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Our Pilgrim MTA
appears on the Global EWTN Network
Wednesday,
January 10, 2007, from 7-8 pm central time marked another historical
milestone for our Mother Thrice Admirable’s Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign.
Sister M Jessica Swedzinski, serving as national director from Madison,
Wisconsin, USA, was interviewed on the hour long EWTN Live show by
Father Mitch Pacwa. It was a fast-paced interview of 24 minutes followed
by viewer’s phone calls and audience questions, closing with Father Pacwa
blessing the millions of viewers with the MTA!
Using all
facets of modern communication, including television, radio, the Internet
and publishing, EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network, Inc) reaches the
entire globe with the message of the Gospel, being the one and only Global
Catholic Network. Our Pilgrim MTA traveling shrine was seen in an
estimated 123 million homes in 144 countries and territories worldwide.
How did this
all come about? Let’s look first at the medium chosen by our MTA:
“At a time when
more and more people are searching for a wholesome alternative in the
media, … at a time when more and more people are searching for answers to
life’s daily challenges, … our responsibility is to be there.” –Mother
Angelica, Foundress
“Go into all
the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15
It all began on
August 15, 1981 when, defying logic, Mother Angelica, a cloistered
Franciscan nun, stepped out in faith and transformed the garage of her
Poor Clare Monastery in Irondale, Alabama, into a television studio with
only $200 for the project. The only description possible to describe this
journey from one courageous woman to over 120 million homes via the
Eternal Word Television Network is: A MIRACLE.
What would you
answer if someone asked you: What is the largest demographic in the United
States of America? Catholics. If you got that one right, let’s try one
more question: What is the fastest growing market segment in America?
Hispanics.
CATHOLICS are
the single largest faith group in the United States and the world.
Hispanics are the fastest growing market segment in the USA totaling over
40 million, which is the largest ethnic group in the USA. And faith is an
important part of life for the 1 billion Catholic viewers around the
world. The Blessed Mother and her Son are superb strategists: The Catholic
population is a very diverse demographic, comprising people of all
cultural backgrounds and all age groups. As Michael Warsaw, president of
EWTN quoted in 2003, this is exactly “a market that we help a cable TV
operator tap into.” EWTN has always been free to cable operators. The
network is commercial-free and is supported entirely by donations from its
incredibly loyal viewers. EWTN works closely with cable TV operators, in
conjunction with local Catholic churches, to provide opportunities to
insert local programs. The network has a proven track record, a steady
growth, and quality programming as well as variety (everything from
call-in shows to documentaries and news, to entertainment and music, to
live church events.)
This is the
ground work of the network that our MTA chose for this historic milestone.
The communication with EWTN began on April 20, 2006, leading quickly to
securing a date for the on-air interview. Due to prior commitments Sister
Jessica could only be free on Dec 6 or Jan 10. This was beautifully
settled by Lee South when she said: Let’s put it on Jan 10th as
the first Wednesday Live Show of 2007 so that the entire year can be
dedicated to our Blessed Virgin Mary!
Forty-five
Schoenstatt members came, joined by 10-20 other guests, for the live
studio audience. Doors opened at 6 pm for those driving from Atlanta,
Georgia, and from Louisiana and Mississippi, along with those who flew in
from Indiana, Nevada, and Wisconsin. What a fantastic outpouring of
support from those there as well as from the many who wrote, emailed, or
called with their prayers and best wishes. Sister Jessica’s attitude from
the beginning was: I want you each to know that it is we who go
with our MTA to the EWTN Live Interview. It is not the one in the “front
lines” that our father and founder had special preference for, but rather
the ones behind the scenes, quietly offering all for the greater honor and
glory of God!
A short meeting
with producer Jason Addington and Father Mitch Pacwa took place at 4 pm
followed by supper with Father Pacwa. Then EWTN President, Bill
Steltermeyer (spelling) personally gave Sister Jessica a tour of the
studio adding many personal antidotes of Mother Angelica’s working style
that he’d say with a twinkle in his eye “should really stay in this room!”
After a quick
brush of face make-up for the two speakers, the floor producers pinned the
microphones on them and saw that the cameras were in position. Father
Mitch asked the audience to be quiet and the hand signal was given from 10
down to 1! It all went so very quickly. Live air shows have a charm of
their own in our fast pace society. The most beautiful point was that all
the viewers were blessed by our MTA in the very last seconds by Father
Pacwa.
For anyone
interested in hearing the show, please contact Sister Jessica for a
complete DVD.
Due to an
oversight by EWTN the contact information to receive a Pilgrim MTA or
other Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign information was omitted. Only the German
website
www.schoenstatt.de was presented on the screen. Sadly, there was no
link or way to reach via this to us, so kindly help us spread the contact
information. In fact the website was temporarily knocked out due to over
11,000 visits in the first 24 hours after the show in the USA!
We look forward
to your comments and questions:
Sister M
Jessica Swedzinski
Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign
5825 Cottage Grove Road
Madison, WI 53718
608-223-0892
rosary@schsrsmary.org
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