A National Shrine is a Catholic church or other sacred place which has met certain requirements and is given this honor by the national Episcopal Conference to recognize the church's special historical, cultural and religious significance.

To receive the honor of National Shrine involves a number of steps and certifications. It must first be a Diocesan (or Archdiocesan) Shrine, an honor conferred by the local bishop or archbishop. To become a Diocesan Shrine the subject church must be a place "to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety" and exceed other churches in terms of worship, Christian formation and social services. When these requirements are met, the parish petitions the bishop to canonically elevate the church.

When devotion has grown, the Diocesan Shrine may petition the national Conference Catholic Bishops. Evaluation by the nation’s bishops will involve considerations including canon law, liturgy, and doctrine.

Declaration of an International Shrine is conferred by the Holy See.

Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, PCPA (born Rita Antoinette Rizzo on April 20, 1923) is an American Roman Catholic nun who founded the Eternal Word Television Network. In 1944 she entered the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, a Franciscan religious order for women, as a postulant, and a year later she was admitted to the order as a novice. She went on to found a new house for the order in 1962 in Irondale, Alabama, where the EWTN is headquartered, and in 1996 she initiated the building of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of the Angels monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. Mother Angelica hosted shows on EWTN until she suffered a stroke in 2001. She continues to reside at the monastery in Hanceville.

The future Mother Angelica was born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, on April 20, 1923, in Canton, Ohio. She was the only child of John and Mae Helen Rizzo (née Gianfrancesco). Her father abandoned the family when Rita was very young, and her parents divorced in 1929. Her mother maintained full custody of Rita, but struggled with chronic depression and poverty. Her maternal grandparents kept Rita at times.