Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to Be Beatified

Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, announced today that the Vatican has authorized the much-delayed beatification to Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to proceed.  “We are working with the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints at the Vatican to determine the details for the upcoming Beatification.  The date and event details will be released soon through celebratesheen.com,” said Bishop Tylka said in a statement released today.

Born on 8 May 1895 in El Paso, Illinois, Peter John Sheen was ordained as a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois on 20 September 1919. For 23 years, he taught theology and philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. In 1951, he was appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York. From 21 October 1966 until his resignation due to age on 6 October 1969, he served as Bishop of Rochester. He was subsequently appointed the Titular Archbishop of Newport, Wales.  Throughout his priestly life, Fulton Sheen was a most effective and passionate evangelizer, using radio, television and print media to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and win souls for God.  He was also a vigorous opponent of political systems that suppressed human freedom, and especially religious freedom. “Archbishop Fulton Sheen was one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century,” said Bishop Tylka.   Archbishop Sheen died in New York City on 9 December 1979.  

 
In June 2012, Fulton Sheen was declared a “Venerable Servant of God” by Pope Benedict XVI.  Pope Francis approved a miracle attributable to Archbishop Sheen’s intercession on 6 July 2019.  Archbishop Sheen’s beatification was delayed by a New York State Attorney General investigation into all New York Catholic dioceses for the handling of sexual abuse cases and the Diocese of Rochester’s related bankruptcy proceedings. Ultimately, no accusations or allegations of abuse or complicity in abuse were filed against Archbishop Sheen.  

 
Just two months before his death, Archbishop Sheen met with Pope John Paul II at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral when the Pope visited in New York in October 1979.  The Pope followed up his personal meeting with Archbishop Sheen with a personal letter to the aging Archbishop.  “God called you to proclaim in an extraordinary way his dynamic word,” the Pope wrote.  “With great zeal you accepted this call, and directed your many talents to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus, in these six decades of your priestly service, God has touched the lives of millions of the men and women of our time.”

 
The news of Archbishop Sheen’s impending beatification is cause for celebration.  Soon, the Church on Earth will officially recognize what the Church in Heaven has long recognized:  that the extraordinary faith, love and spiritual leadership of Fulton J. Sheen makes him worthy of Sainthood.