'Missionary Friends' play a major role in EWTN's success in Latin America

Denver Newsroom, Aug 15, 2022 / 09:49 am

EWTN is continuing to grow in Latin America, buoyed by the support of thousands of volunteers who pray and work to promote the work of the Catholic media network. 

EWTN is the largest religious media organization in the world, with its television content alone reaching some 400 million households. CNA is part of the EWTN family.

After its founding in Alabama in 1981 by Mother Angelica, EWTN began its Hispanic outreach on Feb. 1, 1989 with a three-hour block of programming. The network’s round-the-clock Spanish-language television and radio has been available in Latin America and Spain since 1996, and in the U.S. since 1999. 

Ximena Izquierdo, manager of Amigos Misioneros (“Missionary Friends”) of EWTN for Latin America and Spain, told ACI Prensa that throughout the years "many lives have been touched by its programming and content."

"The quality and production of EWTN is of the utmost importance for the Hispanic world, not only because of its correct doctrine but also because of the veracity of the news, and the quality of the people who work there," she said. 

Today, EWTN's Missionary Friends number more than 14,000 in Latin America and more than 2,500 Hispanics in the United States. Claudio Ramirez, EWTN’s director of Marketing for Latin America, told CNA that the purpose of the missionaries is primarily to pray for EWTN’s mission of sharing the Catholic faith, and to “encourage those who do not know [EWTN’s] programming to see and enjoy it.”

In addition to promoting the work of EWTN, the volunteers organize pro-life marches and prayer campaigns, book fairs, rosary rallies, and other events in their communities. 

The Amigos Misioneros have made their presence known by assisting at Catholic events in Latin America in recent years, such as Pope Francis’ 2017 visit to Colombia and 2019’s World Youth Day in Panama. 

They have also successfully prevented the network from being taken down from cable operators, by showing both the numbers and commitment of EWTN viewers.

Amigos Misioneros recently led a campaign to deter a Latin American cable provider from eliminating EWTN en Español from their programming. A few days before the July 31 deadline, the cable operator announced that in consideration of its fan base, EWTN would remain on the airwaves.

According to Chris Wegemer, Vice President of Marketing for EWTN, more than 100 new EWTN television affiliates have been added in Latin America since Jan. 1.