Mother Angelica, the founder of Eternal Word Television Network, received the inaugural Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously at the first Sheen Awards in Peoria, Illinois, on Sept. 25, 2026. The ceremony came a day after Sheen’s beatification and framed the honor around the role of media and technology in Catholic evangelization.¹

The award’s organizers and EWTN presented the recognition as more than an acknowledgment of Mother Angelica’s individual career. They drew a direct connection between her creation of EWTN and Sheen’s influential work in radio and television. Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, noted that EWTN was incorporated a little more than a year after Sheen’s death in 1980, saying: “I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”²

Gagnon said Mother Angelica “picked up the torch” from Sheen because she recognized television’s capacity to speak personally to viewers. In his account, both communicators combined technical innovation with a commitment to the Church and to reaching people through the camera lens.²

Michael Warsaw, EWTN’s chairman and chief executive, made a similar comparison, describing Sheen and Mother Angelica as standout 20th-century Catholic evangelists who used media “to proclaim the Gospel, defend the dignity of the human person, and speak the truth.”² While that interpretation emphasizes continuity between the two figures, the event also recognized a newer generation of Catholic media work across podcasts, digital content, streaming, mission and technology.

Among the other recipients were Bishop Robert Barron for evangelization, Jonathan Roumie for television and streaming, Katie McGrady for radio and podcasting, Hallow for innovation, the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States for mission and humanitarian work, and Paul J. Kim as a digital creator.¹

Warsaw said he remained mindful of the Church’s process for possible sainthood causes, while adding that he personally prays Mother Angelica may one day be recognized among the saints.²