Mother Angelica

Mother Angelica is a Catholic nun who founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). She also hosted a television program which ran for over 27 years and was known for her energetic delivery and humor. After suffering a debilitating stroke in 2001, Mother Angelica retired from her television show but continues to lead a life of faith at her monastery.EWTN: Update on Mother Angelica (January, 2009) CNA: Two years after major stroke, Mother Angelica lives life of prayer (December 12, 2003)

Mother Angelica, whose birth name was Rita Rizzo, was born into a tumultuous household. Her parents divorced when she was a young child, and her father did not support the family. Rizzo suffered from stomach problems as a teen and young adult. She found that when she turned to prayer, her illness was cured. It was after this event, which she believed to be a miracle, that she turned to the religious life of a nun.

Rizzo vowed into the nunhood, and took the name of Angelica, on January 2, 1953. Seven years later, she founded a monastery, Our Lady of the Angels, in Ironwood, Alabama. She also wrote numerous books and produces audio tapes. As an outgrowth of her books and tapes, she founded the television network EWTN, in 1981.