Mother Angelica’s order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, continues to thrive with several monasteries in the United States and abroad. After her death, the nuns maintain her legacy of prayer and broadcasting.
Mother Angelica, born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, founded the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama, in 1962. Her order is a contemplative community of nuns dedicated to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In addition to their life of prayer, Mother Angelica launched the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in 1981, which has grown to become the largest religious media network in the world.
Following Mother Angelica’s death on March 27, 2016, her spiritual daughters have continued her mission. The nuns live a life of seclusion, prayer, and work within their monasteries, and they support themselves through various means, including making altar breads and other religious items. The community also continues to be involved with EWTN, although the network is now run by laypeople and clergy.
The order has expanded, with new foundations established in various parts of the world, ensuring that the charism of Mother Angelica and the mission of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration endure. These women live out their vocation of prayer, sacrifice, and adoration, impacting countless lives through their spiritual work and the media outreach initiated by their foundress.