Warsaw was undeterred. “As a television network, we will be able to present the award to its first recipient in a televised ceremony that will reach more than 380 million television households in 150 countries and territories around the globe.”
The honoree of this first award will receive a bronze sculpture of Mother Angelica, which was commissioned from Artist Kelly Somey of Asheville, N.C. Before beginning the project, Somey wanted to learn more about his subject. But it wasn’t just through books about Mother’s life and interviews with those who worked with her that this happened.
“This project has been impacted by the pandemic,” Somey said. “[Metal] foundries were closed…There were shortages of supplies. There were moments when I thought, 'This is just...It's not going to happen.'”
But Somey says he felt Mother Angelica was with him. “I felt that voice of Mother Angelica saying, 'Hey Kelly, these are some hard times…I know you can get through this. This is something that I'm helping you with,' and I thought that was rather unique. That's not something that I’ve experienced a whole lot.”
The project affected Somey more than he thought it would. “It's through sculpting Mother Angelica, I've come to know a little bit more about her spirituality, her kindness, her inner beauty, her courage, the courage to found and guide EWTN," he explained.
"Those were things that took a very strong-willed individual, and those strengths, in my opinion, could have only come through God. And some people have commented to me along the way that Mother Angelica had a little bit of, not just spirituality, but spirit. She was a little bit strong-willed, and I think that those are admirable qualities. As an artist, we have to be strong-willed, as well, to try to complete works that are worthy of being created.”
As EWTN’s viewers know, Mother Angelica trusted completely in God’s Providence in everything she did, particularly in the founding of this Network. She famously said: “You want to do something for the Lord…do it! Whatever you feel needs to be done, even though you’re shaking in your boots, you’re scared to death – take the first step forward. The grace comes with that one step and you get the grace as you step. Being afraid is not a problem; it’s doing nothing when you’re afraid. ….
"You know what faith is?" she said. "Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.”
Tune in Aug. 15 to discover who is honored with the very first award.
In its 40th year, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 350 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories.