those she viewed as straying from the true path of faith earned her the enmity of many liberal Catholics. Like other televangelists, Mother Angelica attracted critics troubled by her single-minded vision of the path to God. Margaret Thompson, an associate professor of political science at Syracuse University and an expert on Catholic women's religious orders, said Mother Angelica "didn't put herself up there as someone who was necessarily smarter or better educated." Her approach was that "if these kinds of truths were accessible to her, then they were accessible to the average person." "You say, 'What's in it for us?' " she said with a grin. "Even the Apostles had a hard time with the Resurrection, didya notice that?" she observed during a 1997 show, referring to the Resurrection of Jesus.Ĭonstantly struggling to raise money to underwrite EWTN's multimillion-dollar budget, she displayed a table full of religious mementoes and art reproductions in a 1996 show and urged viewers to place their orders. The plump nun in the ankle-length brown robe and hair-concealing white scapular, with her high-pitched voice and frequent piercing cackle, drew audiences of millions worldwide with rambling discourses on faith and the Bible, cheery fundraising pitches and humorous maxims. ![]() Her influence extended to the Vatican, where Pope John Paul II, considered a conservative on Catholic doctrine, was an admirer. In sheer charisma and devoted followers, she earned comparisons to the popular success of Bishop Fulton Sheen in the 1950s and 1960s. Mother Angelica - born Rita Rizzo in Canton, Ohio, and raised by her mother in a broken, impoverished home - became one of the biggest stars of religious broadcasting. Now on air for 24 hours a day, EWTN broadcasts orthodox Catholic teaching through Bible studies, religious movies and documentaries, children's shows, discussions, sermons and call-ins to 148 million homes in 144 countries. Widely known as EWTN, the network began in a converted garage behind a Catholic monastery Mother Angelica built from scratch in the early 1960s. Until disabled by a stroke in 2001 and withdrawing from public life, Mother Angelica had hosted a TV show on the Eternal Word Television Network since she started the company. The death was announced by her cable network in Ironton, Ala., which she began in 1981. Like what you read today? Sign up here to receive emails sent directly to your inbox.Mother Angelica, who founded the Eternal Word Television Network, a globe-spanning Catholic television and radio empire, and who became known as the "zinging nun" as much for her blunt and peppery personality as her defiantly orthodox religious views, died on Easter Sunday at the monastery where she lived in Alabama. To read the 10 Everyday Sayings of Mother Angelica, head on over to EpicPew to finish reading the article. In a culture where everyone is offended over the smallest things, Mother Angelica’s everyday “straight-forwardness” and truthful words are needed more than ever. One of the things that I most admired about Mother Angelica was her ability to be incredibly straight with people, but still remaining focused on our Lord and seeking holiness. If you have never watched anything from Mother Angelica, you can either tune-in to watch the reruns of her program’s on EWTN or you can go on to YouTube to watch the shows there.Įither way, I would encourage you to watch her for she had everyday wisdom, wit, and holiness, that many of us will find appealing. Many of us probably remember Mother Angelica from her days on the Catholic channel, which she founded, known as the Eternal Word Television Network, and otherwise known simply as EWTN.
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