Mother Angelica

The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles

By: Raymond Arroyo

Narrated by: Raymond Arroyo

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The extraordinary saga of Mother Angelica--who passed away on Easter, 2016--founder of the multimillion-dollar Eternal Word Television Network and “the most influential Catholic woman in America” according to Time magazine

In 1981, the year after Ted Turner founded CNN, a simple nun, using merely her entrepreneurial instincts and $200, launched what would become the world’ s largest religious media empire in the garage of a Birmingham, Alabama, monastery. Under her guidance, the Eternal Word Television Network grew at a staggering pace, both in viewership and in influence, to where it now reaches over a hundred million viewers in hundreds of countries around the globe.

Born Rita Rizzo in Canton, Ohio, in 1923, Mother Angelica was abandoned by her father and raised in poverty by a mother who suffered from suicidal depressions. As a young woman, Rita developed severe abdominal pain that doctors dismissed as a “nervous condition,” but when she sought the prayers of a local mystic, her symptoms disappeared. Awakened to the power of prayer, she vowed to dedicate her life to God and became a cloistered nun, expecting to spend her life hidden from the world. But Rita’s faith soon compelled her to unlikely endeavors, from establishing a monastery in Alabama to starting the world’s first Catholic cable network. Relying solely on “God’s providence,” Mother Angelica built an empire without concern for budgets or fund-raising campaigns, achieving what even the highest levels of the Catholic Church had been unable to do.

Raymond Arroyo combines his journalist’ s objectivity and eye for detail with more than five years of exclusive interviews with Mother Angelica. He traces Mother Angelica’s tortured rise to success and exposes for the first time the fierce opposition she faced, both inside and outside of her church. It is an inspiring story of survival and proof that one woman’s faith can move more than mountains.

Critic reviews

“This is some woman. What a wonderful story Raymond Arroyo has written—wonderful because it’s true, because he got the facts, because she chose him to tell them, and because he’s a born storyteller.”—Peggy Noonan, author of When Character Was King

“Raymond Arroyo masterfully captures the complexities, humanity, and tenacity of Mother Angelica, who has long been one of my own personal heroes. The founder of the Eternal Word Television Network, Mother Angelica is a woman who dared to dream, to stand up for what she believed in, and whose faith showed that anything is possible. In Arroyo’s hands, she becomes someone you wish you had the opportunity to know and love. Read this book and believe.”—New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks

“Mother Angelica’s personal words to me, her courageous example, and her constant prayers helped inspire my portrayal of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ. No one could have captured the essence of this modern-day saint better than Raymond Arroyo. His narrative gifts and understanding of Mother are clearly evident in this truthful and often candid depiction of one nun’s struggle to bring God to the multitudes. Surely this book, and Mother’s life will have an incredible enduring legacy.”—James Caviezel, actor

“Mother Angelica is one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time, and is truly one of my heroes. With his ‘insider’ perspective, Raymond Arroyo has done a masterful job capturing not only Mother’s immeasurable accomplishments but also her remarkable personality. Like Mother herself, this book has the unique combination of being both inspiring and entertaining.”—Thomas S. Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and chancellor of Ave Maria University

“A rattling good story of fear, faith, courage, and bulldog tenacity, beautifully told. The drama of Mother Angelica’s life is a powerful reminder that the extraordinary lies just beyond the ordinary—if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.”—George Weigel, author of Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II

Awesome.

Ii cannot say enough good things about this book. Mother Angelica and her life story is incredible. I laughed, I cried, and I am deeply inspired by her life and beautiful soul. This book was perfectly written and read by the author and I am grateful for his insight and admiration for her mission and for sharing this treasure of information. Thank you!

An excellent story of a wonderful and saintly woman

This is an excellent biography. Well written and well performed. I had seen Mother on TV for many years but never knew all of her story. She was a wonderful woman and deserves to be a saint. EWTN helped me convert to Catholism and I thank Mother for getting me here!

Fascinating!

A great and inspiring story expertly told by the author. I also own the print edition but the Audible version is my new favorite.

Listened to this at least 3x now

I’m in constant awe of what this woman did and continues to do for us. Thank you to Raymond Arroyo whose story telling skills left me at the edge of my seat every chapter! The performers read the book so well, I felt like I was there side by side with all the people involved. I am so proud of your work, Mr. Arroyo, may God bless you and your family! It has all the drama, creases and wrinkles of the Catholic Church, as well as the immense beauty of the church that the Lord built for us.

Just buy it

I always saw Mother Angelica as the old nun on TV. This flipped that idea on its head. Unbelievable story with the best narration I’ve heard on an audiobook.

Entertainingly Insightful

Mother Angelica had such an outstanding life. My husband had a great conversion thanks to EWTN, so I'm thankful to know more about the woman behind it. May we all have the nerve to do God's will like she did! Great narration by the author!

Fantastic Stories of the life of an Amazing Woman.

An absolutely excellent story 5⭐️ the Audio at points is a bit over the top at times even cartoonish 2.5⭐️

A must read about the amazing Mother Angelica 

Raymond Arroyo has done a wonderful job sharing the life of Mother Angelica. His reading of his book is wonderful as he brings Mother Angelica to life. Raymond, my sincere thanks for your sharing of this story.

Faith, Hope, Determination, Love of Jesus

I have been an avid watcher of EWTN since 2008 and I thought I had heard every Mother Angelica story, but this book surprised me. There was so much that I didn't know about this truly remarkable and strong woman that most of the time I listen to the book with my mouth open and tears in my eyes. The strength of her love of Jesus is an inspiration to me and should be to anyone, Catholic or not, that needs a "Kick in the pants" to revive their faith and conviction.

Raymond Arroyo did an absolutely remarkable job writing And researching this book. Even though he works the network, the work that he has done on this biography should be admired by all. His narration skills are second to none! He is able to convey seriousness, sensitivity, and humor, and his presentation is mesmerizing. One should also remember that his ability to mimic the voices of the people involved is absolutely perfect.

Even though I knew the end of the story, I dreaded getting to the end because I wanted more.

God Bless Mother Angelica, and everyone at EWTN, as well as those responsible for this book, you have given the world a great treasure and a fitting remembrance of a truly remarkable, and Saintly ( soon, God willing) woman.

Outstanding Dramatization

Amazingly written and love the dramatization! You can feel the love and respect Raymond Arroyo has for Mother Angelica. Oh how I wish I was able to listen to her live programs while she was still living. Thank you Mr.Arroyo for writing her biography, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook.