Lauren Ashburn, lead anchor of 'EWTN News Nightly,' leaves the network

The lead anchor of EWTN's nightly news show has left the television network, according to a statement released Thursday by Michael Warsaw, chief operating officer and chair of the board of the Eternal Word Television Network. 

Lauren Ashburn, lead anchor and managing editor of "EWTN News Nightly," left to focus on her family, according to the statement. "I have treasured the opportunity over the years to work with my talented EWTN colleagues, but with growing responsibilities at home, it’s time to put my children first," she said in the statement.

The change was effective immediately. 

Wyatt Goolsby, a Washington D.C.-based correspondent who has been with EWTN for six years and has served as backup anchor, will step in as interim anchor while ETWN conducts a search for Asburn's replacement, the statement said. 

"I wish to express my gratitude to Lauren for her service to EWTN News over these past four years and assure her of our prayers and best wishes," Warsaw said in the statement. 

The National Catholic Reporter this week published a four-part series that looks into EWTN's connections to Republican politicians and the Trump White House, to wealthy conservative Catholic donors and to some of the most public anti-Pope Francis forces in the Catholic world.

[Heidi Schlumpf is NCR national correspondent. Her email address is hschlumpf@ncronline.org. Follow her on Twitter @HeidiSchlumpf.]

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