A cloistered nun built the world's largest Catholic media empire from a garage

Cultures · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, transformed from a bedridden patient into a global media mogul. Starting in 1981 with a converted garage in Alabama, she launched EWTN, a network that now reaches hundreds of millions of households, proving that a singular vision can transcend the walls of a monastery.

Born Rita Rizzo in 1923, Mother Angelica’s early life was marked by poverty and health struggles. After a miraculous healing in 1943, she entered the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. Her path to media prominence began in 1953 following a severe spinal injury from an industrial floor-scrubbing machine. During a risky 1956 spinal fusion surgery, she bargained with God, promising to build a monastery in the South if she could walk again. She eventually fulfilled this vow by establishing Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama, in 1962.

Her transition into broadcasting was unconventional. Initially recording talks for sale, she caught the attention of Bishop Joseph Vath, who encouraged her public communication. By 1981, she founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). The venture faced immediate hurdles, including canonical challenges regarding her status as a cloistered nun. Cardinal Silvio Oddi eventually intervened, securing the necessary exemptions to allow her to conduct business outside the monastery. Her programming, which often aligned with Pope John Paul II, occasionally sparked public friction with other Church leaders, most notably Cardinal Roger Mahony.

Mother Angelica’s influence expanded significantly in the 1990s. In 1996, following a vision in Bogotá, Colombia, she initiated the construction of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. Funded by $48.6 million in private donations, the project reflected her desire for a contemplative space. By the time of her death in 2016, EWTN had become a massive international presence. Today, the network continues to operate as a major global force, reaching an estimated 425 million viewers across more than 160 countries as of 2026, alongside a robust digital and social media footprint.

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