How a Nun Turned a Monastery Garage into the EWTN Global Catholic Network

In March of 1978, a 55-year-old cloistered nun named Mother Angelica went to Chicago. She was there to give workshops to supporters who would distribute her Catholic books and tapes.

She had started making spiritual recordings in 1962, after one of the nuns in her community suggested she “record a ‘little heart to heart talk.’”

The sisters sold the records to help pay the bills at their Franciscan monastery in Irondale, Alabama.

While in Chicago, Mother Angelica visited a Baptist-run television station, and reportedly said, “Lord, I gotta have one of those.”

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Mother Angelica vs. the liberal Catholic bishops: A story for our times.

In 1978, her life was forever altered when she was introduced to a TV studio in Chicago. Instantly, she got the bug: she had to have one of her own. Then came the first of many disappointments dealing with the bishops. When she contacted them about a Catholic TV show, none replied. Undeterred, she secured funding from New York philanthropist Peter Grace, and in 1981 got a young lawyer and Catholic deacon, Bill Steltemeier, to craft a civil corporation called the Eternal Word Television Network. Bill would remain a loyal and talented ally throughout the tumultuous times to come.

When word reached Rome that a cloistered abbess was traveling the country in pursuit of her broadcasting dream, she ran into trouble with both American bishops and Vatican officials. But thanks to Cardinal Silvio Oddi, head of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, she prevailed.

It was never easy. Every time Mother Angelica thought she was in the clear, another bishop would raise objections to her venture. Indeed, the bishops tried to outdo her by launching their own effort, the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America (CTNA). It was clear from the beginning that Mother Angelica was seen as a threat: EWTN had a traditional orientation and CTNA took a modernist stance. EWTN won. CTNA collapsed.

It was not easy for the bishops to watch their own creation flounder while EWTN won the admiration of Pope John Paul II. Adding to their chagrin was their inability to get Mother Angelica to switch to a new interfaith satellite network. As to her own operations, Mother Angelica did not take kindly to those clerics who questioned her authority to showcase some bishops, but not others. “I happen to own the network,” she instructed. When told that this would not be forever, she let loose: “I’ll blow the damn thing up before you get your hands on it.”

In 1989, a report by the bishops complained that EWTN rejected “one out of every three programs submitted by the bishops conference.” The bishops and Mother Angelica were clearly on a collision course: she had no tolerance for the theological dissidence that was tolerated by many bishops and their staff. The last straw came when the bishops conference sent a show to be aired featuring a cleric promising female ordination under the next pope.

The dissent, whether voiced by the Catholic Theological Society of America, or by feminist nuns who favored gender-neutral language in the Catholic Catechism, distressed Mother badly. She even had to endure being lobbied to push for “inclusive” language in the Catechism by the likes of “conservatives” such as Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston. That he failed should surprise no one.

Renewed Priests for Life Pro-Life Training Announced

Presentations include Archdiocese of Chicago, EWTN, and the Vatican

This week and next, Priests for Life is announcing new efforts in the pro-life education of the clergy and laity. Building on the work of the last two decades, Priests for Life will present renewed initiatives to train people how to live out their commitment to protecting human life. “The pro-life effort is not simply a cause, a movement, or a political position,” explained Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. “All that has its place. But pro-life is, at its core, a spirituality. The Gospels and the teachings of the Church not only teach us why we are pro-life; they teach us how to live it. There are specific virtues we need, and these virtues shape pro-life activity and strategy.”

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Editor’s note: Father Pavone is one of the most inspiring pro-life speakers in the entire world. This ought to be a great program.

How a Nun Turned a Monastery Garage into a Global Catholic News Network

In March of 1978, a 55-year-old cloistered nun named Mother Angelica went to Chicago. She was there to give workshops to supporters who would distribute her Catholic books and tapes. She had started making spiritual recordings in 1962, after one of the nuns in her community suggested she “record a ‘little heart to heart talk.’” The sisters sold the records to help pay the bills at their Franciscan monastery in Irondale, Alabama. While in Chicago, Mother Angelica visited a Baptist-run television station, and reportedly said, “Lord, I gotta have one of those.”

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Church politics and show-biz: Vindictive bishops strike back …PLUS… Catholic non-profits pulling down big bucks, thanks to your generous donations.

The American Catholic Church: Bending over backwards
to appease and promote the far left, for over 40 years.
At your expense, of course!

.. a war in the Catholic blogosphere has broken out over the news coming out of Catholic Answers that they are in dire financial straits and are laying off staff due to a steep drop in donations and other revenue.

Catholic Answers has done fine work in the area of apologetics and is to be commended for any souls they might have influenced to come to the Catholic Faith. Bravo! But .. a few weeks ago, it seems like they made a major miscalculation .. or perhaps inadvertent blunder .. highlighting something we have talked about here recently in the Vortex.

It seems they may have insulted a large portion of their own audience by doing .. what appeared to many .. of making fun of traditional Catholics in a Catholic Answers Live radio show heard from coast to coast.

You see .. with the ever shrinking Church of Nice .. of which many .. rightly or wrongly have accused Catholic Answers of being a vested player .. the most invested players left in the Catholic world .. on the ground .. really are the more traditional crowd. To insult them apparently has proven to be a bad move.

Then .. on top of it .. some enterprising comm boxers dug up official numbers that the top dogs at Catholic Answers all make at least a hundred thousand a year .. with Karl Keating pulling down a cool quarter a million and Jimmy Akin and Tim Staples each over a hundred thousand. That  apparently set off a race among some bloggers to investigate how much other big name Catholic media people are pulling down. And a number of Catholics in the blogosphere are expressing shock.

EWTN bigwigs are all well into the six digit figures with funded retirement packages. Doug Keck and Michael Warsaw are each north of $130,000 and Raymond Arroyo is over 100K. Ave Maria Radio’s Al Kresta makes $115,000 a year and Relevant Radio’s Drew Mariana earns around 150K. All of these figures by the way come from viewers who dug into the official IRS public numbers, and posted them online, available because these are all nonprofits and must report salaries. They were spurred on by Catholic Answers’ recent financial plea.

Various viewers who have seen these salaries have expressed feelings ranging from surprise to shock to outrage. In various communications .. the term “professional catholic” has been asserted time and again and they are bothered that people are profiting from the Church in such a manner while at the same time begging for more money.

One viewer said to us in particular, no wonder these groups NEVER say anything about the collapse of the faith being pinned on the bishops. They all make HUGE salaries and aren’t about to bite the hand that feeds them.

With recent revelations a few months ago that in Boston, the top few chancery personnel there are pulling down hundreds of thousands in salaries each year, all this begins to undermine the peasant Catholics view of how things run in the Church.

Text and video

Editor’s note: My, how things have changed!

Matthew 10:5-10 These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. (6) But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (7) And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give. (9) Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses: (10) Nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff; for the workman is worthy of his meat.

Father Groeschel steps down from EWTN show

Irondale, Ala., Sep 4, 2012 / 10:42 am (CNA).- Franciscan friar Father Benedict Groeschel has stepped down as host of EWTN’s Sunday Night Prime television show following his apology for making comments about the sexual abuse of minors.

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Mother Angelica vs. Barack Obama: an epic struggle!

The latest American secularist onslaught against the Church, of course, is Obama’s recent edict that under his administration’s healthcare reform any provider of health care (including Catholic institutions) must be prepared to supply artificial contraception (including drugs which, though labelled contraceptive, are in fact abortifacient). I have recently written about this more than once. I now do so again to bring up to date anyone who has missed it, with one particular skirmish in the US Catholic fightback, that led by the redoubtable (and entirely admirable) Mother Angelica, founder of EWTN, who is now taking the fight against Obama to the courts.

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Editor’s note: As “Joliet Jake” would say, “The smart money’s on the Penguin!”

Lionel Andrades: EWTN position paper at odds with authentic Catholic teaching.

Friday, February 17, 2012

EWTN’S NEW REPORT ON OUTSIDE THE CHURCH NO SALVATION ASSUMES THOSE SAVED WITH THE BAPTISM OF DESIRE ETC ARE EXPLICITLY KNOWN TO US AND SO CONTRADICTS THE DOGMA

EWTN has placed a report on the internet titled Outside the Church No Salvation which criticizes ‘ the rigorist position of Fr. Feeney (that all must be actual members of the Catholic Church to be saved)’ and claims it has ‘been condemned by the Magisterium.’

In other words EWTN says every one does not have to convert into the Church for salvation (Pope Pius IX, Allocution), the baptism of desire and invincible ignorance are defacto, explicitly known cases which contradict ‘the dogma’, the ‘infallible teaching’ (Letter of the Holy Office 1949).Also EWTN suggests that there are is a Magiseterial document which says specifically that Fr.Leonard Feeney was condemned for heresy and which EWTN has not specified.

Outside The Church There Is No Salvation

The doctrine that “Outside the Church there is no salvation” is one that is constantly misinterpreted by those who won’t submit to the Magisterium of the Church.

Lionel: The Magisterium of the Church says all need to enter the Church for salvation. (Dominus Iesus 20, Ad Gentes 7, Lumen Gentium 14, Catechism of the Catholic Church 845,845, Cantate Domino, Council of Florence 1441 etc).

Lumen Gentium 16 and LG 8 are not exceptions to the dogma since we do not know any explicit case of a non Catholic saved in invincible ignorance, good conscience or with ‘elements of sanctification’.

EWTN:

Faith does not depend upon our ability to reason to the truth but on our humility before the Truth presented to us by those to whom Christ entrusted that task. This is why the First Vatican Council taught that it is the task of the Magisterium ALONE to determine and expound the meaning of the Tradition – including “outside the Church no salvation.”

Lionel:

EWTN is contradicting the Magisterial documents cited above.

EWTN:

Concerning this doctrine the Pope of Vatican I, Pius IX, spoke on two different occasions. In an allocution (address to an audience) on December 9th, 1854 he said:

We must hold as of the faith, that out of the Apostolic Roman Church there is no salvation; that she is the only ark of safety, and whosoever is not in her perishes in the deluge; we must also, on the other hand, recognize with certainty that those who are invincible in ignorance of the true religion are not guilty for this in the eyes of the Lord. And who would presume to mark out the limits of this ignorance according to the character and diversity of peoples, countries, minds and the rest?

Lionel:

EWTN assumes that ‘those who are in invincible ignorance of the true religion’ are an exception to the ‘rigorist interpretation’ which is that the Apostolic Roman Church ‘is the only ark of safety, and whosoever is not in her perishes in the deluge.’

The Church Fathers and the popes knew there was no contradiction.This was the error of the Archbishop of Boston Ruchard Cushing and the Jesuits there. Cushingism says every one needs to enter the Church, except, for those in invincible ignorance etc.Since Cushingism assumes that these ‘exceptions’ are defacto known to us in the present times.

 

EWTN:Again, in his encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore of 10 August, 1863 addressed to the Italian bishops, he said:

It is known to us and to you that those who are in invincible ignorance of our most holy religion, but who observe carefully the natural law, and the precepts graven by God upon the hearts of all men, and who being disposed to obey God lead an honest and upright life, may, aided by the light of divine grace, attain to eternal life; for God who sees clearly, searches and knows the heart, the disposition, the thoughts and intentions of each, in His supreme mercy and goodness by no means permits that anyone suffer eternal punishment, who has not of his own free will fallen into sin.

Lionel:

Invincible ignorance is not an exception to the literal interpretation of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

When CCC 846 says all who are saved are saved through Jesus and the Church this is not a contradiction to CCC 846 also saying that all need to enter the Church as ‘through a door’ and that all need Catholic Faith and the baptism of water for salvation. (AG 7).

EWTN:

These statements are consistent with the understanding of the Church contained in the documents of Vatican II, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as explaining why the rigorist position of Fr. Feeney (that all must be actual members of the Catholic Church to be saved) has been condemned by the Magisterium.

Lionel:

It depends on the interpretation. Do we interpret the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Vatican Council II according to Cushingism or Feeneyism?

 

EWTN:

It is ironic that precisely those who know their obligation to remain united to the Magisterium, and thus on whom this doctrine is morally binding, keep themselves from union with the Roman See on this point.

Lionel:

EWTN is still denying the centuries old interpretation of the dogma and assuming that there are defacto exceptions in Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

EWTN also implies that the popes and Church Councils ex cathedra were wrong. Since it is assumed that they were contradicted by magisterial teachings of popes and Vatican Council II.

EWTN slanders a priest in good standing with the Catholic Church. -Lionel Andrades

1.

Outside The Church There Is No Salvation

——————————————————————————–

The doctrine that “Outside the Church there is no salvation” is one that is constantly misinterpreted by those who won’t submit to the Magisterium of the Church. Faith does not depend upon our ability to reason to the truth but on our humility before the Truth presented to us by those to whom Christ entrusted that task. This is why the First Vatican Council taught that it is the task of the Magisterium ALONE to determine and expound the meaning of the Tradition – including “outside the Church no salvation.”

Concerning this doctrine the Pope of Vatican I, Pius IX, spoke on two different occasions. In an allocution (address to an audience) on December 9th, 1854 he said:

We must hold as of the faith, that out of the Apostolic Roman Church there is no salvation; that she is the only ark of safety, and whosoever is not in her perishes in the deluge; we must also, on the other hand, recognize with certainty that those who are invincible in ignorance of the true religion are not guilty for this in the eyes of the Lord. And who would presume to mark out the limits of this ignorance according to the character and diversity of peoples, countries, minds and the rest?

Again, in his encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore of 10 August, 1863 addressed to the Italian bishops, he said:

It is known to us and to you that those who are in invincible ignorance of our most holy religion, but who observe carefully the natural law, and the precepts graven by God upon the hearts of all men, and who being disposed to obey God lead an honest and upright life, may, aided by the light of divine grace, attain to eternal life; for God who sees clearly, searches and knows the heart, the disposition, the thoughts and intentions of each, in His supreme mercy and goodness by no means permits that anyone suffer eternal punishment, who has not of his own free will fallen into sin.

These statements are consistent with the understanding of the Church contained in the documents of Vatican II, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as explaining why the rigorist position of Fr. Feeney (that all must be actual members of the Catholic Church to be saved) has been condemned by the Magisterium. It is ironic that precisely those who know their obligation to remain united to the Magisterium, and thus on whom this doctrine is morally binding, keep themselves from union with the Roman See on this point.

Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL

Link

EWTN to air “Catholicism” series episodes that didn’t appear on PBS

EWTN will air the following six episodes of “Catholicism” per the schedule below:

• The Fire of His Love – Prayer and the Life of the Spirit: 9 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 16 and 4 p.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 3.
• Happy Are We – The Teachings of Jesus: 10 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 16 and 1 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 19
• A Body Both Suffering and Glorious – The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church: 11 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 16 and 2 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 19.
• World Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven – The Mystery of the Liturgy and the Eucharist: 11 p.m. ET, Thursday, Nov. 17 and 4 p.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 19, and 6 p.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 10.
• A Vast Company of Witnesses – The Communion of Saints: 10 p .m. ET, Friday, Nov. 18 and 5 p.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 19, and 11 p.m. ET, Dec. 11.
• World Without End – The Last Things: 11 p.m. ET, Friday, Nov. 18 and 6 p.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 19, and 10 p.m. ET, Dec. 17.

Link

Catholicism series with Father Robert Barron to debut this week.

Click to see times and stations

Perhaps Bishop Zurek could be invited to appear on EWTN to explain the rationale behind Father Pavone’s “suspension”.

In addition to suspending Pavone from ministry outside Amarillo, (bishop) Zurek has prohibited the activist priest from appearing on the Eternal Word Television Network, available to more than 160 million households worldwide. The independent nonprofit Catholic network based in Alabama is one of Pavone’s primary vehicles for spreading his pro-life message.

The bishop, Pavone’s backers say, has effectively muzzled one of the movement’s most recognized voices.

Zurek “has taken one of the most staunch pro-life leaders, one of the most effective ones, out of the battle and shut down his organization,” abortion foe and Pavone ally Mark Crutcher said on a recorded talk show uploaded to YouTube last week. “You can sugar coat it all you want to, but that’s what’s happening, and it’s outrageous.”

Link

Christopher Ferrara: EWTN knew all along that Father Corapi was “damaged goods”.

I feel nothing but contempt, however, for EWTN’s calculated decision to make Corapi a star knowing full well that he was damaged goods. Worse, having created this fallen celebrity, EWTN then proceeded to cover his fall as a news item on its pretend network news show, The World Over, on which Arroyo plays the role of anchorman. Sitting in EWTN’s cheesy imitation of a network news set, Arroyo interviewed a reporter from National Catholic Register about the Corapi affair as if he were covering breaking news of the day like any secular newsman, instead of a massive scandal for which EWTN itself is directly responsible. The people who run EWTN are so wrapped up in playing the game of “We’re a TV network just like the real ones!” that they have lost sight of their own complicity in making this troubled priest an integral part of the spiritual lives of millions of trusting Catholics.

But Corapi is only the latest in a long line of priests EWTN has turned into celebrities only to watch them crash and burn to the disillusionment of the faithful.

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EWTN viewers ticked off about dearth of Father Corapi programming

EWTN pulled Fr. Corapi’s programs following the priest’s announcement on Ash Wednesday that he has been publicly accused of drug abuse and sexual relationships with several women. Fr. Corapi has denied the allegations.

In the weeks since then, EWTN has come under intense criticism for its decision.

In his statement, Warsaw said that much of that criticism has been “shrill and uncharitable.” He said that many people have threatened to withhold donations and have made personal remarks attacking the network’s employees.

“When I see messages and web postings that malign the character and intentions of people who have served this mission for years, often at great personal sacrifice, I cannot allow those assertions to stand unanswered,” he said.

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Editor’s note: The nature and gravity of the unproven accusations against Father Corapi provide little justification for the arbitrarily cancellation of television programing that has served the Catholic faithful so well, for so long, and in so many ways.

Father Corapi (and thousands of faithful Catholics) deserve an expedited investigation.

I don’t know about you, but I miss my daily dose of Father Corapi!

His straight talk and expert preaching about all things Catholic is unique in today’s wishy-washy Catholic world … and his deep, baritone voice always serves as an authentic call to holiness.

Now that they too, have suspended him, I’m betting the ratings for EWTN have already “tanked”.

In any case, the quicker this thing gets investigated and completely resolved, the better!

This ain’t rocket science. Let’s get on with it … and let’s get Father Corapi back in business!

By the way, Immaculate Heart Radio is still running Father Corapi’s programs on the air … and over the internet.

The Fr. Corapi Hour will air Monday through Friday at 9am and encore at 5pm (PST).  A schedule of Father’s show by month will be available through the Immaculate Heart Radio website.

Click here to visit the site

Mother Angelica vs. the liberal Catholic bishops: A story for our times.

In 1978, her life was forever altered when she was introduced to a TV studio in Chicago. Instantly, she got the bug: she had to have one of her own. Then came the first of many disappointments dealing with the bishops. When she contacted them about a Catholic TV show, none replied. Undeterred, she secured funding from New York philanthropist Peter Grace, and in 1981 got a young lawyer and Catholic deacon, Bill Steltemeier, to craft a civil corporation called the Eternal Word Television Network. Bill would remain a loyal and talented ally throughout the tumultuous times to come.

When word reached Rome that a cloistered abbess was traveling the country in pursuit of her broadcasting dream, she ran into trouble with both American bishops and Vatican officials. But thanks to Cardinal Silvio Oddi, head of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, she prevailed.

It was never easy. Every time Mother Angelica thought she was in the clear, another bishop would raise objections to her venture. Indeed, the bishops tried to outdo her by launching their own effort, the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America (CTNA). It was clear from the beginning that Mother Angelica was seen as a threat: EWTN had a traditional orientation and CTNA took a modernist stance. EWTN won. CTNA collapsed.

It was not easy for the bishops to watch their own creation flounder while EWTN won the admiration of Pope John Paul II. Adding to their chagrin was their inability to get Mother Angelica to switch to a new interfaith satellite network. As to her own operations, Mother Angelica did not take kindly to those clerics who questioned her authority to showcase some bishops, but not others. “I happen to own the network,” she instructed. When told that this would not be forever, she let loose: “I’ll blow the damn thing up before you get your hands on it.”

In 1989, a report by the bishops complained that EWTN rejected “one out of every three programs submitted by the bishops conference.” The bishops and Mother Angelica were clearly on a collision course: she had no tolerance for the theological dissidence that was tolerated by many bishops and their staff. The last straw came when the bishops conference sent a show to be aired featuring a cleric promising female ordination under the next pope.

The dissent, whether voiced by the Catholic Theological Society of America, or by feminist nuns who favored gender-neutral language in the Catholic Catechism, distressed Mother badly. She even had to endure being lobbied to push for “inclusive” language in the Catechism by the likes of “conservatives” such as Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston. That he failed should surprise no one.

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10 Bible Verses That Sent Marcus Grodi On His “Journey Home” To the Catholic Church.

Last night I watched a recording that I made of one of Marcus Grodi’s programs years ago, on “Coming Home” on EWTN. It was very good.

He was a Protestant preacher for 9 years, until he heard former Presbyterian minister (now Catholic theologian) Scott Hahn, give a talk.

Marcus said it was 10 verses of the Bible that he had never seen, or never before understood, that caused him to resign from his Protestant ministry and become Catholic.

He did a lot of expanding on each of the verses, about things that he had completely missed, every time he passed through them, before. On some, I add the “gist” of what he said.

Here are those 10 verses:

1. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all ways, think on Him, and He will direct your ways.” Trust in the Lord and not your interpretation.

2. 1Timothy 3:14-15, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth”. What? The Church is the pillar of truth … and not the Bible?

3. 2Timothy 3:14-17, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. What? Only the Old Testament? (No New Testament scripture had yet been defined by the Church.)

4. 2Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. ” Gee … I always thought they were all just man made traditions … but some (many) came from Jesus and the Apostles.

5. Matthew 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare’a Philip’pi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” Mat 16:14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli’jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Mat 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Mat 16:16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. Mat 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. Mat 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” What? Jesus originally said these words in Aramaic. Not Greek. So, Saint Peter really is “the Rock” …  and not just the Protestant’s favorite “little pebble”.

6. Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” What? Their deeds follow them? I taught (for nine years) that works are of no value.

7. Romans 10:14 But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? Rom 10:15 And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” Sent? Well I was sent by so and so  … but who sent him???

8. John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 6:56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. These 2 verses go together. OK I will abide in Him. How do I abide in Him? What? Through the Holy Eucharist? You mean it is not (just) a symbol? It’s the real presence of Jesus Christ!

9. Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. What? His Body is the Church and He needs us to complete what is lacking? (God kindly remembers to include the good works and prayers of the faithful, in his ongoing plan for our salvation.)

10. Luke 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, Luke 1:47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Luke 1:48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. What? I never gave Mary much of a thought, except at Christmas … and I never called her blessed.

Submitted by Bob Stanley

Expanded Children’s Programming on EWTN’s Website

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Canton celebrates Mother Angelica’s legacy

On Saturday, speakers, such as Raymond Arroyo, EWTN news director and host of the “The World Over,” recalled stories, often humorous, about Mother Angelica, while Deacon Bill Steltemeier, EWTN CEO and President Michael Warsaw and the Franciscan Friars answered questions from the audience on topics that included how they got their religious names, future network programming, proper dress for Catholics and words of comfort to those whose parishes are consolidating.

EWTN Spokeswoman Michelle Johnson estimated that roughly 2,000 people had attended the celebration as of Saturday afternoon. Parking lots surrounding the Civic Center were full of vehicles with out-of-town license plates, such as New York, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. At least four hotels were sold out due to the event.

Mother Angelica, now 87 and in poor health, did not attend the celebration, but Warsaw told the audience that she was listening on her radio in Alabama and assured her that she was in the prayers of everyone who gathered just blocks away from the Liberty Avenue SE home she knew as a child.

Warsaw recounted a quote by Mother Angelica, saying “That unless we are willing to do the ridiculous, God cannot accomplish the miraculous.”

Link

Seen on the web: The difference between people…

The difference between people is that there are sinners on the one hand and repentant sinners on the other.

– Dr. Richard Geraghty, EWTN Catholic Q&A Philosophy Forum

The Catholic Church: Builder of Civilization – Episode 1, Preview

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