BREAKING: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen declared ‘Blessed’ at Mass in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS (OSV News) — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen — the 20th-century American theologian, evangelizer, Catholic communications pioneer, teacher and preacher — is now Blessed Fulton Sheen. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle , a pro-prefect for the Holy See’s Dicastery for Evangelization, pronounced the Church’s declaration on Archbishop Sheen’s life and witness at a Sept. 24 Mass celebrated in the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. The location had been selected by Archbishop Sheen’s home Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, to accommodate the thousands of pilgrims on hand for the beatification and its surrounding events. Around 50,000 people were in attendance, according to organizers. The beatification officially occurred between the liturgy’s Penitential Rite and the Gloria. Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, made a formal request for Archbishop Sheen’s beatification to Cardinal Tagle, the papal delegate. A short biography of Archbishop Sheen was read, followed by the formal decree of beatification from Pope Leo XIV. With the decree’s public proclamation, Archbishop Sheen is formally counted among the Church’s “beati,” from the Latin word for “blessed.” James Fulton Engstrom — whose revival from stillbirth in 2010, attributed to Archbishop Sheen’s intercession, was formally declared the miracle that moved Archbishop Sheen to beatification — presented a major relic of Archbishop Sheen. Enclosed in a special case called a reliquary, the relic is Archbishop Sheen’s mandible, or jawbone, chosen because it represented the archbishop’s tremendous gifts as an orator, teacher and evangelist. With the beatification, a portrait with an image of a haloed Archbishop Sheen was also unveiled. In the image, he is notably holding a piece of chalk, which he famously used (along with a blackboard) during his Emmy-winning television show “Life Is Worth Living.” The post BREAKING: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen declared ‘Blessed’ at Mass in St. Louis first appeared on OSV News .
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Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was beatified in St. Louis on Sept. 24, 2026, nearly seven years after the ceremony was first scheduled. Pope Leo XIV’s decree declared Sheen “blessed,” and set his feast day for Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death; attention is now turning to the possibility of his eventual canonization. 2 4
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the pope’s representative, presided at the Mass at The Dome at America’s Center. Tens of thousands attended; reports described a procession of about 1,000 priests and 89 bishops. After the decree was read in Latin and English, a portrait of Sheen with a halo was unveiled at the stadium and simultaneously at his tomb in Peoria. 2 4
Tagle’s homily presented Sheen’s holiness as rooted not in his fame but in his communion with Christ, his missionary work, and his solidarity with poor and vulnerable people. He also recalled Sheen’s humility: despite accompanying many converts, Sheen described himself as a “porter” who led people to the door of the Church rather than claiming credit for their conversions. 2 4
Sheen was ordained in 1919, taught at The Catholic University of America, and became a prominent broadcaster through “The Catholic Hour” on radio and the television programs “Life Is Worth Living” and “The Fulton Sheen Program.” His television work earned him an Emmy, and he later served as an auxiliary bishop of New York and as bishop of Rochester before retiring as an archbishop. 2
His influence was also remembered through his missionary work. Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, Nigeria’s national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, said Sheen’s example inspired his daily Holy Hour and that the Mission Rosary Sheen introduced remains part of his prayer life. 4
The miracle recognized for Sheen’s beatification involved James Fulton Engstrom, who was stillborn in 2010 and revived after 61 minutes without a heartbeat. His family had prayed for Sheen’s intercession; Engstrom, now 16, presented Sheen’s relics at the Mass, including his jawbone. 2 4
Sheen’s cause had been opened in 2002, and Pope Francis approved the miracle in 2019, when beatification was scheduled for that December. The ceremony was postponed after Rochester Bishop Salvatore Matano raised concerns about whether Sheen might be implicated in the handling of abuse cases; a subsequent investigation found Sheen had not assigned the priest at the center of one case to ministry, and no new allegations against Sheen emerged. The process moved forward after Rochester’s bankruptcy proceedings were resolved. 2
The Sheen Foundation said six purported miracles attributed to his intercession were being considered in connection with a possible canonization. Canonization typically requires a second confirmed miracle after beatification; the Church has not yet announced a decision on these reported cases. 4
The Diocese of Peoria’s cause also provided a prayer asking that Sheen be proclaimed a saint, if that accords with God’s will. 3*
Beatification, intercessory miracles, and the Church’s discernment of sanctity in evangelization
Beatification, miracles attributed to intercession, and the Church’s discernment of sanctity are not ends in themselves. Together, they offer a public witness that holiness is possible through God’s grace and can draw people toward Christ. Saints are not merely figures from the past: their lives illuminate the Gospel in the present and invite others to live it.
The Church’s discernment considers a person’s life and reputation for holiness, seeking evidence of heroic virtue, martyrdom, or—in certain cases—a life continually offered for others, even unto death. Beatification formally proposes the person as an exemplary witness to Christ; it is not simply an award for admirable achievements or social service.
The process also involves the faithful. A reputation for holiness should be genuine and enduring, not merely manufactured enthusiasm. Pope Benedict XVI describes the faithful as being invited, after careful discernment, to recognize candidates as models of Christian life.
Beatification and canonization are related but distinct stages. Beatification ordinarily permits veneration and invocation in a more limited ecclesial setting; canonization is the Church’s solemn, wider proclamation. The progression is meant to guide the faithful in recognizing, honoring, and imitating holiness.
Catholics do not understand a miracle as a power the candidate possesses independently of God. It is a gift God grants, attributed to the candidate’s intercession. In a cause, the Church examines the claimed event through both scientific and theological assessment: experts evaluate the facts, while theological judgment interprets whether the event can be recognized as a miracle in the context of faith.
A recognized miracle is therefore not a substitute for evidence of holiness. It serves as a sign that accompanies the Church’s judgment about the person’s life; Pope Benedict XVI called miracles a divine confirmation of that judgment. The available teaching also connects miracles with strengthening the preaching of the Gospel.
The saints evangelize first through lives shaped by Christ: prayer, charity, fidelity, courage, and service in ordinary circumstances. Their witness can make the Gospel compelling not mainly through argument, but through the attraction of a life transformed by God’s love. Pope Francis describes this as evangelization “by attraction” and links it to the saints’ charity and life in community.
The Church’s discernment of sanctity thus has a pastoral purpose. It points to concrete people whose lives show that the Gospel can be lived—in families, work, study, social life, and public life—and encourages the faithful to follow Christ in their own circumstances. The saints’ witness can reveal aspects of the Gospel more clearly and help the community grow in faith.
This also clarifies the proper place of devotion to a Blessed: invoking a saint’s intercession is not a replacement for Christ, but part of the Church’s confidence that those who share in God’s glory continue to intercede in Christ. The aim is not fascination with extraordinary events, but deeper communion with Christ and a more generous imitation of the Gospel.