Venerable Fulton Sheen will be beatified Sept. 24 during a Mass at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria announced March 25.
“With anticipation of a great number of people wanting to participate, we chose this location because of availability, being indoors, and the close proximity to the Diocese of Peoria,” Bishop Tylka said in a statement.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, will preside at the Mass and represent Pope Leo XIV.
The Diocese of Peoria is planning other events in Peoria leading up to Sheen’s beatification.
Venerable Sheen’s beatification is a “moment of great grace,” Bishop Tylka said.
“His life and ministry continue to inspire countless people to know and love Jesus Christ more deeply. Through his preaching, teaching, and personal witness, he brought the light of faith to millions, calling each of us to a deeper devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Blessed Mother,” the bishop said in the statement.
Born in 1895 in El Paso, Illinois, Sheen was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria in 1919. Sheen had a natural talent with media and started his first radio show in 1930.
In 1950, he became national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, raising money to support the missions. One year later, Sheen was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York.
From 1961 to 1968, he hosted “The Fulton Sheen Program,” and in 1966, he was appointed bishop of Rochester, New York. He resigned in 1969 and was appointed the archbishop of titular see of Newport Wales by Pope Paul VI.
During his lifetime, he published dozens of books and was a well-known figure in the United States. He died on Dec. 9, 1979, in New York City.
For more information about the beatification plans, visit celebratesheen.com.