Religious TV and radio.

Ottawa--When Mother Angelica went to a southern Baptist belt in Birmingham, Alabama, her intention was only to found a Monastery of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. But as the great thirteenth-century Eucharistic adorer, St. Clare, is the patroness of communications, the generosity of God's providence manifested itself through Mother Angelica and her Sisters in miracles they would never have imagined: the printed word, TV, recording studios, a 24-hour short wave and AM/FM radio broadcasting network, as well as a religious order for men called The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word.

Mother Angelica realizes that many great things depend upon a tiny inspiration and God often uses the "insignificant" to do great work for Him. She is fond of saying "Unless we are willing to do the ridiculous, God cannot do the miraculous!"

Some of her critics--even persecutors--seem to be more concerned with her good theology than her threat in the electronic media. Her answer: "Our goal is to serve the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church. By doing so we know we are doing God's will. Our network is built on faith and sustained by prayer." Because the critics don't like the Magisterium, they don't like ETWN.

Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is the largest Catholic cable network in the world. The network has over 2000 cable systems (1700 in the USA) reaching over 46 million homes in the US and 57 million homes worldwide, including Africa, Latin America, Europe, the Pacific Rim, and the Philippines. Only Canada and Cuba haven't permitted EWTN yet, (but at least Cuba won't allow Playboy instead, as Canada has.) The costs of over $2 million per month have been managed, just barely, by donations.

Getting EWTN on "the tube" in Canada

Due to the regulations of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canadians are not able to tune in to EWTN unless they purchase a satellite dish for a few hundred dollars. One can tune in via the Internet on a computer which now features audio and some video programs.

To get EWTN in Canada on TV or AM/FM radio, we would need to convince the CRTC to change its anti-religious policy. EWTN has been trying for years to get into Canada with the help of dedicated Catholics. But out of the wisdom of its secular heart the CRTC has decided that all religious TV must be under its control and must not represent religious partisanship. Under these terms Catholic TV and radio is prohibited. Petitions and requests may be sent to CRTC, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N2, 416-973-2782, fax: [phone].