The Franciscan Connection

When Mother Angelica breaks out of captivity, she’s going to kick some major heathen butt. LOL!

In all seriousness, I enjoy EWTN, but the programs I most want to watch are never on when I can see them. They are either on in the middle of the day when I work, or late at night, when I sleep. In prime time, it seems like it’s always reruns, the Rosary (which I usually just can’t get into saying along with the TV)and that blasted religious catalog show. A little of that last one goes a long way.

I think they should feature at least one of their “marquee” programs each evening at between 7:00 and 10:00, Maybe broadcast the Mass at 7:00 each evening as they do, then expand ‘EWTN Live’ to a nightly program at 8:00 and include expanded Catholic news coverage as part of the program. It would combine the best aspects of ‘EWTN Live’ and ‘The World Over Live’. Kind of a family-oriented Catholic ‘Today Show’ in the evening with news, interviews, and other features. They could expand their guest lineup greatly by using satellite links to bring in more people from around the world without their ever having to leave their cities of residence.

The 9:00 hour could feature a new episode of their “big” programs, with a different one each night like ‘The Journey Home’, ‘Threshold of Hope’, ‘Catholic Compass’, ‘Web of Faith'(I love that show!), and ‘Way to Follow Jesus’ and so on. I’d love to see ‘Mother Angelica Live Classics’ on Saturdays at 9:00 and ‘Life is Worth Living Classics’ on Sundays at 9:00. It would also be great if they could secure broadcasting rights to more Catholic or Catholic-oriented films even if they are subtitled, dubbed, or just left in a foreign language, so they could have Saturday and Sunday night movies from 7:00-9:00. The broadcast of the day’s Mass pushed back to 6:00 on those evenings. Broadcasting the recitation of the Rosary, followed by some other quiet, meditative program to help the viewer wind down their day and reflect on the programs they just viewed and their day in general would be great for the 10-11 p.m. slot. Their daytime programming could stay the essentially the same for now, with rebroadcasts of the prime time programs, broadcasts of other “not ready for prime time programming, Chaplets and Rosary recitations, the daily Mass at 7 a.m. and 12 noon, and even the ‘Religious Catalog’. Allowing the Word of God and Church Teachings to reach a wider audience in prime time should be the top priority for now.

The obstacle here is, of course, money. As distasteful as it can be, I think EWTN should upgrade their fundraising campaigns. It sould NOT be a constant money-grubbing thing like some TV evangelists, and DEFINITELY NOT pledge drives like PBS, but more of ongoing, subtle reminders that donations are needed to provide quality Catholic programming. Appeals could be broadcast at intervals in those two or three minute slots between or during programs where commercials otherwise would be. Having high-profile Catholics, clerical and laity, recording these appeals for broadcast would be preferable to using only EWTN personnel. Maybe a yearly weekend telethon would be good too, as long as A)it is tastefully done, and B) broadcasts of the Mass are not excluded during that time.

Another, less savory alternative to that would be to become commercialized and start airing select advertisements that are carefully vetted so that the products, services, or companies behind them are not in conflict with Church teachings in any way.

TV is a powerful medium. EWTN does a good job now, but they could become an even greater force for spreading the Faith.

Just thinking out loud here. It’s fun to dream.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Raymond Arroyo and Pee Wee Herman in the same room. Could it be….?

My favorite EWTN shows are the Franciscan roundtable and the BookMark show with Doug Keck.

I love EWTN the way it is. What I like best are Web of Faith, Mother Angelica reruns and the short segments between shows….oh and the Mass in the middle of the night. I work days, but I’m a nightowl….and it’s a great wind-down…

Put EWTN between your gas and electric bill 😉

I love watching Fr.Mitch Pacwa as well as Fr.Charles P.Connor, Mother Angelica,is my FAVORITE,I Pray that she’ll be back live on air soon.I enjoy all of EWTN ,also I’m enjoying old shows of Archbishop Fulton J.Sheen it brings back some good childhood memeories, so over all its all good, there is very little I don’t like about,its what we all need in over lifes.