IRONDALE, Alabama, Aug. 8, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EWTN Global Catholic Network will air comprehensive coverage of World Youth Day 2011 with Pope Benedict XVI live from Madrid August 16-21. Coverage of the events, which are expected to attract 1 million youth from across the globe, will be provided in English and Spanish on EWTN television, EWTN radio, and EWTN’s website, http://www.ewtn.com/wyd2011/. In addition, viewers will be treated to special events, such as a 90-minute live presentation of "Life on the Rock (LOTR) in Madrid."

LOTR, EWTN’s live call-in show for youth, will broadcast from the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid, courtesy of the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life, who are making the "Love and Life Center" in the sports arena available to English-speaking pilgrims and to religious orders looking to connect with them. The show will air live in the U.S. at 1 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Aug. 16. (WYD pilgrims are being encouraged to come to the sports arena from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Madrid time to participate.) During the special, large television screens in the arena will air EWTN’s WYD coverage as it is being seen in Great Britain.

Scheduled guests include Denver’s Bishop Conley and youth hiking the Camino de Santiago, Fr. Dave Pivonka and students from Franciscan University of Steubenville, FOCUS’ Curtin Martin, Michael Brewer of the College Knights of Columbus, the Spanish folk band Suspiros de España, the Spanish pro-life group "Speak Out," Fr. José Granados from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, as well as Knights of Columbus Vice President Andrew Walther and a Sister of Life who will speak about the jointly sponsored "Love and Life Center." 

Father Mark Mary Cristina, MFVA, and Doug Barry, co-hosts of "Life on the Rock," will anchor coverage on EWTN television in English, while Pepe Alonso, host of Nuestra Fe En Vivo, will anchor coverage in Spanish on the Network’s U.S. Spanish-language channel EWTN Español, and on the Network’s international Spanish-language service, EWTN El Canal Católico.

In addition, Radio Católico Mundial, EWTN’s Spanish language radio network, will take its microphones into the heart of WYD for a live one-hour program at 9 a.m. ET, Monday through Saturday, Aug. 15-20. The program, hosted by EWTN Radio Network Host Jorge Graña, will help listeners connect with the young people on the streets of Madrid.

EWTN’s website, http://www.ewtn.com/wyd2011/, will feature live streaming video of the event. To view Father Mark’s "Power and Witness" WYD blog and pictures, go to www.ewtn.com, and search under blogs.

Note: Find EWTN television at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder. EWTN Radio affiliates can be found at http://www.ewtn.com/radio/amfm.htm or tune into to events on EWTN’s Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 130.

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 30^th year, is available in over 160 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news services, and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.

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