IT WAS A GARAGE WHERE EVERYTHING BEGAN
Lidia Dudkiewicz, The Editor-in-Chief of ‘Niedziela’
Eternal Word Television Network, with its headquarter in Irondale in the state of Alabama in the USA, which was founded in 1981 by mother Angelica Rizzo, is getting more and more interested in Poland. On these days a film team of EWTN was making a documentary serial fragment at Jasna Góra about the history of Catholicism in Poland. The most important episode is going to be devoted to Our Lady the Queen of Poland. The serial about Poland will be broadcast in various language editions, in even 150 countries of the world and is an omen of a permanent media cooperation between the biggest American religious television and Poland. It is worth knowing that in the beginning before the television of Mother Angelica appeared, no future was seen. The Catholic TV station did not seem to be really needed with its evangelical formula in a more secularized society.
Mother Angelica began her work very humbly and just from nothing, without any capital or investment facility. The first programs were broadcast from a primitive studio, arranged in a monastery garage. Today EWTN is in a complex of modern buildings, with studios equipped with electric devices and equipment, worth millions of dollars. Nobody would believe that in her youth Mother Angelica was sure that nuns were the least happy people in the world. She prayed even not to become one of them. However, when it was time to make a decision, she joined a convent – a contemplative one even – to the Poor Clares of Eternal Adoration in Cleveland. What is interesting, Mother Angelica always felt well when she was without money, which resulted from the vow of poverty she had made, but, mainly, from boundless trustfulness in God and entrustment to His Providence. She used to say that being without any money is a mystery of the EWTN: ‘Being penniless, we need help. Needing help, we pray to God. Our message which we broadcast in America every evening, is about God’s love on which we can absolutely rely’.
The straightforward nun – mother Angelica became the author of the most popular Catholic talk show and gave simple answers to the most complicated questions. She died in 2016, and we have got worthy recordings left and an unusual book translated into Polish entitled: ‘Mother Angelica answers’. The book includes spiritual advice for each of us. Here are some golden thoughts and pieces of advice of this most media nun of the world: ‘God will not stop chasing you till the last breath’. ‘All you need to do is to tell God that you need Him’. ‘If we love God, and He is in ourselves, we experience Heaven on the earth; just this experience is called holiness’.
The TV network of the Eternal Word is already reaching Poland in English via Internet and satellite. And from 19 October 2018 it is going to be available in Polish language. One of the most popular journalists of the Television of Mother Angelica has visited us recently – Fr. Mitch Pacw, a Jesuit of Polish origin. He visited Jasna Góra and entrusted EWTN Poland with the headquarter in Wrocław to Our Lady. He met with Fr. inf. Ireneusz Skubiś in the editorial office of ‘Niedziela’.
Translated by Aneta Amrozik
Niedziela 26/2018 (1 VII 2018)