Synopses & Reviews
The extraordinary saga of Mother Angelica, founder of the multimillion-dollar Eternal Word Television Network and “the most influential Catholic woman in America” according to
Time magazine
In 1981, the year after Ted Turner founded CNN, a simple nun, using merely her entrepreneurial instincts and $200, launched what would become the worlds largest religious media empire in the garage of a Birmingham, Alabama, monastery. Under her guidance, the Eternal Word Television Network grew at a staggering pace, both in viewership and in influence, to where it now reaches over a hundred million viewers in hundreds of countries around the globe.
Born Rita Rizzo in Canton, Ohio, in 1923, Mother Angelica was abandoned by her father and raised in poverty by a mother who suffered from suicidal depressions. As a young woman, Rita developed severe abdominal pain that doctors dismissed as a “nervous condition,” but when she sought the prayers of a local mystic, her symptoms disappeared. Awakened to the power of prayer, she vowed to dedicate her life to God and became a cloistered nun, expecting to spend her life hidden from the world. But Ritas faith soon compelled her to unlikely endeavors, from establishing a monastery in Alabama to starting the worlds first Catholic cable network. Relying solely on “Gods providence,” Mother Angelica built an empire without concern for budgets or fund-raising campaigns, achieving what even the highest levels of the Catholic Church had been unable to do.
Raymond Arroyo combines his journalists objectivity and eye for detail with more than five years of exclusive interviews with Mother Angelica. He traces Mother Angelicas tortured rise to success and exposes for the first time the fierce opposition she faced, both inside and outside of her church. It is an inspiring story of survival and proof that one womans faith can move more than mountains.
Synopsis
The extraordinary saga of Mother Angelica, a cloistered nun who created the multimillion-dollar Eternal World Television Network and was called "the most influential Catholic woman in America" by "Time magazine.
Synopsis
In 1981, a nun launched the world's first Catholic cable channel in the garage of an Alabama monastery, using her instincts and $200 for seed money. The Eternal Word Television Network now offers 24-hour programming and reaches more than 184 million in 160 countries.
Synopsis
In 1981, the year after Ted Turner founded CNN, a simple nun launched the world's first Catholic cable channel in the garage of a Birmingham, Alabama, monastery, using her entrepreneurial instincts and $200 for seed money. Under her guidance, the Eternal Word Television Network grew by leaps and bounds. Today, EWTN offers twenty-four-hour television programming and AM/FM radio broadcasts in both English and Spanish, reaching more than 184 million viewers and listeners in 160 countries.
Raymond Arroyo's engrossing biography, reads like a novel. Born Rita Rizzo in Canton, Ohio, in 1923, she was abandoned by her father and raised in poverty by a mother who suffered suicidal depressions. As a young woman, Rita developed severe abdominal pain and large protrusions. After doctors dismissed the problems as a "nervous" condition, Rita sought the prayers of a local mystic, and her symptoms disappeared.
Awakened to the power of prayer, she vowed to dedicate her life to God. She became a cloistered nun, expecting to spend her life hidden from the world. But her faith compelled her to unlikely endeavors, from establishing a monastery in Alabama to starting the network. Relying solely on "God's providence," Mother Angelica built the empire without concern for budgets or fund-raising campaigns. She had accomplished what the highest echelon of the Catholic Church had been unable to do.
About the Author
RAYMOND ARROYO is the news director and lead anchor at EWTNews. As host of the international newsmagazine, The World Over Live, he is seen in more than 110 million households each week. Arroyo has worked at the Associated Press, the New York Observer, and for the political columnist team of Evans and Novak. His writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the National Review, the Financial Times, and other publications. He has been featured on the Today show, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, and various cable outlets, where he frequently comments on matters of culture and faith. He lives in New Orleans with his wife and three children.