By Emily Brown
As you have probably heard, Mother Mary Angelica, the foundress of the Eternal Word Television Network, passed away this Easter Sunday. I find it no coincidence that Mother Angelica was called to heaven on the same day Our Lord rose. She was an extremely faithful woman of God who touched millions of lives through her television show, national events, and powerful prayers.
Here are five things we learned from this amazing nun!
1. With faith you can accomplish your dreams.
Mother Angelica only had a high school education and $200 in the bank when she founded EWTN—the largest Catholic media network in the world! On top of that, she also founded Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in 1962 and the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word!
2. Never let anything get you down.
Since 1983 the popular television show Mother Angelica Live has shown how Mother communicated with her audience using her faith, compassion, and even humor! But did you know she struggled with painful illnesses the whole time she was on EWTN? She suffered from stomach pains, back pains, surgeries, and on Christmas Eve of 2001 she suffered a terrible stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. However, none of this stopped her from sharing the word of God!
3. Suffering brings you closer to God.
No one would ever guess that Mother Angelica grew up in an extremely rough environment. Her parents divorced when she was only six, and she explained that “That’s when hell began. My mother and I were desperate—moving from place to place, poor, hungry and barely surviving.” When she began to suffer from horrific stomach pain, she prayed a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux. Miraculously after nine days she was healed. It was on that fateful day that she “became aware of God’s love for [her] and began to thirst for Him.”
4. If you make a bargain with God, He will win.
In 1956 Mother Angelica was scheduled to undergo an intense spinal surgery that gave her a 50 percent chance of never walking again. She decided to make a bargain with God and told Him that if He allowed her to walk again she would build Him a monastery in the south. Sure enough, Mother was able to walk again. She upheld her end of the bargain, and on May 20, 1962, Our Lady of Angels Monastery in Alabama was founded!
5. You never know whose life you will impact.
Mother Angelica is known worldwide as a beautiful, faithful, and miraculous nun who touched millions of people! She would come into your home through EWTN, pray with you, and brighten your day. She left an example that shows that each and every one of us can have a tremendous impact on people’s lives by doing the will of God!
May her soul rest in peace.
Emily Brown graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in May 2015. She began working for American Life League this summer and is a founding member of its new youth department, ALL Life Defenders. She plans on educating and collaborating with young adults all over the country to empower the new generation!