THE NUN who founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), which broadcasts to 40 million homes in the US by cable and satellite has had meetings with representatives of Unitas 2000, the organisation attempting to establish a Catholic television channel (CTV) in the Republic.
Following Mass yesterday in the St Laurence O'Toole Church in Kilmacud, Co Dublin, Mother Angelica told the congregation of about 300 people that resources would be made available to the Irish station which she said would become available to viewers in Britain as well.
It is believed that meetings are taking place between Mother Angelica and Unitas 2000 on the question of the type of support the American station could give Unitas 2000.
Unitas 2060 has had a number of public meetings and is seeking funds for the station, which it hopes to broadcast over cable systems. It is also seeking time from the new Irish language station, Teilifis na Gaeilge (TnaG), in order to use its frequency when it is not broadcasting.
Mother Angelica, who comes from Birmingham, Alabama, started EWTN 15 years ago in the garden of her convent.
The network is planning to start up a Spanish speaking station shortly to broadcast into South America where, Mother Angelica claimed, the Catholic Church has been losing members at the rate of 80,000 a day.
EWTN is now carried on 12,000 cable systems in the US and is believed to be one of the most successful Christian TV stations in North America.