Tributes salute Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's anticipated beatification

PEORIA, Ill. (OSV News) -- Catholics in the U.S. are sharing their gratitude for Venerable Fulton J. Sheen following the announcement Feb. 9 that the Vatican has permitted the cause of the late American archbishop and televangelist to proceed to beatification, the final step before canonization.

Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, was the first to share the news with the world that the beatification of "one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century" was no longer on hold after six years.

"I have long admired his lifelong commitment to serve the Church as a priest, rooted in his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist," Bishop Tylka said of Archbishop Sheen in his Feb. 9 statement. "As he journeyed through the different stages of his life, his ability to share the Gospel and truly relate to people drew countless souls into an encounter with Jesus -- one that transformed not only his life, but more importantly, the lives of those he touched."

Bishop Tylka said diocesan officials are working with the Vatican's Dicastery of the Causes of to determine details for the upcoming ceremony, including date and place, which "will be released soon" at the website celebratesheen.com.

Once dubbed "God's microphone," Archbishop Sheen is remembered as one of the most influential and innovative evangelists in American history. Archbishop Sheen was ordained for the Diocese of Peoria in 1919, and his remains are now enshrined in its Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception after previously being entombed in New York City.

His beatification was given a green light originally in 2019, but just two weeks before the scheduled ceremony, the Holy See paused the process, apparently to ensure that Archbishop Sheen was free of allegations of mishandling clergy sex abuse cases between 1966-69 when he was bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. After the diocese's nearly six-year bankruptcy case concluded in September with a $256.35 million settlement for survivors of clergy abuse, Msgr. Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, told OSV News that no allegations against the archbishop were raised in the process.

In New York, where Archbishop Sheen served as an auxiliary bishop and lived until his death at 84 in 1979, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks said the Archdiocese of New York was rejoicing with the whole Church at the announcement.

"Although justly famous as a groundbreaking pioneer in using radio and television as a means of evangelizing and teaching, Archbishop Sheen's entire life was devoted to making disciples and spreading the good news of the Gospel," he said in a statement published by The Good Newsroom, the archdiocese's news outlet. "Whether as a priest in his home diocese of Peoria, professor at The Catholic University of America, National Director of the Propagation of the Faith, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, Bishop of Rochester, or prolific author of classic works of spiritual reading, Archbishop Sheen always strove to bring people closer to Jesus and His Church."

He added, "We look forward to calling him Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, and, please God, someday soon seeing him raised to the altars as a saint."

The Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S. celebrated the news of Archbishop Sheen's beatification finally moving ahead. On social media, it noted that Archbishop Sheen "helped shape the missionary soul of the U.S. Church."

"Through his prophetic use of media, he invited millions to pray for, support, and love the missions he championed," TPMS USA's Feb. 9 Facebook post stated. "His legacy lives on in every mission chapel where the Eucharist is celebrated, in every child formed in a mission school, and in every young Church strengthened through your prayers and generosity."

Archbishop Sheen was the national director of The Pontifical Mission Societies from 1950-66. During that time, the archbishop's TV show "Life is Worth Living" made millions of dollars in advertising, all of which he gave to the missions.

Msgr. Roger Landry, TPMS national director since 2024, posted on X, "So happy about the beatification of my predecessor, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, later this year. Great news from Peoria today," with a link to a column he wrote for OSV News that called Archbishop Sheen "the great evangelizer."

Lay Catholics and clergy alike shared and celebrated the news on social media, with some institutions highlighting their connections to the archbishop.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, the oldest Irish Catholic fraternal organization in the U.S., also welcomed the news of Archbishop Sheen's beatification moving ahead, putting him one step away from becoming the first canonized Irish American.

"Archbishop Sheen embodied the best traditions of Irish American Catholic life: fidelity to the Church, intellectual rigor, fearless engagement in public life, and an unshakable commitment to human dignity," the Hibernians said in their statement, noting that Archbishop Sheen was both a member of the AOH and served as their national chaplain.

"At a time when anti-Catholic prejudice remained a powerful force in the United States, Archbishop Sheen brought Catholic teaching into millions of American homes through radio and television. His clear, joyful, and confident presentation of the faith helped bring Catholicism fully into American public life and strengthened the standing of Catholics within the nation's civic culture," the Hibernians stated.

The statement concluded, "Archbishop Sheen's example remains a reminder that Catholic faith, lived openly and without apology, has shaped -- and continues to shape -- the life of the Church and the moral conscience of the world."

In a statement, Peoria Notre Dame High School praised the elevation of Archbishop Sheen, the 1913 class valedictorian of Spalding Institute, one of its predecessor institutions.

"Venerable Fulton Sheen is certainly our most distinguished alum bringing many souls to the faith and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the masses through the power of media," Tara Shane, the school's alumni relations director, said in the statement. "The entire PND community is jubilant over this announcement that one of our very own will be beatified and is one step closer to being declared a saint."

In the same statement, the school's chaplain, Father Daniel Dionesotes, called the news "a cause for celebration."

"To think that a saint was in the making during Fulton Sheen's time at Spalding Institute gives us all hope that in the seemingly ordinary moments of life, like being a high school student, God's extraordinary grace is still at work," he said. "In the hallway outside of my office, there is a Fulton Sheen quote that aptly summarizes what is being proclaimed today: 'To do God's will until death, that is the inner heart of all holiness.'"

In the Feb. 9 announcement, Bishop Tylka explained that beatification is "the first major step to sainthood, granting a deceased person the title 'Blessed' and allowing limited public veneration (like in a region) after proving heroic virtue and one verified miracle."

"Canonization is the final step, declaring the person a saint, permitting worship across the entire Church, and requiring a second miracle after beatification, making their veneration universal," he continued. "Essentially, beatification opens the door for local honor, while canonization opens it for the whole world, recognizing a saint as being in heaven with God."