On May 2, the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word mark a milestone: the 25th anniversary of their founding.
“There is significance that Mother Angelica started EWTN to defend Jesus Christ, and we were founded on the feast of St. Athanasius, a doctor of the Church, defender of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the ‘Father of Orthodoxy,’” said Father Joseph Wolfe.
Today, Father Joseph serves as chaplain to EWTN’s 350 employees. He entered the fledgling community as a founding member in May 2, 1987, eventually becoming the first priest ordained for this new Public Clerical Association of the Faithful in 1993. The name of the friary is Annunciation Friary. It was dedicated on the EWTN grounds appropriately on March 25, 1994. Like St. Gabriel the Archangel, the patron of communications, the friars are also called to announce the Good News of the Eternal Word.
“Mother Angelica wanted us to be a spiritual support for the television network,” explained Father Joseph. He uses the analogy that the cloistered nuns are to be the heart of the mission and the friars and EWTN are to be the voice of the mission.
“You need both of them,” he said. “That is why the Church has two patrons for her missionary activity. One is St. Francis Xavier, who many claim is the greatest missionary after St. Paul. The other is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who was a cloistered nun who never left the monastery.”
“With the heart of the nuns’ monastery and shrine and the voice of the friars and EWTN, we work together to bring the Gospel more fruitfully to many,” Father Joseph said.
The friars provide for the spiritual needs of the nuns as well as of the pilgrims who visit EWTN in Irondale, Ala., and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Ala. They hear confessions seven days a week and give spiritual talks.
“We spend a lot of hours hearing a lot of confessions for people who come to EWTN and the shrine,” said Father Anthony Mary, the friars’ community servant, the title for the superior.
He’s amazed by how many come to confession who have been away from church a very long time or who want to live their faith more fully.
The friars also operate TV cameras, direct live shows and give tours. Father Mark Mary co-hosts the popular weekly show Life on the Rock, while Brother Leo produces the children’s Hey, Brother Leo.
Today, there are 17 Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA) friars who are priests or brothers. Twelve are in perpetual profession. On June 2, two men will be ordained to the transitional deaconate and two to the priesthood, increasing MFVA priests’ numbers to seven.
Father Joseph, who also hosted Faith in the Heartland, begins the day with intercom prayers for employees and sends them spiritual messages via email, per his chaplain duties.
The friars are most often the celebrants for the daily televised Mass on EWTN. The Mass has been one of the most-watched offerings on the Catholic network since its debut in 1991. The decision was made that year to televise the Mass because it was wartime — the Gulf War had begun.
What many viewers might not fully realize is how often the EWTN friars not only look after the faithful sheep, but fulfill their motto: “The lost I will seek out; the strays I will bring back” (Ezekiel 34:16).
“The thing that encourages me the most in our apostolate,” Father Joseph said, “is receiving emails and letters from all over the world from people who have returned to the faith or converted to the faith because of EWTN.” He also hears from people personally at EWTN and the Hanceville shrine.
Among countless examples: A woman in prison wrote to say she had learned so much through the network that she wanted to enter the Catholic faith. A young man wrote from England to say he was strongly influenced by secular society, then began watching EWTN; he is now studying for the priesthood. A former prisoner came to visit and said that when the warden planned to remove EWTN from the TV lineup, he and other prisoners insisted EWTN stay. He said EWTN changed his life.
Then there’s the time when Father Joseph was a young priest and a young mother and her child came to the friary. The mother explained that she lived near the shortwave radio facility, and when she picked up her telephone, she heard EWTN. He told the woman the engineers could fix that problem. She said, “No.” She hadn’t come to fix it, but to say,
“I’ve been listening to your programs, and I want to become Catholic.”
Peter Gagnon, EWTN’s director of programming and productions, finds their spiritual guidance and friendship an important part of his life.
“I see the way they interact with people who come on pilgrimage and those touched by EWTN and the friars, especially knowing them through daily Mass,” he said.
Personally, during his own extended sickness, he said, “the friars were an incredible asset in my life and my family’s life as well.” They brought Communion to the hospital and his home. They supported his wife, Sharon, and their six young children.
“Father Mark would come every Sunday evening to our house and bring Communion and hang out, too,” Gagnon said.
Even at work, amid the daily grind, “they were always there for me.”
The friars also pray for EWTN’s benefactors and the intentions viewers send in on a daily basis.
“Mother really did want us to do that,” Father Anthony said. “That’s a necessary component of EWTN. As priests and brothers, we can take those to God and intercede on behalf of these viewers.”
Looking back, Father Joseph said, “EWTN has had and continues to have a tremendous role in rebuilding the Church, through catechesis, preaching the Gospel and inspiring people to live lives of greater charity.”
Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.
INFORMATION
Father Anthony invites any young man considering a call to Franciscan life and work with this apostolate to visit FranciscanMissionaries.com and contact the friars.
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God Bless EWTN and Congratulations to the Friars! They ALSO helped to bring ME to the Catholic Faith back in 2007! It is the greatest thing that has happened in my LIFE! May then be continually Blessed and held in the mantle of the Blessed Mother!
God bless the MFVAs!
I am a convert from 1949, when Bishop Fulton J.Sheen with his writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John was Uncle Milty’s TV bane. I am a product of a spiritual world where you could tell that everyone knew God was truly present to a social world where you can tell only 25 percent seem to believe. My day ends at midnight with your daily Mass that is the best of both worlds that retains the Tridentine and Franciscan spirituality and distributes Communion only once on the tongue for most. The “new” translaion of the Mass brings nostalgia for the previos world. I never stopped saying…and my soul shall be healed. May God’s richest bleesings be on your anniversary. Thanks so much for always making my day
Mother Angelica spoke at the first Call to Holiness Conference in 1996 (http://www.calltoholiness.com)and encouraged Catholic Radio to begin in Detroit (now WDEO 990 AM, avemariaradior.net). We have fought to keep EWTN on the cable TV line-up. Thank you to the Franciscan Missionaries priests and brothers for their support of these apostolates and the faith and formation of viewers, especially through the televised Masses. Congratulations on your 25th anniversary of founding!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I haven’t been to Alabama but I have watched EWTN for years. God Bless
What can I say But a big thanks of gratitude for your YES,and here we are all these years later. I feel as if I grew up with EWTN,after being away from the church for 20 years(now back 17) i don"t have cable anymore but boy do I use the short wave radio. Can"t seem to get others to understand
how good the short wave radio is .And as I write I can say I believe and do not see I only can hear. The beauty of radio,
I go to early morning Mass most every day. If I hussle I can make it back to my Apt. in time to catch the start of the homily on EWTN. If I don’t make it I watch Mass at 11:00 am or 6:00 pm. I thrive on your homilies. I have done this for many years.
EWTN has been a blessing to the WORLD. Keep up the good work.
Yours in Christ through His Mother.
Robert Kramer
I begin my day with EWTN. As soon as I wake up, the TV goes on at 6:30. I pray with Mother Angelica to St. Michael,at 7 a.m. say the rosary with Father Mitch, hear as much of the homily at mass and then head to mass at my own church. I end my day with Johnette and off to sleep at midnight. 3:00 Divine Mercy. When television insults my intelligence,which is often, or my morals, I switch to EWTN. I was there a few months ago for the 4th time. God bless Mother Angelica for saying “Yes” to the Christ child. She has blessed my life as well as everyone at EWTN. I can’t wait for Patrick to become a priest and now Brother Matthew, my favorite guys.
Happy and blessed anniversary, EWTN - Mother Angelica,Sisters, Priests, Brothers, and Staff! Being retired, we find continued spiritual strength in viewing EWTN. It is hard to change the channel, considering the ultimate subject matter - Eternal Life with the Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother Mary. We love you and are so grateful to you and for your fiat, Mother Angelica! May God continue to bless you and all at EWTN!
I cannot begin my day without taking part in the Mass on EWTN at 5 in the morning here on the West Coast. I am so disillusioned with what is going on in the parishes here that it has become a true pleasure to be part of a Mass where people are quiet and show respect for the Eucharist. Being I am now partially handicapped, it is wonderful to be able to be with EWTN for Mass even though it is so early in the morning. God’s blessings on EWTN and the friars.
Watching Daily Mass via EWTN makes me more closer to God. The homily of the Franciscan friars (especially Fr. Anthony’s) inspired me to believe that Catholic Church is really the church founded by Jesus Christ. Last March, I requested a friend living in California to buy me books related to Catholicism. God Bless EWTN
Mattel MOTU and DC Universe
Last year at Comic Con I was literally blown away by the sheer magnitude of Mattel toys. Long had I thought of them as nothing but Hot Wheels, Barbies and those guys that used to make He-Man figures. As I stood in line for over an hour for a Mattel SDCC exclusive I noticed quickly how fast the line grew and how many of the exclusives started to disappear off the wall. This usually brings about a sense of dread for the collector but then a funny thing happened. A member of Mattel announced that they were only sold out of that particular figure that day. Tomorrow they would have more. Mattel understands the collector and their need to not only get what they want but the best quality as well. MattyCollector is Mattel collector site which caters to individuals who truly love toys. They had a special invite for all their new figures and Mania own Toy Maniac was on hand.
Masters of the Universe:
This line is a double edged sword and totally designed for the true die hard fan. If you are interested in getting a certain character you have to follow the site for months at a time just to know their release date. I reviewed Zodak a few months back (see review) and the experience with shipping and packaging were superb. The figure itself is pretty cool too. There have been several SDCC exclusives already but this year there were two that premiered at Toy Fair. The first is Keldor (check out his full origin). In case you don know that is Skeletor real name. He was mortally wounded and left to look like the villain we have all come to despise. Before old bone head he was that Captain Morgan looking fellow in the blue (also in the header in image).
The other SDCC exclusive is Mo-Larr an Eternian Dentist. If you are still confused the character originated on Robot Chicken and has become a fan favorite. Mattel is honoring the show and the character by making him into a figure (bottom picture). I took the liberty of including the original sketch at the bottom of the article for your enjoyment.
Other new figures in the line include Gy-gor, a big yellow gorilla based on an original unproduced figure for the old series, Count Marzo, Optikk, Whiplash, She-Ra, 2 different Moss Mans and the giant from ancient Eternian times Tytus (second from the bottom).
There are new Masters of the Universe Classics figures every month. If you are a fan of The Masters of Universe sign up for the MattyCollector newsletter and become a fan of theirs on Facebook.
DC Universe12 inch Series:
The 12 inch line for the DC Universe is just as good if not better than many of the vivienne westwood jelly shoes anglomania Sideshow Collectibles 12 inch figures. Two main reasons: accessibility and the price. Sure many of us treat our figures like museum quality pieces but who wants to shell out hundreds of dollars for just one? Then again who can? Let us not forget the months of ordering and waiting for your vivienne westwood shoes Sideshow Collectible. I like going to the toy store for my toys or ordering one directly from a website. In less than two weeks he be there. Who needs months upon months of waiting? My pick in the whole lot is obviously Zantana. The additional Green Lanterns are great and I love that Alan Scott GL but Zantana took my breath away.
Ghostbusters:
I picked up the Egon Spengler SDCC exclusive last July (see column). I thought that it would be the only one I would ever get. A nice little collector piece for the toy shelf. After seeing the full line I am hooked. I am also glad to see that they will have the guys in their lab coats as well. The 12 inch line is actually better than most Sideshow Collectibles I have seen. I saw a Ray a few weeks back where I could exam him more closely. He was nothing but perfection down to the tiniest detail. Having seen all four I suddenly realized there isn enough room on my toy shelf. Check out the Matty Collector Ghostbusters site for official release dates.
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