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| Due to the many responsibilities at home which fell upon young Rita, her school work suffered greatly. Rita also suffered from prejudices because of her parents' ]. | Due to the many responsibilities at home which fell upon young Rita, her school work suffered greatly. Rita also suffered from prejudices because of her parents' ]. | ||
| During this difficult period, Rita found much consolation in reading the ], often repeating the words of the ]: "I will fear no evil." When things got too unbearable, Mother Angelica says, the Lord would send a "wondrous grace" to sustain them. | During this difficult period, Rita found much consolation in reading the ], often repeating the words of the ]: "I will fear no evil." When things got too unbearable, Mother Angelica says, the Lord would send a "wondrous grace" to sustain them. | ||
| By the age of sixteen, Rita realized that her mother's dry-cleaning job was a dead end. And so she began searching for work on her mother's behalf. Through Rita's efforts, her mother got a better job which provided some relief from their dire poverty. | By the age of sixteen, Rita realized that her mother's dry-cleaning job was a dead end. And so she began searching for work on her mother's behalf. Through Rita's efforts, her mother got a better job which provided some relief from their dire poverty. | ||
Revision as of 05:06, 15 December 2005
Mother Angelica born Rita Antoinette Rizzo (April 20, 1923 - ) is an American Roman Catholic nun and founder of the Eternal Word Television Network.
Early Childhood
The future Mother Angelica was born Rita Antoinette Rizzo on April 20, 1923 in Canton, Ohio. She was the only child of John and Mae Helen Rizzo (nee Gianfrancisco). Her father abandoned the family when Rita was very young, and her parents divorced in 1929. Her mother maintained full custody of Rita, but struggled with chronic depression and poverty.
Rita's childhood was marred by poverty and unhappiness as she grew up during the Great Depression. Looking back upon this time in her life, Mother Angelica described herself and her mother as being "like a pair of refugees. We were poor, hungry, and barely surviving on odd jobs before mother learned the dry-cleaning business as an apprentice to a Jewish tailor in our area. Even then, we pinched pennies just to keep food on the table."
Due to the many responsibilities at home which fell upon young Rita, her school work suffered greatly. Rita also suffered from prejudices because of her parents' divorce. During this difficult period, Rita found much consolation in reading the Scriptures, often repeating the words of the 23rd Psalm: "I will fear no evil." When things got too unbearable, Mother Angelica says, the Lord would send a "wondrous grace" to sustain them.
By the age of sixteen, Rita realized that her mother's dry-cleaning job was a dead end. And so she began searching for work on her mother's behalf. Through Rita's efforts, her mother got a better job which provided some relief from their dire poverty.
Reports of Miracles
Rita saw the hand of God working in many events in her life. In her early adolescence, she was walking downtown quite oblivious to everything around her. As she began to cross a busy street, she heard a woman scream. Looking back Rita saw a car coming towards her with great speed. With no time to avoid being hit, she closed her eyes and waited. At that moment, as if two strong hands had lifted her to safety, she found herself standing on the sidewalk. This event proved to be a great consolation during difficult days and instilled a new sense of purpose in Rita's life.
By 1941, a stomach ailment that Rita suffered from since 1939 demanded medial attention. By November of that year, x-rays revealed serious abnormalities in her stomach and intestines. The pain continued to worsen, with no alleviation. The doctors were unable to do anything to relieve her suffering or remedy the ailment. Once again, Mae and Rita turned to their faith.
At this time, Mae heard of a woman by the name of Rhoda Wise. Wise was a convert to Catholicism who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She reported that Jesus appeared in her bedroom twice, and she had been miraculously healed of her condition. Saint Thérèse appeared with Jesus during one of the apparitions. Shortly afterwards, Rhoda received the stigmata. On January 8, 1943 Mae and Rita visited with Wise to ask her for her prayers. Wise gave Rita a prayer to recite invoking the intercession of Saint Thérèse. Rita promised the Lord that, if she were healed, she would share this devotion with others.
After praying the novena, Rita still suffered from severe abdominal pain. She went to bed the night of January 17, 1943, with doubts about the entire episode. During the middle of the night, she experienced the worst stomach pain ever, although it lasted only a moment. The next morning, Rita found that she was no pain whatsoever. She believed that God had performed a miracle .
This experience profoundly touched Rita's life and led her to a very deep love for God. Mother Angelica traces her lifelong commitment to God to this healing. Mother explains — "I fell in love with God and really began to thirst after Him. My life was changed from that point on."
Early Adulthood and Religious Vocation
After graduating from high school in 1941, Rita began working at Timkin Roller Bearing Company. Following work each day, she would stop at a local parish and pray the stations of the cross. She also attended Mass as often as possible. Her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary also intensified at this same time.
One evening in the summer of 1944, Rita stopped at a church to pray. Kneeling before the Most Blessed Sacrament, Rita felt God was calling her to be a nun. She sought guidance from a local parish priest who encouraged her to begin visiting convents. Her first visit was to the Josephite Sisters in Buffalo, New York. This active order felt, however, that Rita was better suited for a conntemplative order. She also visited Saint Paul's Shrine of Perpetual Adoration an order of cloistered contemplative nuns located in Cleveland, Ohio. When visiting this Order, Rita felt as if she were at home. The Order accepted her as a postulant, asking her to enter on August 15, 1944.
The one heartache that Rita suffered was leaving her mother who was very much opposed to her daughter's pursuing the religious life. So Rita secretly planned her departure. On August 14, she wrote her mother a letter. When Mae found it on the morning of August 15, Rita had already arrived at her destination. In part the letter read: "When you receive this letter, I will be in Cleveland. I have entered the Adoration Monastery at 40th and Euclid. You know it better as St. Paul's Shrine ... Something happened to me after my cure. What it was, I don't know. I fell completely in love with Our Lord. To live in the world for these past nineteen months has been very difficult. I love you very much and I have not forgotten what you have done for me. Please trust Him ... I ask your blessing that I may reach the heights I desire. I love you very much."
Early Religious Life
On August 15, 1944, Rita Antoinette Rizzo became Sister Rita. When she arrived at Saint Paul's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio and entered the Adoration Monastery of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration (a cloistered contemplative order), a new chapter was beginning for Rita. She was 21 years old at this time.
As a postulant, Sister was introduced to the "ins and outs" of religious life. Postulancy is a time of discernment (both by the postulant and the community) and a time of adjustment. She joined the nuns in prayer, adoration, and manual labor. Among her early assignments were working in the laundry, baking altar breads, working in the kitchen, and cleaning floors. Before long, though, Rita's knees began to cause her many problems. Her work assignments had to be altered and she was no longer able to kneel for prayer or genuflect before the Most Blessed Sacrament. Her postulancy was extended for nearly seven months.
On November 8, 1945, Rita was invested as a Poor Clare Nun of Perpetual Adoration. She wore a white wedding gown made by her Aunt Rose. As the investiture ceremony continued, Rita was taken out and dressed in another garment signifying her death to the world. Then she received the brown Franciscan habit and white novice veil. She also received a new name and title: Sister Mary Angelica of the Annunciation.
The novitiate is a time of continued growth and preparation for first holy profession of vows. Sister Angelica's time as a novice was used for just this purpose. Her knees, however, continued to pose problems in fulfilling her monastic duties. During her time as a novice, a wealthy couple offered their mansion to the nuns so that a new foundation could be established. Their mansion was located in Canton, Ohio, Sister Angelica's hometown. The community accepted this offer and began planning for the new foundation. Although it is rare for a novice to go to a new foundation, Sister Angelica was chosen for a variety of reasons. She was spiritually minded, a leader, energetic, and responsible. But all agreed that until her knee problem was remedied, she would be unable to make first vows. So the foremost reason was the hope that this change would help improve her health, as the Cleveland Monastery had many stairs to climb. The new Sancta Clara Monastery would afford some relief from this. Canton would, in a way, be a test for her vocation.
Final Vows and Leadership in the Convent
After the move to Sancta Clara Monastery in Canton, her knee problem was alleviated. It was at this time also that her leadership qualities were revealed. She aided with overseeing construction and other similar jobs with the skill of an old veteran. On January 2, 1947 Sister Mary Angelica made her first holy profession of vows. On January 2, 1953, Sister Angelica made her solemn profession of vows. Monsignor Habig, the priest who had been instrumental in leading her to the Monastery, celebrated the Mass. It was a great day of rejoicing for both the PCPA's and for Sister Angelica's family, especially her mother.
1953 was also the year that Sister Angelica began to have more interaction with the novices. She was asked to give the novitiate a retreat. The novices, especially Sister Mary Raphael, were impressed by all they heard and felt that a "spiritual giant" was in their midst. Sister Angelica became a guiding light for the young sisters during some very difficult days.
Amid her caring for the spiritual needs of the novices and her other duties, Sister continued to help with the household chores. One such chore was scrubbing the floor with an electric scrubbing machine. While performing this task one day, she had a serious accident. Losing her balance on the soapy floor, Sister Angelica fell to her knees and was flung against the wall back first. Her spine was seriously injured. In the following months the injury worsened and the pain was quite unbearable. Finally nearly two years after the accident, she was hospitalized and fitted with a body cast. Six weeks of traction proved to be no help and so surgery followed.
The night before the operation, fearing the worst, Sister Angelica made a deal with the Lord: "God! You didn't bring me this far just to lay me out on my back for life. Please, Lord Jesus, if You allow me to walk again I will build a monastery for Your glory. And I will build it in the South!" After four months of hospitalization, Mother Angelica WALKED through the door of the Sancta Clara Monastery.
Founding of Our Lady of the Angels
Keeping the pledge she made prior to her surgurey, Sister Angelica began making preparations to establish a new monastary. After seeking all necessary permissions and raising funds through making and selling fishing lures, Mother Angelica and four other sisters headed South. Our Lady of the Angles Monastery was officially established on May 20, 1962.
The first postulant to be received was Mae Francis (Sister Mary David), Mother Angelica's natural mother. A few months later Sister Mary Veronica, the former Abbess of the Sancta Clara Monastery, transferred to Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.
In 1973, Mother M. Angelica began writing booklets on the spiritual life. She has authored a total of fifty-three books. The Community took over the publishing of these books and distributed them all over the country. The number of sisters at the convent began to grow, the authoring and publishing also continued with much success.
Founder of EWTN
By 1976, Mother Angelica had written 50 booklets and recorded 150 audio cassette teaching tapes. When she was given the opportunity to make video tape programs for television, she realized the impact television could have in spreading the Faith. Converting a planned garage behind the monastery into a television studio, Mother Angelica founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). EWTN began airing programs on August 15, 1981 via satellite to cable companies and home satellite dishes.
In 1992, Mother Angelica founded WEWN to broadcast Catholic programs world-wide via short-wave radio, inspired by the prophecy of Revelation 14:6 — "Then I saw another Angel, flying high overhead, sent to announce the Good News of Eternity to all who live on the earth, every nation, race, language, and tribe."
EWTN continues to extend its apostolate of spreading the Good News of Jesus over all the earth. In 1996, EWTN was added to the Dish Network, which beams EWTN’s programs via satellite to small, 18" dishes that can be mounted on a roof. Access to WEWN's radio programs is available to AM/FM radio stations throughout the world via satellite. EWTN has also developed EWTN Online Services, www.ewtn.com, spread the Word worldwide via the Internet.
As more visitors began coming to the Monastery and to the television network, Mother Angelica realized the need for priests to hear Confessions, celebrate Mass, and give spiritual talks. In response to this need, she founded the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, an Order of priests and brothers who live a Franciscan, Eucharistic life dedicated to bringing souls back to the Church.
Honorary Degrees
2001, Doctor of Communications, Ave Maria College, Ypsilanti, Michigan
1992, Doctor of Communications, Quincy College, Quincy, Illinois
1988, Doctor of Law, St. John’s University, Jamaica, New York
1988, Doctor of Humane Letters, St. Charles Seminary, Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1986, Doctor of Religious Education, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island
1984, Doctor of Letters, University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas
1983, Doctor of Sacred Theology, University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Ohio
Awards
2002 Court of Honor, Alabama District Exchange Clubs 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Evangelization, Envoy Magazine
2001 Pillar of the Church Award, Michigan Catholic Radio of Detroit
1995 Catholic of the Year Award, Western New York Chapters, Catholics United for the Faith
1995 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award, Institute on Religious Life
1994 Joseph A. Cianci Humanitarian Award, UNICO National
1993 Catholic of the Year Award, Catholic Twin Circle
1991 Faith and Family Award, Women for Faith and Family, St. Louis, Missouri
1991 Cardinal Patrick O'Boyle Award "for heroic defense of the Faith", Fellowship of Catholic Scholars
1990 Patronal Medal, Jointly awarded by The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
1989 Americanism News Media Award, Catholic War Veterans USA
1988 Communicator for Christ, Daughters of St. Paul, Chicago, Illinois
1987 Compostella Award, The Cathedral of St. James, Brooklyn, NewYork
1987 Wilbur Award for TV Coverage of "Papal Visit ‘87", Religious Public Relations Council
1987 Franciscan Communicators Award, Franciscan Communications
1986 Communicator of the Year, International Association of Business Communicators, Alabama Chapter
1986 Women of Mercy Award, Mercy Hospital Guild, Toledo, Ohio
1985 St. Genesius Award, Annual Communion Breakfast of the Motion Picture, Television, Radio, and Recording Industries
1985 Citizen of the Year, Alabama Cable Television Association
1984 Gabriel Award for Personal Achievement, Unda-USA, Catholic Association of Broadcasters and Allied Communicators in the United States
1983 17th Annual National Italian American of the Year, Greater New Orleans Italian Cultural Society
1983 The John Paul II Religious Freedom Award, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
Trivia
- Time Magazine once described Mother Angelica as one of the most influential Roman Catholic women in America.