PEORIA — The Catholic Diocese of Peoria has been given the green light from the Vatican to move forward in the beatification process for Archbishop Fulton Sheen, according to Bishop Louis Tylka.
Tylka, in a video released Monday, said date and more details of Sheen’s beatification, which will eventually see him anointed as a saint in the church, will be released at a later time.
This next step for Sheen means the Vatican has officially declared him “blessed,” an important step on the path to sainthood, according to the diocese. Canonization is the final step in which Sheen will officially be declared a saint.
Peoria Notre Dame celebrated the elevation of Sheen in a statement Monday. Sheen graduated from the Spalding Institute, Peoria Notre Dame’s predecessor, as valedictorian of his class in 1913.
“When you look at our 162-year history of outstanding education and extracurriculars, it’s not difficult to understand how or why we have so many talented, famous, and successful graduates. But 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, alumni relations director for Peoria Notre Dame said. “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.”
Sheen was a native of El Paso, Illinois, and was ordained into the Peoria Diocese in 1919. He studied at the Catholic University of America and also spent time in Belgium at the Catholic University of Leuven, where he received a doctorate in philosophy.
He returned to Peoria in 1926 and served as the curate at St. Patrick’s Church for less than a year before he was off to England to teach theology.
He returned to the United States to teach at Catholic University of America where he also began hosting a radio show called “The Catholic Hour.” The show had more than four million listeners at its peak.
In 1951 Pope Pius XII named him an auxiliary bishop for New York. Sheen’s popular radio show became a television show called “Life is Worth Living” while he was in New York City. His work on that show won him an Emmy award for Outstanding Television Personality.
Sheen was named the Bishop of Rochester, New York, in 1966. He resigned from that role after three years. He died at age 84 in 1979.
A legal battle ensued over his remains, which were initially interred in New York but were later transferred to Peoria.
His tomb is located at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, 607 NE Madison Avenue in Peoria. It is open to the public from noon to 2 p.m. The Fulton Sheen Museum is located at the Spalding Pastoral Center at 419 NE Madison in Peoria.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Fulton Sheen granted next step toward sainthood by Vatican
Reporting by JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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