The Holy See is expected to announce in the coming weeks a date for the beatification of Ven. Fulton Sheen, the Emmy-winning archbishop whose television and radio ministry made him one of the most prominent Catholic voices in mid-20th-century America. According to sources from The Pillar, the beatification is likely to take place in September 2026.
The ceremony is widely expected to be held in Peoria, where Sheen was ordained a priest in 1919 and where his cause for sainthood was opened in 2002, according to The Pillar’s report. Peoria’s bishop, Louis Tylka, is expected to play a leading role in the liturgy.
Sheen, who died in 1979, remains one of the most influential Catholic communicators in American history. After earning a doctorate in philosophy and theology, he taught at The Catholic University of America before becoming a national figure through radio. From 1930 to 1950, he hosted The Catholic Hour on NBC Radio, reaching millions of regular listeners across the United States, and an estimated four million listeners at the height of its popularity.
His public profile expanded dramatically with television. From 1952 to 1957, Sheen hosted Life Is Worth Living, a weekly program that regularly drew 10 million viewers each week and competed directly with popular secular broadcasts. Unlike other television personalities of the era, Sheen appeared alone on a minimalist set, delivering lectures that combined Catholic theology, philosophy, and commentary on contemporary cultural and political issues.
Sheen won two Emmy Awards for his television work, including the 1953 award for “Most Outstanding Television Personality.” Accepting the award, he remarked that he received it “for God.” His success made him one of the first Catholic clergy to achieve sustained national visibility through mass media.
In addition to his broadcasting career, Sheen was a prolific author, writing more than 60 books over several decades. Titles such as Life of Christ, Peace of Soul, and The World’s First Love continue to be widely read, and are often cited for their ability to present Catholic doctrine in a style that is intellectually serious yet accessible to a broad audience.
The Vatican approved a miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession in July 2019: the medically unexplained recovery of a child born stillborn in 2010 after his parents prayed to Sheen. That approval cleared the theological requirements for beatification, and a ceremony was scheduled for December 2019.
The beatification was postponed later that year amid concerns raised during legal proceedings involving the Diocese of Rochester, where Sheen served briefly as bishop from 1966 to 1969. Subsequent reviews found no evidence of wrongdoing by Sheen, and no allegations were filed against him during New York’s abuse-litigation window, according to The Pillar. The Vatican’s renewed movement on the cause follows the September 2025 approval of a more than $250 million settlement resolving Rochester’s long-running bankruptcy case.
If confirmed, Sheen would become one of the most prominent American Catholics to be beatified. The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation serves as the official promoter of his cause for canonization, and maintains resources for the faithful seeking more information about the process.
