>>175466, >>175467, >>175468, >>175469, >>175470, >>175471, >>175472, >>175473, >>175474, >>175475, >>175476, >>175477
Peter John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, on May 8, 1895, and was called “Fulton” in honor of his mother’s maiden name. Sheen was ordained a priest of the Peoria Diocese on Sept. 20, 1919. On June 11, 1951, he was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and remained in the position until 1966. He was then named the bishop of Rochester, New York, until his retirement in 1969 at the age of 74.
-
Tylka has previously called Sheen a “trailblazer” due to his Emmy-winning television show “Life Is Worth Living.” The show aired on television from 1952 until 1957, discussing morality and Catholicism.
-
Sheen “reached millions of people because of [the show],” Tylka said. “He was so far ahead of his time in that reality that we take for granted today.”
-
Sheen died due to heart disease on Dec. 9, 1979, the feast of St. Juan Diego.-
Although Sheen is to be beatified, the process leading to the milestone has been marked by many challenges and delays.
-
The televangelist’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.
-
On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved a reported miracle attributed to his intercession. Parents of a stillborn baby, James Fulton, prayed through the intercession of Sheen and their son miraculously recovered.
-
On June 17, 2014, the seven-member theological commission that advises the congregation unanimously agreed with the medical team’s finding.
-
In September 2014, Sheen’s cause was suspended due to an ownership dispute of his remains. The suspension was announced “with sadness” in a statement by then-bishop of Peoria Daniel R. Jenky, president of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation.