Mother Angelica: Life-long Catholic
Mother Angelica was born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, in 1923, in Canton, Ohio. In 1944, she joined the contemplative order of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. After a severe back injury, she told God that if she could walk after the surgery, she would build Him a monastery in the South. True to her word and God’s goodness, the surgery was a success. The new Mother Angelica and five founding Sisters made the journey South. Our Lady of the Angels Monastery was solemnly consecrated on May 2, 1962. In 1980, a garage behind the monastery was converted into a television studio. The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) signed on August 15, 1981.