MOTHER ANGELICA LEAVES HOSPITAL RETURNS TO OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS MONASTERY

Irondale, AL (EWTN) - Mother Angelica was released from St. Vincent's hospital in Birmingham, Alabama this afternoon, where she had been recovering from a brain hemorrhage and stroke she suffered on Christmas Eve.

Mother returned to Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, where she will continue her rehabilitation. The monastery's Mother Vicar, Sister Mary Catherine, and the Nuns greeted Mother Angelica with a mixture of laughter and tears of joy as she arrived.

Sister Mary Catherine earlier thanked St. Vincent's hospital staff, doctors and nurses for providing such fine care for Mother Angelica during her stay. "It was a combination of everyone's prayers for her recovery and the wonderful people at St. Vincent's Hospital that brought Mother back home to us," she said.

Mother's doctors are encouraged by the progress she has made since she entered the hospital in critical condition to undergo a two-hour operation to remove a blood clot from her brain. They are hopeful her continued therapy will be successful.

Sister Mary Catherine said the nuns are very happy that Mother decided to continue her rehabilitation at "home" and asked everyone to please continue praying for Mother Angelica's complete recovery.