♪ >> THEN, HE SAID, I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. ♪ Fr. Pacwa: WELCOME TO THIS SHOW AND MEMORIUM OF MOTHER ANGELICA. AND WE ARE SO GLAD TO BE WITH YOU TO SHARE WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED. ALL OF YOU HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES OF HAVING SOMETIMES HAVING SEEN MOTHER ANGELICA. MANY OF YOU GOT TO MEET HER BECAUSE SHE WAS SO WILLING TO GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND OF COURSE, MOST OF YOU WATCHING US TONIGHT HAVE WATCHED THE PROGRAMS. A NUMBER OF US ARE HERE THIS EVENING BECAUSE WE ALSO, NOT JUST GOT TO WORK WITH HER, IT WAS NOT WORKING WITH HER. IT WAS JUST HANGING OUT WITH HER AND LETTING HER WORK US! AND THAT WAS OFTENTIMES THE CASE. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THESE MEMORIES WITH YOU. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT YOU KNOW WELL. MARCUS GRODI, WELCOME FROM OHIO. GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE. AND MICHAEL WARSAW, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NETWORK, CEO OF THE NETWORK. AND ALSO, WE HAVE DOUG KECK WHO IS PRESIDENT AND COO OF THE NETWORK. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING RAYMOND ARROYO JOINING US AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WE MET EARLIER THIS MORNING AND WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN. HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO STIR UP A LOT. MICHAEL, YOU WANT TO START? >> WELL, WE TALKED THIS MORNING AND THINK IT BEARS REPEATING. IT'S THE COMMON THEME THAT COMES UP INTO SO MUCH OF THE REACTION OF MOTHER'S PASSING. THE JOY OF HER PASSING ON EASTER SUNDAY. YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THIS WAS SUCH A GIFT, A GIFT TO MOTHER TO BE WELCOMED HOME INTO THE ARMS OF THE FATHER ON THE GREATEST DAY OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR, THE FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION, I THINK, IS JUST A TREMENDOUS BLESSING FOR HER. AND ALSO, IT'S A GIFT TO US. IT'S A GIFT TO US THAT I THINK SHOWS US GOD'S LOVE AND MERCY. AND IN SOME WAYS, PERHAPS HIS FAVOR FOR MOTHER. THIS ONE FINAL GIFT, PERHAPS AFFIRMATION OF THE LIFE THAT MOTHER LIVED IN SERVICE TO HIM. GIVING EVERYTHING SHE HAD FOR HIM AND TO HIM. AND THINK THAT'S A GREAT JOY FOR US. SURE, IT'S SAD AND CERTAINLY WE'RE SORROWFUL TO LOSE MOTHER. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE GREAT COMFORT AND GREAT JOY IN HOW THIS LAST MOMENT, THIS LAST CHAPTER OF WHAT'S REMARKABLE, REMARKABLE STORY HAS ENDED. >> Father Pacwa: YOU ALSO MENTION THIS HAD MORNING THAT GOOD FRIDAY WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FOR HER. >> YES, INDEED. MOTHER SUFFERED GREATLY ON GOOD FRIDAY. THE NUNS WERE WITH HER AND THE FRIARS WERE WITH HER THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND SHE SUFFERED EXCRUCIATING PAIN AS THE DAY WENT ON AND REALLY I'M TOLD BY THE 3:00 HOUR, SHORTLY THEREAFTER THAT SHE FOUND SOME PEACE AND SETTLED DOWN. SO, THERE WAS THE THOUGHT OF COURSE BY THE NUNS AND ALL OF US THAT PERHAPS MOTHER WAS GOING TO PASS AWAY ON GOOD FRIDAY. BUT THE LORD ALLOWED HER TO REMAIN WITH US FOR ANOTHER TWO DAYS UNTIL EASTER SUNDAY. >> Father Pacwa: AND THINK IT'S GOOD FOR FOLKS TO KNOW, WE'VE ALL GOTTEN TO VISIT HER AT DIFFERENT TIMES. AND FOR THE MOST PART, IN THE LAST 14 YEARS OF, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THIS SUFFERING, SHE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF PAIN IN THE LAST YEAR. SO, SHE WAS REALLY VERY BRIGHT LOOKING AND SHE LOOKED, FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS BED RIDDEN, YOU COULD SAY SHE LOOKED HEALTHY EXCEPT WEAK. >> SURE. >> Father Pacwa: WOULDN'T THAT BE -- >> ABSOLUTELY. AND THINK WHEN YOU WERE WITH HER, SHE WAS RADIANT. SHE LOOKED WONDERFUL. AND SHE LOOKED PROBABLY 10 OR 15 YEARS YOUNGER THAN HER AGE. AND YOU COULD JUST SEE, AS THE YEARS WENT ON AS THE YEARS WENT ON, THE PURIFICATION, THAT THE SUFFERING SHE HAD GONE THROUGH OF BEING WITHOUT HER VOICE, OF BEING SORT OF CONFINED THERE WITHIN HERSELF, WHICH WAS A TREMENDOUS CROSS. TO THINK OF MOTHER ANGELICA WHO SAT HERE ON THIS STAGE, IN THAT CHAIR, FOR SO MANY YEARS, SO WITTY SO GLIB, SO PROFOUND AND AS A RESULT OF THAT STROKE AND CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE, TO LOSE THAT CAPACITY TO SPEAK AND EVEN TO WRITE WORDS, YOU KNOW, EVEN SILENCED WAS A GREAT, GREAT CROSS TO HER. AND WHAT WAS SUCH A GREAT WITNESS THROUGHOUT WAS TO SEE, ALL THINGS, GOOD AND BAD. SHE ACCEPTED IT AS A GIFT FROM GOD AND SHE OFFERED THAT, WHAT HAD TO BE TREMENDOUS PAIN IN THOSE YEARS. FOR EWTN, FOR THE FAMILY, FOR THE SISTERS AND FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WERE PART OF HER LIFE. AND THAT'S SUCH A GREAT WITNESS, GREAT TESTIMONY TO US. >> Father Pacwa: IN THESE YEARS, THERE'S NO TIME THAT I VISITED, THAT I COULD EVER SAY SHE WAS BITTER ABOUT IT. I NEVER SENSED THAT AT ALL. I NEVER SENSED THAT AT ALL. >> NEVER. TREMENDOUSLY. AND THINK IN THE EARLY YEARS, WHERE SHE WAS FRUSTRATED. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE SO DESPERATELY WANTED TO SAY, TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, I OFTEN HAD THAT SENSE THAT SOMETIMES SHE WOULD TAKE YOUR HAND, HOLD YOUR HAND AND THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING SHE WANTED TO TELL YOU AND SHE JUST COULDN'T EXPRESS IT. EVEN THAT, AS TIME WENT ON A AND TIME PASSED, SHE BRACED THAT AND OFFERED IT UP. AND YOU SAW HER, AS I SAID, LOOK YOUNGER AND MORE RADIANT THAN HER YEARS AS THAT PURIFICATION WAS GOING ON, THAT SHE WENT THROUGH. >> Father Pacwa: AND I LOVED IT HOW THE SISTERS WOULD BRING OUT, SHE STILL ENJOYED HER HUMOR. FOR INSTANCE, FOR RECREATION, THEY WOULD PLAY DVDs OF "I LOVE LUCY". AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I GOT TO MEET WHO WAS REALLY KIND KNEW LUCY AND GOT SOME SPECIAL EDITION OF OTHER "I LOVE LUCY" SHOWS. AND I SAID, WELL, SHE LIKES THAT. I'M GOING TO GET HER SOME JACK BENNY. AND THE REASON I THOUGHT OF JACK BENNY WAS THAT HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS COMEDIC TIMING. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. SO WAS SHE. AND I FIGURED THERE WAS, WOULD BE A PERFECT THING. AND THE NUNS HAD TO CUT HER OFF. SHE WAS LAUGHING SO HARD. AND WHEN SHE WATCHED JACK BENNY, THEY SAID SHE WAS CHOKING AND THEY HAD TO CUT HER OFF. BUT SHE MAINTAINED HUMOR THROUGH THIS. AND SHE WAS THE OPPOSITE OF BITTERNESS THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY BE TEMPTED TO. >> AND THE SPIRIT WAS THERE. EVEN THOUGH SHE COULDN'T SAY IT, YOU KNEW FROM THE TWINKLE IN HER EYES THAT YOU COULD SEE THAT SMILE. AND SORT OF THAT MISCHIEVOUS PART OF HER PERSONALITY THAT WAS STILL THERE. >> Father Pacwa: MAYBE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF LUCY IN HER! >> ABSOLUTELY. I REMEMBER BEING THERE FOR ONE TIME, IT WAS A PRESENTATION. AND SO THERE WAS A VISITING BISHOP. AND THERE WAS A PLAQUE AND WE WENT INTO HER CELL. AND I WAS HOLDING THE PLAQUE AND LOOKING RIGHT AT HER. AND THE BISHOP STARTED GOING ON AND WAXING ELOQUENT ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT MOTHER HAD DONE. GOING ON AND ON. IT WAS REALLY LOVELY AND IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, MOTHER ANGELICA LOOKED UP AT ME AND JUST ROLLED HER EYES. [LAUGHTER] IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SHE HAD HAD ENOUGH AND SHE WANTED TO MOVE ON. BUT THAT SENSE OF HUMOR, THAT MISCHIEVOUS SIDE, THAT PLAYFUL SIDE THAT SHE HAD WAS ALWAYS THERE. AND -- >> Father Pacwa: LIKE I SAID, LIKE MOST WOMEN OF OUR SPECIES, SHE ALWAYS HAD THE LOOK. SO, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE. NOW, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD? >> WELL, I WAS THINKING ABOUT, WHEN WE TALKED EARLIER, ABOUT HER AS A WITNESS. SO MUCH OF HER SUFFERING. THE WAY SHE WAS IN PUBLIC, EVEN WHEN SHE HAD THE STROKE AND SHE ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE ON TELEVISION. AND SHE WAS WILLING TO DO THAT, PUT HERSELF OUT THERE. AND THINK EVERYTHING SHE DID OVER THE YEARS, AS RAY RECOUNTS IN THE BOOK, TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE TO COME DOWN SOUTH. EVERYTHING KIND OF CONTRA INDICATES WHAT YOU DO. AND OVERCOMING AND SEEING WHAT EVERYBODY SAID. YOU COULDN'T SUCCEED BECAUSE SHE PUT HER FAITH IN GOD. AND IN OUR LORD. AND IN A SENSE, AT THE SAME TIME, SHE HAD HER OWN FIAT THAT SHE WOULD DO, LIKE OUR LADY. AND LIKE OUR LADY, SHE ALWAYS POINTED TO JESUS AS BEING WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. AND I THINK, IN THAT WAY, IT WAS ALWAYS, SHE'S JUST A GREAT WITNESS. >> Father Pacwa: MARCUS, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING IN FROM OHIO. COMING FOR THIS, WHICH WAS VERY SUDDEN. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO -- >> WELL, I WAS NOT PART OF THE INNER CIRCLE AS SO MANY OF YOU WERE WITH MOTHER. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING HER OVER THE 20 YEARS WHEN I CAME DOWN TO DO THE SHOW. AND I GOT TO KNOW HER. AND SHE ALWAYS TREATED ME LIKE A SPECIAL FRIEND. WE HAD THAT SPECIAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. I REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WAS WITH HER, I WAS VISITING HER FIVE YEARS AGO, IT WAS WITH TWO BISHOPS. AND THE WHOLE TIME THAT THEY WERE TALKING WITH THEIR HUGENESS, SHE WAS HOLDING MY HAND AND SQUEEZING IT, LIKE, WE'LL JUST PUT UP WITH THIS AS LONG AS WE NEED TO. AND THE SMILE ON HER FACE. AND GO ON. AND BOTH OF YOU SAID, WHEN I TRY TO THINK OF HOW TO SUMMARIZE MOTHER, SHE IS THERE SIGN OF MYSTERY OF GOD'S GRACE. AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ANYTHING THAT CALLED HER, EMPOWERED HER AND GAVE HER THE INSPIRATION AND ALL OF THAT. BUT THE MYSTERY IS, SHE ALWAYS HAD THE FREEDOM TO RESPOND. SO, WHEN WE THINK OF HER, WE SEE THE WORK OF GOD AND HER FREEDOM TO RESPOND AND DEDICATE HER WHOLE LIFE IN RESPONSE TO THAT GRACE. EVERYTHING WAS THAT MIXTURE. SO IT WAS A REMINDER FOR US, UTILIZING THE GRACE FOR THE GOOD OF GOD AND SHE DEDICATED THAT TO BE A WITNESS FOR THAT. SHE DID NOT LOOK 92. ALL THE TIME I KNEW HER. SHE LOOKED YOUNGER THAN HER YEARS. AND THEN ON THE ROAD, I WOULD BE GIVING LECTURES, HOW DOES SHE DO IT. WHAT'S HER SECRET AND I SAID TO HER ONE TIME. MOTHER, WE'RE ON THE AIR. AND I SAID, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR SECRET IS FOR LOOKING SO YOUNG. AND SHE HAD TOO. FIRST OF ALL, I NEVER USE SOAP. I ALWAYS JUST USE WATER SO I DON'T DRY OUT MY SKIN. SECONDLY, I KEEP IT FAT ENOUGH SO IT'S PUFFED OUT. [LAUGHTER] AND THEY CAN'T SEE THE WRINKLES. AND ALSO, SHE SAID NO HUSBAND, NO KID, SO, THEREFORE, NO WORRY. AND SO, DOUG WOULD YOU GIVE OUR AUDIENCE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR HER FUNERAL. >> Doug: RIGHT. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE OUR WEB SITE, ewtn.com FORWARD SLASH MOTHER ANGELICA. AND THERE'S LOCAL EVENTS HAPPENING AT THE EWTN CHAPEL. TOMORROW, MASS -- MASS IS AT 7:00 AM CENTRAL TIME. 8:00 EASTERN. AND THEN THERE'S A 10:00 HOLY HOUR, CENTRAL TIME AS WELL. COME BY. WE HAVE A SPECIAL LIVE SHOW WITH THE FRIARS AND PEOPLE HERE FOR TONIGHT'S SHOW. AND WE INVITE THEM TO COME TO THAT. AND FRIARS ARE GOING TO BE DEDICATED REMEMBERING THEIR ROSARY AND FOLLOWED BY THE ROSARY 8:30PM, CENTRAL TO IT. AND WE HAVE A ROSARY TONIGHT. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH MOTHER ANGELICA, IN THE GENERAL AREA, AND YOU WANT TO COME BY THE CHAPEL TONIGHT, AFTER THE PROGRAM, THE FRIARS ARE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL ROSARY FOR MOTHER. AND WEDNESDAY AGAIN, THE MASS AT 7:00 AM CENTRAL TIME. AND THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 2:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, CENTRAL TIME. AND THEN, THURSDAY, THERE'S THE MASS AT 7:00 AM AND HOLY HOUR AS WELL. AGAIN, FOR ALL OF THE EVENTS, FORWARD/ON THE WEB SITE, ewtn.com/MOTHER ANGELICA. >> AND WE'LL BROADCAST THIS AGAIN AND WHEN THE VISITATION AND ROSARY, IT'S GOING TO BE UP AT THE SHRINE IN HANCEVILLE. WILL PEOPLE BE ABLE TO COME, PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITORS BE ABLE TO COME TO THE FUNERAL? THE FUNERAL ADMISSION OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE THE SHRINE HAS LIMITED SEATING. WE'LL HAVE AVAILABLE SEATING IN THE PIAZZA AND YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR THE PEOPLE TO SEE THE MASS THERE IN THE PIAZZA AND TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE COMMUNION. AND AT THE END OF THE FUNERAL MASS, MOTHER'S BODY WILL BE CARRIED OUT OF THE SHRINE, OUT INTO THE PIAZZA AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A PROCESSION THROUGH THE PIAZZA TAKING HER BACK INTO THE CRYPT CHURCH, THE PLACE WHERE SHE'S GOING TO BE INTERRED. >> Father Pacwa: AND THAT INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE ON THE WEB SITE. >> RIGHT. THERE'S A VIEWING ON THURSDAY. AND IT'S ALL THERE ON OUR SCHEDULE. ewtn.com/motherangelica. >> Father Pacwa: WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK, BE BACK IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WE HAVE MORE GUESTS COMING ON AND MORE CONVERSATION. WE WANT YOU TO JOIN IN AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR CALLS, AND ALSO WE'LL READ SOME OF THE MESSAGES THAT YOU HAVE SENT TO US. PLEASE, STAY WITH US! ♪ >> LAST NIGHT I RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE THE INDWELLING, WHY DO YOU NEED THE EUCHARIST. WELL, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT. THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I AM ITALIAN, YOU KNOW, ANGER ME. SO, HERE I AM, SITTING AND TRYING TO KEEP MY BAPTISMAL INNOCENCE. [LAUGHTER] >> DID YOU ACHIEVE IT? >> I DON'T KNOW. ♪ ♪ >> NOW, I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED. I HOPE IT'S THE SPIRIT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I LOOK IN THAT CAMERA. AND I SEE PEOPLE DESPERATE, PEOPLE IN HOSPITALS, PEOPLE CRYING. PEOPLE WHO ARE GOOD PEOPLE AND WANT TO SAY, HEY, HOW DO I GET CLOSE TO GOD. HOW DO I BEAR WITH THE CROSSES THAT I HAVE. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND. IF I SEE THAT, THEN SOMETHING COMES BECAUSE I FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE. ♪ >> Father Pacwa: WELCOME BACK TO OUR SPECIAL SHOW IN MEMORIAM OF MOTHER ANGELICA AND WE'RE TALKING HERE IN THE STUDIO IN IRONDALE. AND NOW, WE WANT TO BRING IN RAYMOND ARROYO AT THE STUDIO IN WASHINGTON. RAYMOND, ARE YOU THERE? >> Raymond: I'M HERE, FATHER. >> Father Pacwa: FATHER GREAT. RAYMOND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE OF WRITING A BIOGRAPHY THAT SHE WANTED YOU TO WORK. AND SHE WORKED CLOSELY WITH YOU ON IT. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF IT IS SHE MADE YOU AN OFFER IF YOU COULDN'T REFUSE. AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. [LAUGHTER] >> RAYMOND: YOU KNOW, WHAT I LOVED ABOUT MOTHER, YOU HEARD IT IN THAT CLIP. IF YOU WANT THE SECRET WHY MOTHER ANGELICA RESONATED TODAY AND FOR YEARS FROM NOW, PEOPLE WILL STILL BE LISTENING TO HER AND STILL BEING MOVED AND CHANGED BY WHAT SHE SAID. SHE LOOKED INTO THE CAMERA AND WAITED FOR GOD TO GIVE HER THE MESSAGE THAT NEEDED HER, NEEDED THAT VOICE AND THAT MOMENT. AND BECAUSE OF HER TORTURED BACKGROUND, DEPRIVED CHILDHOOD, PAIN IN HER LIFE, SHE DEEPLY UNDERSTOOD. SHE DIDN'T HAVE A GUESS IT. IT WAS NOT SOMETHING TO BE LOOKED AT FROM ASKANCE OR AFAR. SHE DEEPLY UNDERSTOOD SUFFERING, AND ON A HUMAN LEVEL AND RAISED IT TO A SPIRITUAL LEVEL AND GAVE PEOPLE SUCH HOPE AND DID IT JUST AS SPEAKING, THAT GIRL FROM THE STREET, RITA RIZZO. AND SHE TOLD ME WHEN WE STARTED THE PROCESS, I SAID I- WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR OF OUR TIME TOGETHER AND PUT A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH TOGETHER. AND SHE SAID, WHY WOULD WE DO THAT. AND I SAID, WELL, I'M NOT CAPABLE OF A FULL SCALE BIOGRAPHY. I'VE NEVER DONE THAT. AND SHE SAID, IF YOU, LOOK, IF YOU FEEL GOD IS CALLING YOU, YOU STEP ONE STEP AT A TIME AND THE GRACE COMES. AND BEING AFRAID IS NOT A PROBLEM. DOING NOTHING WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID, THAT'S THE PROBLEM. SO, KIND OF TOOK THE BULL BY THE HORNS. WE RAN WHICH IT. AND SHE WAS, COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE OPEN IN TYPICAL MOTHER ANGELICA FASHION. THERE WERE NO PROMISES. ALL SHE SAID IS, LET'S START AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SO, WE STARTED DOING INTERVIEWS EVERY SATURDAY. AND I WOULD MEET HER AFTER THE LIVE SHOW ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AND I SAW HER ON TUESDAY NIGHTS. AND WE TALKED AT TIMES THROUGHOUT WEEK ONTO PHONE. AND SLOWLY WORKED OUR WAY THROUGH HER LIFE, REVISITING MOMENTS THAT SHE REMEMBERED AND SOME SHE DIDN'T. AND SHE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE HONEST IN THE THREE YEARS OF INTERVIEWS. BUT SHE GAVE ME THAT CAUTIONARY WARNINGS. PLEASE DON'T SUGAR COAT THE TALES. I HATE SUGAR COATED I WANT THE REAL TRUTH AND REAL ME AND I WISH YOU 40 YEARS IN PURGATORY IF YOU SUGAR COAT IT. SO, JUST TO STAY OUT OF PURGATORY, I TRIED TO TELL THE FULL STORY. AND THIS WEEK, I THOUGHT I WAS READY BECAUSE MOTHER HAS BEEN SO SICK FOR SO LONG. AND IT HAS REALLY AMBUSHED ME LAST NIGHT, IN WAYS THAT I NEVER EXPECTED. THE MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK AND THE THINGS THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE SAID COME BACK. BUT SHE REALLY WAS, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, I THINK YOU HAVE TO SAY, MOTHER WAS A WITNESS TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND SHE TOLD ME FROM HER OWN LIPS, THAT'S HOW SHE SAW HER LIFE. AND I THINK SHE'S RIGHT. EVERY MOMENT, SHE TRUSTED IN A RADICAL WAY. AND LOOK AT WHAT SHE CREATED. THIS FAMILY GATHERED RIGHT NOW, NONE OF US WOULD BE KNOWN, FRANKLY BUT FOR MOTHER ANGELICA. >> Father Pacwa: AND I OFTEN REMEMBER ONE OF HER GREAT LINES. SHE SAID IT LOTS OF TIMES WHERE SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, HONEY, I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH. MY STOMACH JUST DOESN'T KNOW IT YET. THAT SHE COULD BE DEALING WITH THE REALITY, FEEL NERVOUS AND SCARED. BUT SHE ALSO MAINTAINED HER FAITH BUT SHE WOULD DEAL WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE REALITY OF WHO SHE WAS AND WHAT SHE WENT THROUGH AND JUST KEPT PLUGGING ALONG. >> Raymond: YEAH, I MISS THE FUN. I MISS HER SPARKLE. AND SHEET A BITE, A BITING WIT. AND YOU KNOW, MOTHER DID NOT SUFFER FOOLS. AND THINK MAYBE I BROUGHT OUT SOME OF THAT. AND I REGULARLY SAW AND HEARD, SHE WOULD SNAP AT ME IN TIMES, OTHERS IN MY PRESENCE. AND I DICTATE IT IN GLEE, THOUGH. YOU KNOW, SHE REMINDED ME OF MY GRANDMOTHER, WOMEN THAT I GREW UP WITH. AND I SO ENJOYED BEING IN HER COMPANY AND TALKED TO HER, EVEN WHEN SHE COULD NO LONGER CONVERSE, IN SIZE OR SQUEEZES OF THE HAND, YOU KNOW, IN THE BATTING OF HER EYES. THAT'S HOW WE COMMUNICATED IN THE LAST YEARS. BUT IT WAS NO LESS PROFOUND AND CERTAINLY FOR ME. AND I MISS HER PRESENCE. I DO MISS HER PRESENCE. BUT I KNOW SHE'S FREE. AND IT WAS ONE OF THE GREAT HALLMARKS OF HER LIFE. SHE ALWAYS SAID, LOOK, WE HAVE TO BE FREE. FREE TO DO WHAT GOD CALLS US TO DO. FREE TO BE WHO HE CREATED US TO BE. AND I KNOW SHE IS EXPERIENCING THAT FREEDOM NOW. I'M SURE OF IT. DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD BE PRESUMPTUOUS AND NOT PRAY FOR HER SOUL YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING WHAT SHE HAS GIVEN. >> Father Pacwa: SHE TOLD US TO! THAT WAS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS SHE DID NOT WANT. SHE SAID, MAKE SURE YOU PRAY FOR ME. BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS FELT SHE NEEDED IT. SHE WAS WELL AWARE OF HER OWN FAULTS. OR OF EVERYBODY ELSE'S FAULTS TOO AND SHE WOULD TELL THEM TOO. AND SHE WAS AWARE OF HER OWN FAULTS AND WANTED ALL OF OUR PRAYERS. I DON'T KNOW, RAYMOND, IF YOU KNEW THIS, BUT TODAY THE MARONITE RITE IS CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION. AND IT WAS SO STRIKING TO ME LAST NIGHT. I JUST FINISHED EVENING PRAYER OF THE ANNUNCIATION IN THE MARONITE LITURGICAL BOOK. AND AS I GOT OFF THE PLANE SOON AFTER THAT, AND THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT. AND I THOUGHT, IT'S DOUBLY COOL THAT SHE DIED ON EASTER. BUT ALSO, AT LEAST THE MARONITE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION BECAUSE SHE'S MOTHER ANGELICA OF THE ANNUNCIATION. THAT'S HER FULL NAME. A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW. SO, IT WAS KIND OF NEAT TO SEE THAT GOING ON AS WELL, TO OFFER THE MARONITE LITURGY FOR HER TODAY AND THE ANNUNCIATION FEAST THAT WE CELEBRATE. IT WAS ANOTHER ELEMENT OF THOSE COOL THINGS. AND YOUR BOOK REALLY BRINGS OUT SO WELL. >> Raymond: AS A MATTER OF FACT SHE HAD THAT -- GO AHEAD. >> Father Pacwa: AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SAY, I KNOW THAT YOU LOVED ABOUT THAT BOOK WAS THE PICTURE OF HER AS A DRUM MAJORETTE! [LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW, RITA RIZZO. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE ENTERTAINER. THAT WAS PART OF THE SASS THAT WAS PART OF MOTHER. AND THERE'S CERTAIN PHOTOS I CAME ACROSS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, EVEN LATE INTO OLD AGE, GIVING YOU THAT SIDEWAYS GLANCE, THAT KNOWING LOOK, I'M ON TO YOU, PAL. AND SHE HAD THAT THROUGHOUT HER LIFE. YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN SHE WAS CONFINED TO HER BED. AND SHE WAS IN BED. AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAME TO VISIT, SHE WAS PLAYING POSSUM AND SHE WOULD BE SLEEPING. AND SO AND SO HAS BEEN SLEEPING AND SINCE SHE ARRIVED. GO IN AND YOU CAN GO SAY HELLO. AND I WOULD GO IN AND THE PERSON WOULD SAY, I'VE BEEN HERE A HALF HOUR AND SHE'S BEEN SLEEPING. AND THEN THEY WOULD WALK OUT AND SHE WOULD LAUGH AND THAT WAS HER WAY OF STILL, YOU KNOW, HA HA, LAUGHING. AND MISCHIEVOUS AROUND THE EDGES AND YOU KNOW, FILLED WITH JOY. AND WHEN PEOPLE SEE HER ON TELEVISION, HEAR HER VOICE AND DRIVING ALONG AS I HEARD HER ON THE RADIO, SHE WAS FILLED WITH THAT DELIGHT OF THE LORD. AND SHE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. SHE WAS A WONDERFUL STORY TELLER AS WELL. HER MOTHER, MRS. RIZZO, ALSO AN EXCELLENT STORY TELLER AND WHEN SHE SPUN A YARN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE FEAT. AND TO SIT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA FOR AN HOUR AND JUST HOLD FORTH, TEACH, INTERACT, AND IT WAS THOSE ASIDES, THOSE LITTLE PAUSES, THE GLANCES AND THE SIDE JOKES THAT MADE IT ALL COME TO LIFE. SHE WAS SO NATURAL. SHE WAS SO ALIVE AND IN TUNE WITH WHAT GOD WAS CALLING HER TO AND WHO SHE WAS. AND THAT WAS, I THINK, A GREAT PART OF HER GIFT TO ALL OF US. AND LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID. SHE SAVED DEVOTIONS THAT I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST. AND I'LL GO AS FAR AS TO SAY, AND I SAID IT IN PRINT, SO WHY NOT HERE. SHE SAVED THE CHURCH IN AMERICA AND MAYBE IN THE WORLD AT A TIME WHEN EVERYTHING WAS UP FOR GRABS, YOU KNOW, NO, NO, WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, THESE PRACTICES, THESE DEVOTIONS REALLY MATTER. AND THEY WILL KEEP NUT TRUTH AND THEY FULLY MATTER. >> AND THE LETTERS AND EMAILS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, FROM NON CATHOLICS HAVE BEEN ALMOST AS EFFUSIVE AS THE CATHOLIC LETTERS IF NOT MORE SO. AND YOU KNOW, THE OTHER GREAT GIFT. WITNESS OF PAIN. GOD LAID A FOUNDATION OF PAIN IN MY LIFE. AND SOMETIMES SHE SAID, MORE THAN PRAYER IS NEEDED. SEVERE PAIN IS NEEDED AT TIMES. AND SHE FULLY EMBRACED THAT, FROM THE BEGINNING IN CANTON, OHIO, TO HER LAST BREATH IN HANCEVILLE. AND TO HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO ALL OF THAT, TO HAVE SEEN HER GO THROUGH THAT AS ALL OF US HAVE, HAS BEEN A SUPREME HONOR, A GIFT. >> Father Pacwa: AND FOR HER, THAT WAS NOT JUST SOME SORT OF SADISTIC APPROACH. IT CAME OUT OF HER PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING THAT JESUS CHRIST WHOM SHE LOVED SO MUCH SAVED THE WORLD ON THE CROSS. SHE UNDERSTOOD THE PASSION OF CHRIST AND HIS SUFFERING. AND THE MEANS OF OUR SALVATION AND SHE SAW WHATEVER SHE WENT THROUGH AS MERELY ENTERING INTO THAT. AND JUST A TINY DROP OF CHRIST'S PASSION THAT SHE WAS LIVING OUT. >> Raymond: WELL, YOU KNOW, EVEN FRIENDS OF HERS FROM CANTON REMEMBER ON HOLY DAYS WHEN THEY PRESENTED THE CROSS, SHE WOULD RUSH FORWARD AND KISS THE CROSS WITH SUCH INTENSITY. STEPHEN, A MAN WHO KNEW HER FROM HER OWN NEIGHBORHOOD TOLD ME THE STORY AND SISTERS RELATED THE STORY. AND ON HOLY DAYS, MRS. WISE, WHO WAS A MYSTIC IN CANTON, VERY ATTACHED TO THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST. AND IT WAS A REALITY FOR HER. HE WAS A REALITY. SHE USED TO SAY, FAITH IS NOT SOMETHING, IT'S SOME ONE. AND FOR HER, THAT SOME ONE WAS JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED AND RISEN. SHE EMBRACED IT ALL. AND WHEN HE WAS OFFENDER, SOMEONE WROTE THINGS, EVEN THE CARDINAL, ABOUT THE EUCHARIST THAT SHE FELT WAS OUT OF BOUNDS, YOU KNOW, SHE TOOK PERSONAL AFFRONT TO IT. SHE WAS DEEPLY OFFENDED AND THAT WAS THE ROOT OF SO MUCH WHAT BECAME CONTROVERSIES. IT WAS NOT CONTROVERSIAL FOR MOTHER ANGELICA IT WAS A FULL-BLOODED ITALIAN PASSIONATE WIFE DEFENDING HER SPOUSE. AND MICHAEL CAN TALK ABOUT WORLD YOUTH DAY IN 1993, BECAME EXPLOSIVE IN MANY WAYS, SHE DREW A LINE IN THE SAND BECAUSE HER SPOUSE WAS OFFENDED AND EXPLOSIVE FOR THE GROWTH OF THE NETWORK. >> YEAH, RAYMOND RAISES AN EXCELLENT POINT. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING. HOW WORLD YOUTH DAY IN 1993 WAS REALLY SORT OF THAT TURNING POINT WHERE MOTHER ANGELICA, AS RAYMOND SAID, WAS DEEPLY, PERSONALLY HURT AND OFFENDED BY HOW HER SPOUSE, OUR LORD, WAS PORTRAYED IN THIS DRAMA AT WORLD YOUTH DAY. AND THAT WAS FOR HER, A TURNING POINT. IT WAS THE MOMENT AT WHICH SHE SORT OF THREW DOWN THE GAUNTLET, ENOUGH OF YOU LIBERAL CHURCH IN AMERICA. I'M TIRED OF YOU. I'M TIRED OF YOU. AND THAT TRANSFORMED HER, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING. IT TRANSFORMED HER STYLE, HER PRESENTATION, HER DIRECTION IN TERMS OF HER SHOWS. IT CERTAINLY TRANSFORMED THE MONASTERY AS SHE REALLY RETURNED TO A MORE HISTORICAL PRACTICE OF THE POOR CLARE RULE. AND IT IMPACTED IN SO MANY WAYS. AND IT COMES FROM, AS RAYMOND SAID, AND THINK HE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR HIS BOOK. AND WE TALKED BIT THIS MORNING AS WELL. THROUGH OUT ALL OF THESE CONTROVERSIES OR SO MANY TIMES IN HER LIFE, YOU SAW THAT DEEPLY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF OUR LORD AS HER SPOUSE. AND SHE DEFENDED HIM AS WOULD WE OUR SPOUSES, OR SOMEBODY WE LOVED. >> Father Pacwa: IT WAS NEVER ABOUT SOME THEOLOGY OF PHILOSOPHY OR ANY KIND OF THEORY, IT WAS FIRST AND ALWAYS ABOUT THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST. SECONDLY, IT WAS ABOUT THE LOVE OF HIS PEOPLE. SHE CARED ABOUT THEM AND THAT'S WHAT HER OPPONENTS OFTENTIMES NEVER COULD UNDERSTAND. THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE RIGHT AND THAT THEY HAD BETTER IDEAS. SHE LOVED CHRIST AND THE PEOPLE. AND THAT WAS HER FOCUS. MARCUS, YOU ALSO WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. >> I WANTED TO ASK RAYMOND A QUESTION. THERE WAS A BOOK VERY POPULAR IN HER GENERATION, NOT OURS. DALE CARNEGIE, SECULAR BOOK, CALLED, WHY WORRY. AND HIS SOLUTION WAS, YOU MEASURE THE RISK AND IF YOU CAN HANDLE THE RISK, THEN YOU DO THE TASK. AND THAT'S THE CAUSE TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS. AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT MOTHER, RAYMOND, I ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS, SHE HAD THIS COMPLETE LACK OF FEAR OF RISKING TO DO WHAT GOD WAS CALLING HER TO DO. IN TERMS OF AMERICA THE RISK, IF GOD WANTS HER TO DO IT, SHE'S GOING TO DO IT. AND THINK ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE DESCRIPTION, THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS IN HER LIFE WHERE SHE WAS WILLING TO TAKE THAT BIG STEP FOR OUR LORD AND EVERYBODY ELSE SAID IT WAS CRAZY. IF SHE FELT CALLED TO SOMETHING, SHE SAID, I NEVER TEST IT. SHE TOLD ME, I NEVER TEST IT. I MOVE TOWARD, I GO TOWARD IT AND I GO BIT BY BIT. AND IF GOD WANTS IT, THE DOOR WILL OPEN OR IF NOT, THE DOOR WILL CLOSE AND I'LL DROP IT RIGHT AWAY. AND IT WAS A GREAT GIFT TO ME. SHE TAUGHT ME, WHEN INSPIRATIONS CROP UP, DON'T TEST THEM. JUST RUN AT THEM. YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO QUESTION AND WEIGH AND BALANCE. SHE WAS A MASSIVE RISK TAKER. AND THE REASON SHE COULD TAKE THOSE RISKS IS BECAUSE SHE HAD SUCH AN ERRATICAL BELIEF IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT GOD WOULD CATCH HER. AND HER DISABILITY, HER DEEP FAITH, AND THE BACKGROUND SHE CAME FROM TAUGHT HER, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS. I DON'T HAVE MONEY. I DON'T HAVE GREAT GRADES. I DON'T HAVE ANY INFLUENTIAL FRIENDS. ALL I'VE GOT IS GOD. SO I'M GOING TO PUT IT ALL ON GOD AND RISK IT ALL. AND SHE DID THAT AT EVERY STEP. AND THE AMAZING WITNESS IS, LOOK AT THE THINGS SHE WAS ABLE TO CREATE, STARTING AT 58-YEARS-OLD. THE GREAT WORK OF HER LIFE. 58-YEARS-OLD, MOST OF US ARE LOOKING FOR SHADY GROVE RETIREMENT VILLAGE, SHE'S TAKING ON A MONUMENTAL TASK FIGHTING BISHOPS AND C.E.O.S TRYING TO TAKE OVER HER NETWORK. AND YET, SHE PERSEVERES, AND THAT'S THE GREATEST GIFT THAT SHE GAVE TO ALL OF US. AND PERHAPS, THE UNTAPPED LESSON OF MOTHER ANGELICA. THAT 11TH COMMANDMENT SHOULD BE RISK. >> Father Pacwa: I WAS HERE EARLY ENOUGH IN THE DAYS, YOU KNOW, TWICE IT HAPPENED. WE WERE SO BEYOND THE EDGE OF BEING ABLE TO PAY THE BILLS. WE HAD THESE FUND-RAISERS THAT WERE TELETHONS AND WE WERE ON FOUR HOURS A DAY IN THOSE DAYS. AND WE WOULD BE ON FOR ALL FOUR HOURS TRYING TO GET MONEY. AND SHE WOULD ASK PEOPLE BECAUSE WE HAD LITERALLY FIVE DAYS TO SAVE THE NETWORK. SOMEBODY MADE A MISTAKE. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S IN THERE. SHE WAS CALLING US OVER TO DO THE TELETHONS, SINGING SONGS AND TELLING JOKES FOR A THOUSAND BUCKS, ANYTHING TO TRY TO -- >> FATHER, YOU AND MOTHER CREATED DANCING WITH THE STARS! YOU GOT TO TELL THEM THAT. >> Father Pacwa: AND WE DID IT, YOU KNOW, I USED TO TELL HER, HUGGING HER WAS LIKE HUGGING THE ERECTOR SET. SHE HAD THAT NECKBRACE FROM THE TOP OF HER NECK DOWN TO HER LEGS. AND YOU KNOW, YOU JUST LOVED HER. SHE WAS LIKE YOUR MOM, GRANDMOTHER AND ALL ROLLED INTO ONE. IT WAS A GREAT GREAT BLESSING. AGAIN, SHE KEPT PUSHING THROUGH AND PUSHED US TO DO IT TOO. EVEN GETTING SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES WOULD REMEMBER HOW THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS GET THEIR FULL PAY. ON TIME. THEY GOT IT. BUT YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOT A FULL PAY. IT WAS NOT A WHOLE LOT, BY ANY MEANS. BUT SHE SAID, HONEY, WE'RE DOING THIS FOR JESUS. AND JESUS KEPT EVERYBODY MOTIVATED TO KEEP EVERYBODY MOVING FORWARD. SO, IT WAS AMAZING. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK, RAYMOND AND WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WE'RE GETTING MORE COMMENTS AND CALLS AND OTHER MESSAGES FROM YOU, WHO HAVE BEEN POURING OUT YOUR HEARTS TO US AND TO THE SISTERS. PLEASE, STAY WITH US. ♪ Voice: MOTHER'S WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR AND IRREPRESSIBLE OPTIMISM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE TELEVISION STATION. IF IT WAS DISBELIEF PERHAPS YOU WILL BE INSPIRED AND SAY. >> WELL, IF ONE WOMAN CAN DO IT, SO CAN I. AND MAYBE WE'LL GET IT OUT OF THE WOODWORK, GET THESE PEOPLE OUT TO HAVE FANTASTIC TALENTS. THEY ARE AFRAID. WE'RE AFRAID OF THE TUBE, AFRAID OF THE LIGHTS. AND SEE, TO ME, IF YOU GOT LOVE OF JESUS IN YOUR HEART AND YOU STAND IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND YOU SAY, AHA IN THE SPIRIT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE IS GOING TO LOVE IT! ♪ ♪ >> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE HARD TO GET ALONG WITH SOMETIME. AND YOU KNOW, YOU NEED JESUS TO GET ALONG WITH SOME PEOPLE. IT'S HARDER FOR ME, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY BORN RATHER PLACID OR KIND BY NATURE. I'M NOT. YOU SEE. [LAUGHTER] ♪ >> Father Pacwa: WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM IN MEMORIAM OF MOTHER ANGELICA. WE HAVE SOMEBODY NEW WITH US AT THIS POINT. AND WE WANT TO INTRODUCE JOHNETTE BENCOVIC. ALL OF YOU KNOW HER. AND GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE AND GETTING YOUR COMMENTS. I WANT TO MENTION ONE COMMENT WE GOT ON FACEBOOK. IT WAS FROM SOMEBODY CALLED KRISTEN ANN. AND SAID, MOTHER ANGELICA IS NOT GOING TO HEAVEN ALONE. SHE IS BRINGING BUSLOADS AND BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE WITH HER. SOME BUSES HAVE LEFT EARLIER, SOME WILL LEAVE LATER, BUT THE SOULS SHE HELPED SAVE WITH THE GRACE OF GOD ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MOTHER ANGELICA. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU. THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT! BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING HERE TO THE NETWORK. NOW, THEY ARE GOING UP TO THE HEAVEN. THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. [LAUGHTER] WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH EWTN, JOHNETTE? >> WELL, THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO THE NETWORK WAS IN 1987 AND MOTHER GRACIOUSLY OFFERED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE EDIT SUITE AND PROVIDED STAFF TO COMPLETE A DOCUMENTARY THAT I STARTED EARLIER AND COULDN'T RAISE THE FUNDS TO COMPLETE. A FRIEND WAS TALKING TO MOTHER AND EXPLAINED MY PLIGHT. AND MOTHER, IN HER TYPICAL MOTHER FASHION SAID THE REASON SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY IS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T NEED IT. SHE CAN COME AND USE OUR FACILITIES. SO, THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT ME TO EWTN. WE HAD A DISCUSSION WHILE I WAS HERE. AND SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE FOR ME TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO DO TELEVISION WORK HERE AT THE NETWORK. SO DID I THAT. IN FEBRUARY 1988, WE BEGAN THAT PROJECT. SO, SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF YEARS. A LONG, LONG TIME THAT I'VE BEEN AFFILIATED WITH THE NETWORK. AND YOU WERE VERY YOUNG THEN. YOU WERE HERE. AND FATHER BENEDICT WAS HERE. AND WITH GREAT FONDNESS WE WATCHED IT GROW AND EXPAND. AND TO SEE WHAT BECAME OF THIS GREAT ENTERPRISE THAT MOTHER BEGAN THROUGH SOMETHING VERY FEMININE. AT WOMEN OF GRACE, WE TALK ABOUT THE FERTILITY OF THE FIAT. WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR YES TO GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT FERTILIZES THAT YES AND IT CONTINUES TO PRODUCE NEW LIFE. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION TO DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE TO MOTHER'S YES. SHE NEVER TOOK IT BACK. SHE KEPT ADDING TO IT WITH BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL THINGS TO IT. AND BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN BECAUSE OF IT! >> Father Pacwa: ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS TO ME, A GREAT IRONY. AND RAYMOND MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS AFTER JOHNETTE DID, BUT MOTHER ANGELICA WAS ADAMANTLY AGAINST WOMEN'S ORDINATION. AND SHE WOULD SAY SO AT THE DROP OF A HAT. AND YET, SHE WAS ONE OF THE BEST EVANGELISTS IN THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T MEAN THAT SHE DIDN'T THINK WOMEN SHOULD BE EVANGELISTS OR PREACH THE GOSPEL. IT WAS, JUST, NO, NOT ORDAINED. BUT MEN ARE THE SIGN OF MASS CUE LINT, THE SIGN OF CHRIST. BUT WOMEN HAVE A DIFFERENT ROLE IN DIFFERENT SYMBOLISM. BUT THEY ARE GREAT EVANGELISTS. AND SHE'S A GOOD EXAMPLE. AND SHE HELPED RAISE UP YOU, AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS, ALISON HILDEBRAND AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE BECAME GREAT EVANGELISTS. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS TO THAT? >> I DO. I WANT TO SAY MOTHER WAS TRULY A MOTHER. WHAT DOES A MOTHER DO? SHE ENCOURAGES HER CHILDREN. AND SHE ENCOURAGED ALL OF US. AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE RHONDA NEEDED NO ENCOURAGEMENT. I CERTAINLY DID. I CERTAINLY NEEDED ENCOURAGEMENT AND SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE. SHE WOULD STOP BY THE SET. SAY A KIND WORD AND I LISTENED AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING AND LISTENING TO THE NETWORK ALL DAY. AND THE MARVELOUS PRESENTATION THAT'S BEEN GOING ON AND JUST, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T CONGRATULATE EWTN, MICHAEL AND ALL OF THE EFFORTS GOING ON AND ALL OF THE GUESTS THAT HAVE POPULATED THE AIR WAVES TODAY WITH THE BEAUTIFUL WELL WISHES, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE CALLERS, VIEWERS. AND YOU KNOW, MOTHER, SHE HAD THIS, JIM WAS MENTIONING MOTHER'S HANDS. AND IT WAS A LOVELY RETROSPECT THE FIRST TIME HE MET MOTHER. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL REFLECTION. AND STARTED THINKING ABOUT MOTHER'S HANDS BECAUSE OF WHAT JIM SAID. SHE HAD THESE BEAUTIFUL MATERNAL HANDS. WHEN SHE WOULD TAKE YOUR HAND, YOU FELT THE WARMTH OF A MOTHER. YOU FELT THE COMFORT OF A MOTHER. AND YOU FELT A CERTAIN STRENGTH. I WOULD SAY THAT YOU FELT THE PRESENCE OF OUR LADY. AND SHE ENCOURAGED YOU THROUGH THAT TOUCH. BUT THE OFFICE OF THE WORDS SHE SAID, SHE WAS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME. AND SHE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ADVICE FOR ME FROM TIME TO TIME. AND ONE TIME SHE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. AND I SAID, OKAY. MOTHER, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY? SHE SAID, WELL, YOU CAN RELAX ON THIS SET, HONEY. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS LOVELY. SHE GAVE ME PERMISSION TO BE MYSELF. AND SHE BROUGHT THAT OUT. AND IN SO MANY SMALL LITTLE WAYS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE. AND I WANT TO SAY THIS ABOUT MOTHER. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN A CULTURE IS IN CRISIS AND THERE'S GREAT HERESY THAT'S GOING ON, WHEN A CULTURE IS FACING A FUNDAMENTAL DIVIDE BETWEEN THE IDEOLOGIES AND THE MINDSET THAT'S BEING PRESENTED, GOD IN HIS GOODNESS AND IN HIS MERCY ALWAYS RAISES UP GREAT LIGHTS. AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE ERA IN WHICH EWTN WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE WORK THAT MOTHER WAS DOING LONG BEFORE THAT, SHE WAS LIVING THE REALITY AND THE EXAMPLE OF AUTHENTIC FEMININITY. SHE WAS SHOWING US WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A WOMAN IN THE FULLNESS OF HER REALITY AS A DAUGHTER OF GOD. AND SHE STOOD IN SUCH STARK CONTRAST TO THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH, IF YOU WILL, A FALSE REPRESENTATION OF THE FEMININE IDEAL. SOME KIND OF HYBRID BETWEEN A WOMAN AND A MAN, YOU KNOW, AND THE WORLD WAS TRYING TO MASCULINIZE THE FEMININE DIMENSION IN THE WAY WHICH SHE APPROACHED HER WORLD VIEW, ET CETERA. MOTHER WAS THERE AND SHE WAS AUTHENTICALLY FEMININE. IF WE WENT THROUGH, AND I KNOW THIS SOUNDS PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE REALM OF CONSIDERATION. BUT IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH THE LITANY OF LORETO TO OUR LADY, WE WOULD FIND CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS OF THAT LITANY TO OUR LADY AND OUR OWN MOTHER ANGELICA. SHE WAS A TOWER OF DAVID AND SHE WAS A STRONG LADY. SHE WAS A FIESTY WOMAN BUT SHE WAS THE SEAT OF WISDOM. SHE HAD TREMENDOUS INSIGHT AND SHE WAS AN ENCOURAGER. EVERYBODY COULD FIND A HOME IN MOTHER'S HEART. YOU KNOW, AS THERESA BENEDICT OF THE HEART TALKS ABOUT, A WOMAN'S HEART IS MEANT TO BE A SHELTER. MOTHER BROUGHT ALL OF THAT AND SO BEAUTIFULLY DISPLAYED. AND SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS, WISE COUNSEL THAT SHE GAVE TO INDIVIDUALS THAT CALLED IN WITH TREMENDOUS HEARTACHE. YOU COULD JUST, ALMOST YOU CAN ALMOST SEE THE CHANGE COMING OVER MOTHER'S FACE AS HER HEART OPENED UP AND FLOWERED AND PEOPLE COULD ENTER IN AND SEEDS OF LIFE WERE BEING PLANTED. JUST A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL GIFT TO US. IN A TIME WHEN WOMAN HAS BEEN SO, WHAT DO I SAY, SO DEEPLY DEEPLY TRAVAILED AND DEBASED BY THE CULTURE OF THE DAY. SHE'S AN ICON. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. IT WAS NOT ABOUT HER, A CONSCIOUSNESS, I'M GOING TO HAVE A LEGACY AND SET UP ABOUT ME BEING THE WOMAN THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOST POWERFUL EVANGELIST WOMAN. IT WAS ALL ABOUT JESUS. THAT WAS THE LEGACY. >> YES. YES. AND EVERYTHING THAT CAME FORTH WAS THE FRUIT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP. ISN'T THAT WHAT A SPOUSAL RELATIONSHIP IS MEANT TO BE? YOU KNOW. AND EACH PARTY IN THAT SPOUSAL RELATIONSHIP, EACH INDIVIDUAL COMES TO THE FULLNESS OF WHO THEY ARE. AND FOR MOTHER, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SAW. AND SHE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, SHE'S PROBABLY LOOK DOWN AND SAYING, YOU ARE MAKING TOO MUCH OF ALL OF THIS. YOU KNOW. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER, WHEN WE LOOK BACK, WE CAN SEE THESE REALITIES. AND IT WAS NOT INTENTIONALITY. IT WAS MOVEMENT OF THE SPIRIT IN HER, QUITE, I THINK, OUTSIDE OF HER COMPREHENSION OR DELIBERATION. >> Father Pacwa: AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE CALLING. HELLO, ROBIN. Voice: HI, FATHER MITCH. I'M FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. I WANT TO SEND MY CONDOLENCES TO ALL OF YOU. >> THANK YOU, ROBIN >> Father Pacwa: THANK YOU, ROBIN. WE APPRECIATE THAT Voice: I'M KEEPING YOU ALL IN MY PRAYERS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH TIME BUT I WANTED TO CALL IN AND SAY, I STARTED GETTING SICK IN 1994. I CONVERTED TO THE CHURCH. CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM IN 1993. AT THAT TIME, I COULD ONLY CATCH EWTN AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING FOR TWO HOURS. AND I HAD CAUGHT MOTHER ANGELICA ONE NIGHT, ABOUT 3:00 IN THE MORNING AND AT THAT POINT, MY ILLNESS DISABLED ME. SO I WOULD CATCH HER EVERY TIME I COULD SEE HER. AND WHILE I CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM, I WAS NOT SURE OF THE EUCHARIST. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT REALLY MEANT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT. SO, I KEPT UP WITH MOTHER THROUGH THE YEARS AND I'M SICK, MY ILLNESS HAS PROGRESSED. BUT MOTHER TAUGHT ME, THE MOST, BIGGEST IMPACT IN MY LIFE, SHE TAUGHT ME LOVE OF JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST, WHAT IT MEANS AND WHAT IT CAN DO. AND THE LAST 15 YEARS, I REMEMBER WHEN MOTHER LOST HER ABILITY TO SPEAK. IT WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME THAT I LOST MY ABILITY TO SWALLOW SOLID FOOD. AND I WROTE HER A LETTER BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD THE FRUSTRATION THAT SHE WAS GOING THROUGH. SHE COULDN'T SPEAK AND I CAN'T EAT. TWO DIFFERENT THINGS YET THE SAME. I GOT A VERY NICE LITTER BACK. BUT IN THE LAST 15 YEARS, SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO ACCEPT MY SUFFERING AND GIVE IT OVER TO JESUS AND PUT AWFUL MY TRUST IN HIM -- PUT ALL OF MY TRUST IN HIM AS SHE HAD DONE. AND TO EMBRACE IT. AND HER EXAMPLE TO ME NOW IS TO EMBRACE MY SUFFERING WITH LOVE AND PATIENCE FOR HIM AS SHE HAD DONE. AND THAT'S WHAT GETS ME THROUGH. SO LIKE MANY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, WE OWE HER A MAJOR DEBT OF GRATITUDE. FOR MYSELF, SHE TAUGHT ME MY FAITH AND SHE GAVE ME A GIFT THAT I COULD NEVER REPAY AND ALWAYS WILL BE GRATEFUL. AND ALSO TO ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING. YOU HELP US ALL WITH OUR FAITH. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU ARE DOING THIS WEEK. AND I WILL HANG UP NOW BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN ENOUGH TIME. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS >> Father Pacwa: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ROBIN. TWO THINGS ABOUT THE EUCHARIST. SHE SPENT HOURS BEFORE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT EVERYDAY. THAT WAS JUST HER LIFE. AND THAT'S WHY THEY CAME THROUGH, IT WAS NOT JUST A NICE PRACTICE. IT RESONATED WITH THE TRUTH OF HER LIFE. BUT THE SUFFERING PART. I WANT TO GET YOU IN ON THIS A LITTLE BIT. YOU WERE AROUND WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED THAT YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE AN ERECTOR SET, YOU KNOW, THIS NECKBRACE FROM HERE DOWN. >> IT WAS BACK WHEN THE JOURNEY HOME WAS ON FRIDAY NIGHT. I WOULD FLY IN ON THURSDAY AND SOMETIMES I DID RADIO ON FRIDAY MORNING. BUT THINK I CAME IN MAYBE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THAT WEEK FOR WHATEVER REASON. AND THIS PLACE WAS CRAZY. IT WAS SO FULL. CARS WERE EVERYWHERE. AND SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING. AND YOU KNOW, HE WAS, LIKE, OH, MOTHER IS THERE. AND SO I'M DOWN AT THE HOUSE, COMING UP HERE AND THINGS ARE GOING CRAZY. AND I HEARD THE STORY ABOUT THIS. I'M THINKING MAYBE YOU CAN TELL THE STORY BETTER. BUT A WOMAN PRAYED FOR HER. BUT WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT IT, OKAY. WE WERE GOING UP ON FRIDAY TO THE CONSTRUCTION. AND I REMEMBER TELLING DEACON BILL, YOU KNOW, I'M AN EX-PROTESTANT AND STILL HAS TAKEN ME AWHILE TO BELIEVE IN THE CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING OF MIRACLES. BECAUSE I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN MIRACLES AS A PROTESTANTS. THEY STOPPED WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT. OKAY. SO, I JUST WANT TO SEE MOTHER. I WANT TO SEE IF THIS IS REAL. I WANT MY HELP WITH MY UNBELIEF. [LAUGHTER] SO, I GOT UP THERE, WE HAD THE LONG DRIVE UP THERE. AND I WAS RIDING IN THE CAR WITH A GUY THAT USED TO COME HERE THAT HAD THE STIGMATA ON HIS HANDS. AND WE HAD A LOT OF TALK. I SAID I WANT TO SEE MOTHER. I WANT TO SEE HER WALK. I WANT TO SEE IF IT'S REAL. SO, NOT ONLY DID I SEE THAT, WE DANCED! YOU STARTED DANCING WITH THE STARS, SHE DANCED WITH ME, WE WERE IN THE ROOM DANCING AROUND. AND THE REASON I WANT TO BRING THE REFLECTION UP AGAIN. I DON'T THINK SHE WAS ASKING FOR A HEALING THEN. >> THAT'S RIGHT >> Father Pacwa: THAT'S RIGHT. THE LADY WAS HERE, SHE HAD SOME DEEP SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES AND SHE SAID, MOTHER I WANT YOU TO COME IN HERE. IT WAS HER IDEA, HER INITIATIVE. MOTHER NEVER BROUGHT HER IN TO PRAY FOR HER HEALING. BUT THE LADY SAID, NO, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. AND SHE INSISTED AND THEN MOTHER WALKED. >> AND I REMEMBER THAT SPECIFIC CONVERSATION WITH MOTHER AFTER THAT OF HER SAYING TO ME, I NEVER ASKED THE LORD TO BE HEALED. BUT IF HE CHOSE TO HEAL ME, JUST LIKE I ACCEPTED SUFFERING THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, THEN I ACCEPT THIS ALSO AS A GIFT FROM GOD. >> AND SHE UNDERSTOOD THE POWER OF SUFFERING. SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT EVERYTHING GOOD COMES BY WAY OF THE CROSS. THERE WAS A FUNNY STORY WITH THAT. I REMEMBER ON THE LIVE SHOW, MAY HAVE BEEN THE VERY NIGHT AFTER THIS. DO YOU REMEMBER THIS? MAYBE IT WAS A WEEK LATER OR SO. BUT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT SHE ALWAYS WORE THOSE SHOES AND THE BRACES WERE ATTACHED TO THE SHOES. YOU KNOW THE STORY? AND SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW IT WAS, SHE TOOK THOSE SHOES OFF. AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, MY FEET WERE ALWAYS HURTING ME. AND I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS WEARING SHOES TWO SIZES TOO SMALL. AND PEOPLE BEGAN TO SEND SHOES, ALL KINDS OF SHOES HERE TO THE NETWORK. AND SHE WAS LAUGHING AND LAUGHING ABOUT THAT. >> Father Pacwa: WE HAVE TO GO TO A BREAK AND WE'LL COME BACK AND PICK UP ON SOME OF THIS. PLEASE, STAY WITH US. WE HAVE SOME GOOD STORIES GOING ON OVER HERE. SO, PLEASE, STAY WITH US. ♪ >> YOU KNOW, THE OTHER DAY, I WENT TO BED AND I SAY THANKS TO GOD. YOU KNOW, I DON'T TELL ANYBODY BECAUSE THEY THINK MAYBE I AM NUTSO. AND I AM GOING TO BED AND I SAID, GOOD NIGHT. AND I LOOKED UP AT HIM AND I SAID, HAVE A GOOD ONE. AND ONE OF MY SISTERS WAS NEXT TO ME. AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAME OUT, YOU DON'T WANT IT TO COME OUT. AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SHE SAID, ARE YOU TELLING GOD TO HAVE A GOOD ONE? ♪ ♪ >> LET'S SEE, WATCHING ME MAY BE PART OF YOUR PURGATORY. [LAUGHTER] BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT TALKING TO YOU IS PART OF MY HEAVEN. GOD BLESS YOU. ♪ >> Father Pacwa: WE'RE BACK NOW ON THIS THE SPECIAL MEMORIUM OF MOTHER ANGELICA. I WANT TO GO BACK TO YOU. I AM SURE YOU REMEMBER SOME OF THE EVENTS OF HER HEALING AND THESE OTHER THINGS. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT. >> YOU KNOW, MARCUS WAS TALKING ABOUT THE NIGHT. I REMEMBER THE NIGHT QUITE VIVIDLY WHEN MOTHER WAS DANCING AROUND WITH EVERYBODY, THE NIGHT SHE WAS HEALED. AND IT WAS RATHER EXTRAORDINARY. SHE WAS LIKE A YOUNG GIRL AFTER IT HAPPENED. I REMEMBER ASKING HER SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHAT DID SHE IMAGINE THIS WAS FOR. AND SHE SAID, IT'S FOR THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE, TO BUILD UP THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE. AND THINK PERSONALLY IT WAS TO GIVE HER A LITTLE JOLT OF ENERGY AND THE GRACE, IN A MOMENT OF ENORMOUS PRESSURE AND TENSION. SHE WAS LOCKED IN A BATTLE WITH A CARDINAL AT THE TIME. THEY WERE COMING FOR THE NETWORK AND HER ORDER AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE TOPSY TURVY. SHE NEEDED THAT GRACE AND IT WAS REALLY A GRACE. AND THIS GIVES YOU AN INSIGHT INTO THE CHARACTER OF MOTHER. A WEEK AFTER THAT MYSTIC CAME IN AND PRAYED WITH HER, SHE PUT HER BACK GRACE ON. AND I REMEMBER ASKING HER. I SAID, I THOUGHT PAULA, THE WOMAN THAT CAME IN TO PRAY WITH YOU, TAKE THE LEG AND BACK BRACE OFF. AND SHE SAID, WHAT DO I DO, YEAH, I TOOK IT OFF BUT IT HURTS NOW. SO, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO, FAKE THAT IT DOESN'T WORK. YOU KNOW, SHE WAS NOT PUTTING ON AIRS. LIVING OUT THE MOMENT THAT GOD GAVE HER IN EACH PRESENT MOMENT. AND I HEARD JOHNETTE TALKING ABOUT THE FEMININE ASPECT OF MOTHER. I REMEMBER ONE NIGHT SITTING NEXT TO MOTHER, AND I'M ALMOST CRYING WATCHING THE CLIPS OF ME SITTING THERE LAUGHING WHILE SHE'S GOING ON AND ON. AND ONE NIGHT SHE LOOKED INTO THE CAMERA AT THE START OF THE SHOW AND SHE SAID, SOMETIMES I'M MOTHER AND SOMETIMES I'M FATHER. WELL, TONIGHT, I'M THE FATHER. AND I THOUGHT, OH, BOY, HERE WE GO. AND IT WAS, LET ME CORRECT YOU, A TOUGH LOVE MOMENT. AND SHE HAD THAT DUALITY ALWAYS IN MOTHER. WHEN, HERE YOU HAVE THIS MOTHER IN A FORMAL, TRADITIONAL HABIT WHICH MADE THE VIEWER EXPECT SOMETHING. AND THEN SHE OPENED HER MOUTH AND IT WAS RITA RIZZO FROM CANTON, OHIO THAT CAME OUT. AND THAT DUALITY, SOMEBODY WHO THOUGHT SHE WAS, OH, SHE'S A FORMAL TRADITIONALIST, AN ARCH CONSERVATIVE. AND SHE WAS BENDING RULES, BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AND SHE BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN IN THE HISTORY OF BROADCAST TELEVISION, FORGET NUN, TO FOUND AND LEAD A CABLE NETWORK FOR 20 YEARS! AS CEO. NOBODY ELSE DID THAT. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT ON ANY LEVEL TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DEEP SPIRITUAL BENEFITS THAT SHE BROUGHT TO HER AUDIENCE. AND THINK AT THE END OF HER TAY, TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AS WELL. THEY ARE A BIG PART OF HER LEGACY. THE NUNS, THE FOUNDATIONS THEY BUILT AND THE BROTHERS, THEY WERE AT THE HEART OF HER LEGACY AND SHE TOLD ME THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN >> Father Pacwa: AND TOMORROW, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME. THE FRIARS ARE GOING TO DO AN HOUR AND A HALF ON JUST THAT. AND SO, WE'RE GOING TO DO A WHOLE FOCUS ON JUST THE COMMUNITIES. BECAUSE YOU ARE RIGHT. IT IS SO KEY. BUT YOU KNOW, YOUR COMMENT ABOUT HOW SHE DID NOT PUT ON AIRS. THAT REMINDS ME OF A SHOW THAT SHE AND I HAD DONE BACK IN, I THINK, 1984, WHEN "60 MINUTES" CAME HERE TO DO A STORY ON HER. AND YOU COULD TELL THEY WERE GETTING KIND OF UPSET BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DIRT. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. NO SCANDAL. THERE WAS NO FEVER. IT WAS JUST A REALLY NICE NUN AND HER SISTERS DOING THIS NETWORK, BRINGING THEM COOKIES WHICH THEY DIDN'T WANT. AND ONE OF THE -- LAUGHTER -- >> MORALLY SAFER DIDN'T WANT THE COOKIES? >> Father Pacwa: WELL, AS A MATTER OF FACT. LET'S LOOK AT THE CLIP HER AND MORELY SAFER. >> HERE IS THE TOP BOSS OF EWTN, ETERNAL TELEVISION WORD NETWORK WHICH SHE FOUNDED FOUR YEARS AGO. >> WELL, IT'S WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE MOST RIDICULOUS THINGS THAT COULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED. IT JUST EVOLVED. >> YOU KNOW, YOU ARE HERE AS A CLOISTERED NUN ONE DAY AND RUNNING A NETWORK THE NEXT DAY AND SAYING, WELL, IT JUST EVOLVED. >> WELL, IT EVOLVED IN THIS WAY. WHEN I WENT TO CHANNEL 38 IN CHICAGO, I WALKED IN THAT LITTLE TINY, TINY STUDIO. NEVER SEEN A TV STUDIO BEFORE. WE HAD ALREADY BEEN PUBLICIZING BOOKS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE REACHED A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER STAND NEGATIVE DOORWAY AND SAYING, OH, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO REACH THE MASSES. AND I SAID, LORD, I'VE GOT TO HAVE ONE OF THESE. AND I THOUGHT AFTER I SAID THAT, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IT, DUMMY. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND I GOT IT IN MY MIND AND I COULDN'T GET IT OUT. >> MOTHER ANGELICA BECAME MOTHER ANGELICA LIVE BECAUSE SHE SAW TELEVISION OF A WAY OF REACHING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL NO APOSTLE COULD EVER IMAGINE. >> DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS NOT ONE ACCOUNT IN SCRIPTURE WHERE THE APOSTLES EVER CAUGHT ANY FISH ON THEIR OWN? DID YOU KNOW THAT? THEY WERE THE WORST FISHERMEN IN ALL JUDEA. JUDAH. >> YOU KNOW, I WAS WATCHING ONE OF YOUR PROGRAMS, YOU GET RATHER EARTHY ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND SOME OF HIS FOLLOWERS AND TRAVAILS. >> I THINK THE BIOGRAPHERS OF SAINTS OUGHT TO GO TO PURGATORY FOR 40 YEARS BECAUSE THEY MADE OUR SAINTS UNREALISTIC. I DON'T THINK ANY SAINT MADE A VOW OF VIRGINITY AT AGE OF THREE. MAYBE THIS DAY THEY COULD BUT I DON'T THINK THEY COULD IN THOSE DAYS. I FEEL THAT THE APOSTLES WERE VERY IMPERFECT. THEY WERE JEALOUS AND ARGUING AMONGST THEMSELVES, WHO WAS THE GREATEST. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL THE PEOPLE. YOU ARE THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE APOSTLES. AND GOD CAN USE YOU AS WELL AS HE CAN USED THE APOSTLES. >> Father Pacwa: AND YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE LIVE SHOW THAT THEY FILMED THAT WEEK. IT WAS A WHOLE WEEK. AND YOU KNOW, YOU THINK, WELL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOMETHING REALLY -- YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW BOTH OF US CAME FROM FAMILIES THAT EXPERIENCED DIVORCE. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE. AND SHE WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, SHE DIDN'T PUT ON ANY AIRS BECAUSE SHE WAS GOING TO BE ON 60 MINUTES" AND SHE TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS A NEED FOR PEOPLE. SHE DIDN'T CARE WHAT "60 MINUTES" CARED ABOUT. OR WHAT THEY SAID. YOU KNOW, WITH MOTHER, UNLIKE MANY TELEVISION PERSONALITIES, HAVE AN ON AIR PERSONA AND THEN OFF AIR PERSONA. AND WITH MOTHER, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE. IT WAS WHO SHE WAS ON AIR IS WHO SHE WAS FIVE MINUTES AFTER SHE WENT OFF AIR. >> Father Pacwa: AND AS YOU KNOW WELL, OUT OF THE SAME BREATH, ON AIR BUT OFF AIR. >> SAD BUT TRUE! >> THIS IS MARTIN ON THE PHONE. HELLO, DOCTOR RALPH. >> HELLO, FATHER MITCH. REALLY ENJOYING THE PROGRAM. IT'S A TIME OF SADNESS BUT IT'S ALSO A TIME OF CELEBRATION. >> Father Pacwa: WHEN DID YOU FIRST COME ACROSS MOTHER, COMING OVER HERE TO THE NETWORK. YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME, TOO. >> WELL, YES. BACK IN 1982, I PUBLISHED A BOOK CALLED, "A CRISIS OF TRUTH," AND MOTHER READ IT. AND SHE INVITED ME DOWN TO DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF INTERVIEWS WITH HER ON THIS CRISIS IN THE CHURCH. AND SHE SAID, I WANT YOU TO START DOING A WEEKLY PROGRAM AND WE WANT TO COLLABORATE AND CLARIFY FOR PEOPLE WHO JESUS REALLY IS AND WHAT HIS TEACHING REALLY IS. AND 30 YEARS LATER, HERE I AM, DOING THE SAME THING IN THE SAME PARTNERSHIP WITH EWTN. >> Father Pacwa: YEAH, I THINK THAT YOU ARE THE LONGEST HOST IN THE NETWORK. >> LONGEST ACTIVE HOST! >> Father Pacwa: RIGHT. BEFORE THAT, BUT YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE LONGEST AND THAT'S JUST A GREAT SERVICE TO EVERY ONE HERE. >> WELL, JUST BEEN A TREMENDOUS BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH MOTHER ALL OF THESE YEARS AND TO WORK WITH THE NETWORK. AND TO CARRY ON, BASICALLY THE SAME MISSION. MOTHER KNEW THAT, THE TRUE JESUS COULDN'T BE SEPARATED FROM HIS TRUE TEACHING AND FROM HIS TRUE CHURCH AND WE HAD TO REALLY HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HIS TEACHING REALLY IS. AND THE WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE LOVE, AND THE GOODNESS OF GOD IS THROUGH THE TRUTH OF JESUS IN THE CHURCH. AND ITS JUST BEEN TREMENDOUS THROUGH THE YEARS TO SEE THE NETWORK CARRYING ON FAITHFULLY THIS MISSION. AND IT'S SAVED THE FAITH OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND IT BROUGHT THE FAITH TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND JUST A TREMENDOUS WORK OF THE LORD. >> Father Pacwa: AND YOU WERE THERE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE TIME WE WERE IN THE GARAGE, IS THAT RIGHT? >> YES. WELL, WE STARTED OUR PROGRAMS IN 1985. SO, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE GARAGE WAS THERE >> Father Pacwa: OKAY. YOU STARTED IN 1985. >> BUT WE WERE THERE START ANYTHING 1985 AND JUST DID PRODUCTION THERE FOR 15 YEARS. AND NOW WE'RE DOING IT UP HERE IN MICHIGAN. >> YEAH, YEAH. I STARTED IN 1984. AND THAT WAS IN THE GARAGE. THIS WAS NOT STARTED YET WHEN I CAME. SO, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN EVEN IN HERE. BUT IT'S JUST AMAZING. YOU KNOW, REMEMBERING THE WHOLE HISTORY OF WHAT SHE DID. IT IS JUST AMAZING. >> YEAH. AND THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT CAME TO MY MIND THAT I WANT TO SHARE. HOW MANY TIMES SHE TOLD ME THAT GOD WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY TO DO AND YOU KNOW, FOUND ME AND I WAS SO VERY, VERY TOUCHED BY HOW SHE DESCRIBED IT, ABOUT THE ABILITY, THE POVERTY, NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT TV, NOT HAVING ANY MONEY. AND JUST OUT OF THIS HAS COME A WORLD-WIDE NETWORK, OUT OF HER FAITH AND BEAUTY AND JUST SUCH AN EXAMPLE. THE OTHER THING, SHE TOLD ME A COUPLE OF TIMES, THE INSPIRATION OF THE NETWORK COMES FROM REVELATIONS CHAPTER 14:6. IT SAYS, THEN I SAW ANOTHER ANGEL FLYING IN MID HEAVEN WITH AN ETERNAL GOSPEL TO PROCLAIM TO THOSE WHO DWELL ON EARTH, THAT EVERY NATION AND TRIBE AND TONGUE AND PEOPLE, AND HE SAID WITH A LOUD VOICE, FEAR GOD AND GIVE HIM GLORY FOR THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT HAS COME. AND WORSHIP HIM WHO MADE HEAVEN, EARTH, AND SEA AND FOUNTAINS OF WATER. SHE HAD A SENSE THAT THE LORD WANTED HER TO HAVE A WORLD-WIDE NETWORK FOR THE GOSPEL TO BE PROCLAIMED FOR THE WHOLE WORLD AND SHE HAD A PARTICULAR SENSE OF URGENCY THAT WE'RE LIVING IN PERILOUS TIMES, SIGNIFICANT TIMES AND THERE NEEDED TO BE AN INSTRUMENT TO ANNOUNCE TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WHO THIS JESUS REALLY WAS IN A TIME OF UPHEAVAL AND INSECURITY. IT'S THERE AND DOING IT. >> Father Pacwa: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RALPH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL AS ALL OF THE SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO HERE ON THE NETWORK THAT MOTHER ANGELICA PROVIDED FOR US TO COME HERE AND BE ON. THANK YOU. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER CALL. WE HAVE THOMAS, HELLO, THOMAS. THOMAS, ARE YOU ON THE LINE Voice: YES. >> Father Pacwa: OH, THERE YOU ARE. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Voice: I'M RIGHT FROM OUTSIDE OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. MY COMMENT IS, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MOTHER WITH A GROUP OF FELLAS AND BACK IN THE 1970'S. WE WERE A GROUP OF ITALIANS AND WE KNEW THAT MOTHER ANGELICA WAS ANGELICA AND WE KNEW WE HAD A SPECIAL BOND WITH HER. SO, OF COURSE, WE WERE ALL CATHOLIC AND WHAT WE DID, WE MET WITH MOTHER. AND SHE BASICALLY SAID A FEW THINGS TO US, AS FAR AS BETWEEN THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH, THE FOODS. AND SHE SAID, I HAVE SOMETHING THAT I WANT YOU FELLAS TO DO, PLEASE BRING ME OLIVE OIL DOWN HERE BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET THE SAME AS WE GET UP NORTH! [LAUGHTER] AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT FALL, WHEN WE WERE IN, DOWN THERE FOR A FOOTBALL GAME AND OF COURSE, NEVER WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT TODAY. BUT WE WOULD BRING HER FIVE, FIVE-GALLON CANS OF OLIVE OIL AND ITALIAN BREAD FROM UP NORTH. SO, WE HAD THIS COMMON THING WITH MOTHER. AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WHEN SHE BUILT THE MONASTERY IN HANCEVILLE, ewtn.com/MOTHER ANGELICA THERE. AND MY FIRST TIME THERE, I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS RIDING ON A DIRT ROAD AND I'M SAYING, WHERE IN GOD DID THIS NUN FIND THIS PLACE SHE BUILT SO BEAUTIFUL! AND I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR MOTHER, FATHER AND THE REST OF THE GROUP THERE. AND YOU KNOW, BEING CATHOLIC, I ALWAYS FELT THAT MOTHER WAS MORE LIKE A LILA BISHOP SHEEN WITH THE COUNTRY AND MORE SO, ON MOTHER'S PART. AND I'M JUST WONDERING, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD BE A CANONIZATION FOR MOTHER TO BECOME A SAINT. >> Father Pacwa: LET ME SAY THIS AS PRIEST AND THEOLOGIAN IN THE GROUP. THAT'S A MANAGEMENT ISSUE! AND GOD IS MANAGEMENT. SO, WE'LL ANYBODY THE SALES PART AND WE'LL BE DOING OUR PART AND CERTAINLY PRAYING FOR HER. BUT ALSO ASKING FOR HER INTERCESSION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE SEE, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. LET'S SEE IF FOLKS ASKING FOR INTERCESSION AND IF FOLKS BEGIN TO GET ANSWER TO SAY PRAYERS, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE SAINTS. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, OH, THAT ONE WAS CLOSE TO JESUS. OH, SHE KNEW JESUS WELL. HE MIGHT ANSWER HER INSTEAD OF ME. AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. RAYMOND, YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT? >> Raymond: I DID. JUST TO TIE THE BOW AROUND WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, IN THE NETWORK. YOU HEARD IT IN THE MAN'S VOICE. MOTHER ANGELICA DID SOMETHING EVEN ARCHBISHOP SHEEN COULDN'T DO BECAUSE SHE WAS SOMEHOW CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE. SHE CAME FROM THE PEOPLE. AND SHE SPOKE HEIR LANGUAGE UNDERSTOOD THEIR HURTS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. THIS IS WHY SHE ROSE TO BECOME THE FIRST WOMAN IN BROADCAST TELEVISION TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT SHE DID. IT WAS THAT BOND WITH THE AUDIENCE. AND I WAS LAUGHING WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE NETWORK AND RALPH METRO MARTIN READ THE QUOTE. IT IS TRUE. SHE HAD THIS VISION THAT THE NETWORK SHOULD EXPAND AND REACH THE WHOLE WORLD. BUT REMEMBER, THE FIRST INSPIRATION AND THE REASON TODAY IT IS CALLED ETERNAL TELEVISION WORD NETWORK IS BECAUSE SHE WAS SHOOTING HER LITTLE TELEVISION THEORIES, THE BIBLE STUDIES PLAYING ON OTHER NETWORKS, IN 1978 AT THE LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE AND THEY WERE ABOUT TO AIR WHAT SHE CONSIDERED A BLASPHEMOUS FILM CALLED, "THE WORD." AND SHE HAD A LITTLE SCUFFLE THERE BECAUSE YOU SHOULDN'T BLASPHEMOUS THING AND HE SAID, LADY WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO. AND SHE SAID, IF YOU SHOW THAT, I'LL NOT RECORD ANOTHER PROGRAM HERE. AND HE SAID, IF YOU LIVE HERE, THEN YOU WILL NEVER BE ON TV. AND SHE SAID, I'LL LEAVE HERE AND BUILD MY OWN NETWORK AND GET MY OWN CAMERAS. SHE DID IT AS A PROTEST AGAINST THAT BLASPHEMOUS WORD THERE. AND SO EVEN IN THAT, YOU SEE THE FIESTINESS AND THE WILLINGNESS TO RISK EVERYTHING TO DEFEND GOD, TO DEFEND SANCTITY AND ORTHODOXY. AND THAT'S WHAT SHE DID TO HER LAST BREATH >> Father Pacwa: WHEN SHE TOLD ME THE SAME STORY, SHE ADD THE GUY SAID, BUT MOTHER, YOU NEED MY MACHINES. AND SHE SAID, I NEED YOUR MACHINES AND YOU NEED YOUR MACHINES, BUT GOD DOESN'T. MARCUS, YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT? WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES. >> QUICKLY, YES, WE THINK ABOUT MOTHER BEING CATHOLIC FAMILY AND REACHING OUT TO CATHOLICS AND JUST TO SPEAK FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH THAT WATCH EWTN SO MUCH. I MEAN, SHE WAS THE TRUE ECUMENIST IN THE SENSE THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, INTUITIVELY RECOGNIZING IN OUR COUNTRY, THERE'S A LOT OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT DON'T THINK WE ARE CHRISTIAN OR LOVE CHRIST. AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SHOW, SHE HIT THE CENTER, THIS IS ABOUT JESUS. IT'S ABOUT JESUS. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT CHRIST. AND THAT'S WHAT OPENED THE DOOR TO OUR SECULAR BRETHREN FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE CHURCH. >> AND SHE MADE JESUS SO ACCESSIBLE, SO APPROACHABLE, SO HUMAN. >> Father Pacwa: RAYMOND, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US FROM WASHINGTON. WE LOOK FORWARD FOR YOU BEING ABLE TO JOIN US HERE IN ALABAMA PRETTY SOON. BUT THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT. WE APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH. >> Raymond: THANK YOU. >> Father Pacwa: HE HAS TO SIGN OFF. AND ALL OF YOU, TOO. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE END OF OUR TIME HERE. WE WANT EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEB SITE, EWTN.COM, WEB WEB SLASH MOTHER ANGELICA. AND YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THE SCHEDULE FOR PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. THE FUNERAL ON FRIDAY AND OTHER PROGRAMS ALL COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AND PLEASE, BE THERE. I KNOW THAT JOHNETTE, MARCUS, YOU HAVE COME FROM FLORIDA AND OHIO TO BE WITH US. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT TREMENDOUSLY. YOU ARE GOING TO BE HERE FOR THE WEEK. GREAT. AND MICHAEL, OF COURSE, IS JUST DOING WHAT WE DO HERE. >> EXACTLY. >> Father Pacwa: WE JUST DO IT FOR FUN BECAUSE THAT'S -- WE JUST DO IT FOR FUN BECAUSE THAT'S ALL IT EVER WAS. WELL, REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. I'M SURE YOU ALWAYS CAN LOOK BACK ON PROGRAMS THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEARTS. AND MOTHER SAID SOMETHING, SOME OF YOU, YOUR LIVES WERE SAVED FROM SUICIDE. YOUR CHILDRENS' LIVES WERE SAVED FROM ABORTION. ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED THAT TURNED YOUR LIFE AROUND. AND WE HOPE THAT TONIGHT WE'VE STIRRED UP THOSE MEMORIES PLUS MANY OTHERS. TO BE GRATEFUL FOR SOMETHING THAT MOTHER ANGELICA HAS DONE THAT IS JUST, AS ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT SAID, THE BISHOPS COULDN'T DO IT. SO, LET ME LEAVE YOU WITH A BLESSING. MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND MAY HER SOUL AND ALL OF THE SOULS OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED THROUGH THE MERCY OF GOD REST IN PEACE. AMEN. AND MAY PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HER. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL. ♪
