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Mother Angelica (1923-) is an American religious figure.

Born on April 20, 1923 in Canton, Ohio, as Rita Antoinette Rizzo was the only child of John and Mae Rizzo, who divorced in 1929. Her childhood was marred by poverty and unhappiness as she grew up during the Great Depression. Her father abandoned the family when she was very young, and her mother struggled with chronic depression and poverty.

Early Life On September 8, 1921, Mae Helen Gianfrancisco and John Rizzo, were married. About two years later, on April 20, 1923, Rita Antoinette Rizzo was born in Canton, Ohio. Early on in Rita's childhood, her father moved out of the house. By the time Rita was six years old, her parents' divorce was finalized. Her mother maintained full custody of her.

Looking back upon this time in her life, Mother Angelica describes it in the following way: "We were 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. Mother Angelica often says that she worked very hard for her "F's". In addition to this, Rita suffered much from prejudices because of her parents' divorce. Despite much sadness and intense trials, the Lord never abandoned Mae and Rita. When things got too unbearable, He would send a "wondrous grace" to sustain them. Often Rita would repeat: "I will fear no evil."

In Rita's 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 "wondrous grace" proved to Mae that the Lord had definite plans for her daughter's future. This event proved to be a great consolation during difficult days. It instilled a new sense of purpose in Rita's life. What would God do with her?

The years that followed were indeed difficult. Mae and Rita experienced severe poverty — often having to bear with hunger and bitter cold. Sewer rats would literally eat their way through the apartment floor. It was at this time that Rita entered McKinley High School. School work continued be a cross for her. She found much consolation, however, in reading the Scriptures.

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 job and some relief from their dire poverty was found.

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. Together, Mae and Rita asked the Lord for help.

At this same time, Mae heard of a woman by the name of Rhoda Wise. Rhoda, a convert to Catholicism, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jesus appeared in Rhoda's bedroom twice, during which time she was miraculously healed of her fatal condition. Saint Thérèse appeared with Jesus during one of the apparitions. Shortly afterwards, Rhoda received the stigmata (the visible wounds of Jesus) on her own body.

After hearing all of the reports about Rhoda, Mae and Rita decided to visit her and ask for her prayers. The day chosen for this meeting was January 8, 1943. During their visit of about thirty minutes, Mae and Rita found Rhoda to be very pleasant and kind. She 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 for nine days, Rita still suffered from severe abdominal pain. She went to bed that night, 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 realized that there was no pain whatsoever. She had been healed. God had performed a miracle.

This miracle profoundly touched Rita's life and led her to a very deep love for God. It was through the grace of this miracle that Mother Angelica traces her lifelong commitment to God. Mother explains — "I fell in love with God and really began to thirst after Him. My life was changed from that point on."

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 realized that she was to be a nun. She sought guidance from Monsignor Habig, a local parish priest. He encouraged her to begin visiting convents and this she did. Her first visit was to the Josephite Sisters in Buffalo, NY. This active order felt, however, that Rita was better suited for a conntemplative order. Monsignor Habig encouraged her to visit Saint Paul's Shrine of Perpetual Adoration in Cleveland, Ohio. It was there that an order of cloistered contemplative nuns (the PCPA's, then known as the Franciscan Nuns of the Most Blessed Sacrament) were located.

When visiting this Order, Rita felt as if she were at home. And indeed she was. The Order accepted her as a postulant, asking her to enter on August 15. The one heartache that Rita suffered was leaving her mother who was very much opposed to her daughter's pursuing the religious life.

And 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."

Thus began a great adventure of love. The fruit that has been born from this vocation is phenomenal, only in Heaven will we fully realize the many souls who were saved because of Mother Angelica's "yes".

Even from Mother Angelica's earliest days till the present, we see the great plan of God unfolding. And so it is with every soul.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5).

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 only 21 years old at this time.

From the moment the enclosure door closed behind her, Sister Rita was keenly aware that a great adventure was beginning.

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. Sister Rita began at once to live the new life she had so long desired.

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.

Finally, 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, at long last, 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. But the Lord would use even this to bring about His Will.

During her time as a novice, Mr. and Mrs. O'Dea 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 this new foundation immediately. Although it is very 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. And so the foremost reason was hoping that this change would help improve her health, as the Cleveland Monastery had many stairs to climb. The new Sancta Clara Monastery at the O'Dea mansion would afford some relief from this. Canton would, in a way, be a test for her vocation.

The move to Sancta Clara Monastery in Canton proved to be part of God's plan for Sister as her knee problem was immediately 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. Increasingly her union with Jesus deepened as well.

And so it was on January 2, 1947 Sister Mary Angelica made her first holy profession of vows. The day of her first vows was what some would call a "disaster." But even though the ceremony was far from perfect, the most important aspect was fulfilled — she was espoused to Jesus Christ.

This espousal made her ever more determined to live her vocation to the full for the glory of God. Community life was a challenge for this only child, but with determination, much prayer, and above all grace, Sister Angelica was being transformed into the One she so loved.

On January 2, 1953, Sister Angelica made her solemn profession of vows. After over seven years of religious life, she made this final commitment to God and to her Community. Monsignor Habig, the priest who had been so 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 after 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. And Mother always keeps her promises!

So after receiving all necessary permissions and raising funds through making and selling fishing lures, Mother Angelica and four other sisters (Sister Mary Raphael, Sister Mary Joseph, Sister Mary Michael, and Sister Mary Assumpta) headed South. Our Lady of the Angles Monastery was officially established on May 20, 1962. Mother Angelica, the foundress and Abbess of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, met all the difficulties of this new foundation with a profound trust in the Divine Providence of God. This has been the mark of her spirituality throughout her entire religious life — total dependence on Divine Providence.

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. Mother Angelica continued to manifest her zeal for souls through the publishing of pamphlets and books. These books were written by Mother and display her firm grasp on the practical aspects of life, prayer, and community. The Community took over the publishing of these books and distributed them all over the country.

Mother was ever attentive the the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and wanted her "yes" to God to be immediate and without reserve. And so the number of sisters began to grow, the authoring and publishing also continued with much success.

And as we know this was only the beginning of a journey of faith and adventure in Providence that would bring the Light of Christ to the very ends of the earth.

Author In 1973, Mother M. Angelica began writing booklets on the spiritual life. She has authored a total of fifty-three books.

EWTN By 1976, Mother Angelica had written 50 booklets and recorded 150 audio cassette teaching tapes. But that was only the beginning of what the Lord would do through her.

When Mother Angelica 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 holy priests to hear Confessions, celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the 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.

(As of June 1, 2002)

1972 Initiated book apostolate; distribution to 38 countries exceeds 1.5 million books. 1978 Made her first series of religious tapes for television broadcast. 1981 Founded the Eternal Word Television Network, the first Roman Catholic satellite cable network. 1982 First Audience with Pope John Paul II, November 11, 1982, presented His Holiness with a model of EWTN's first satellite dish.

1987 Founded an active Religious institute of Brothers and Priests: Missionaries of the Eternal Word (now called Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word).

1989 Traveled to Rome, Italy to establish WEWN, the world's largest privately owned international short wave radio station. WEWN remained in Rome for approximately three years, and then moved its place of operations to Vandiver (near Birmingham), Alabama, USA.

1989 Second Audience with Pope John Paul II, January 30,1989, at his private Mass. She told His Holiness of her plans to beam radio broadcasts into Russia and the Eastern Bloc countries.

1989 Attended the Wednesday General Audience of Pope John Paul II, March 1, 1989. When the Holy Father passed near where she was standing with her nuns, he stopped, held her head and said, "Mother Angelica, La Grande Chief!"

1990 Third Audience with Pope John Paul II: received personal invitation from His Holiness to attend his Mass at Castel Gandolfo, August 4, 1990. After Mass, he said to her, 'Keep doing what you are doing.'

1992 Launched WEWN from Vandiver, Alabama, USA.

1993 Fourth Audience with Pope John Paul II, February 15,1993: after attending his private Mass, presented His Holiness with photos of the WEWN short wave radio towers transmitting the Good News worldwide.

1995 Launched EWTN's first international satellite service for Latin America.

1996 Fifth Audience with Pope John Paul II, May 1, 1996: after attending his private Mass, presented his Holiness with a commemorative photograph album of Papal Visit 1995 and maps showing nations reached by EWTN's new international satellites.

1996 Founded EWTN Religious Catalogue.

1996 EWTN Global Catholic Network added Internet Online Services with a large online collection of Catholic and Vatican documents; added daily news service; added broadcast radio service for AM/ FM radio stations; launched a 24-hour Spanish network reaching Latin America and Spain; extended television coverage to Eastern and Western Europe and to the Pacific Rim: Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and the Philippines.

1998 Added satellite radio service to Europe and the British Isles; expanded EWTN coverage to Africa.

2001 EWTN received approval from the Canadian government to offer carriage of its satellite and cable service. EWTN launched channel for Canada.

2002 EWTN expanded television coverage to India.

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.

External links

• Updates from EWTN on Mother Angelica

• 1923 births
• People from Alabama
• Italian-Americans
• Roman Catholic nuns
• Poor Clares