Irondale, Ala., Mar 27, 2018 / 02:07 am
Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, founder of EWTN, passed away in 2016, on Easter Sunday, after a lengthy struggle with the aftereffects of a stroke. She was 92 years old.
Mother Angelica founded EWTN out of a garage in Alabama in 1981, and it has since become the largest religious media network in the world. Her work touched the lives of many people across the world. We asked our readers to share their stories of how Mother Angelica influenced them, and we were overwhelmed by the flood of responses. Here are just a few of the stories from our readers, edited for clarity:
"I remember about seven years ago, I was suicidally depressed. I did not want to live, I could not even think of a reason to go on. Just utter blackness all around. I came across one of Mother Angelica's books. She helped bring me out of the darkness with her firm faith, wisdom and love. It made all the difference and with the Virgin Mary's help, I have a whole new life in Christ today. A solid joyful life! Thank you Mother Angelica!"
"I was going through a difficult time physically (I became disabled with a chronic med problem), emotionally, and spiritually - I had lost my way and was floundering. Mostly in bed for many months, I began channel surfing and found EWTN. Mother Angelica began leading me back to the Church. EWTN is one of the main reasons I returned to the Church, and my faith has never been stronger. I went to Confession in 2009 for the first time in decades. I sponsored my son-in-law when he converted and my daughter finally made her confirmation - they were married in the Church after being married civilly for 10 years. My husband also returned after decades and my grandson made his Communion at the age of 10. I am so grateful to Mother and EWTN, and she has provided much inspiration via her books also. RIP Mother."
"My mom first saw Mother Angelica on TV in 1989 as she was flipping through the channels to find her soap operas. My mother would tell you that she felt compelled to watch because she hadn't seen a nun in a habit in so long, and it rekindled in her the spark that helped our entire family become more faithfully practicing Catholics. I can honestly say that I don't know who or where I would be today if it wasn't for Mother Angelica, EWTN, and the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration who prayed for me at my mother's behest through many challenging years."