On August 15, 2025, the Eternal Word Television Network celebrates the 44th anniversary of Catholic nun Mother Angelica founding the network.
In a video that aired on Mother Angelica LIVE Classics, EWTN’s foundress explains, in her own words, how she established the network from a garage studio.
When Mother Angelica first stepped into a television studio in Chicago, she didn’t realize she was about to launch a global Catholic media revolution.
Mother Angelica explains that her journey began in 1973, when she started writing books and giving talks.
Her fellow sisters printed her books, and soon people wanted more, so she started giving talks and eventually landed on a Protestant TV talk show in Chicago. This experience ignited a spark that led to something much bigger.
In the video, Mother Angelica recalls this moment:“When I walked into the studio — it was much, much smaller than this one — I realized how little space it took to reach the masses. I thought to myself, ‘Lord, I’ve got to have one of these!’”
Despite early setbacks—like her first homemade tape, which she describes as “a disaster… I looked like Grandma Moses sitting in a rocking chair,” her sisters encouraged her to record another tape and send it
