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Soon to be Blessed…
Fulton Sheen
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Dear Friends in Christ,
On September 24th, the Venerable Fulton Sheen will be beatified, the last step before canonization. It’s fitting that this should occur during the 250th anniversary of our nation, as he was a quintessential American.
Fulton Sheen was born in 1895 in El Paso, Illinois. His parents moved the family to Peoria so that he could attend Catholic school. The inconvenience paid off, as he distinguished himself and was his high school class’s valedictorian. He later obtained his doctorate at the prestigious Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. He went on to teach philosophy in England and then at the Catholic University of America.
Most people know Fulton Sheen as, in effect, the first televangelist. His show Life is Worth Living was the most popular show many years running, beating out even the immensely popular Milton Berle. Sheen knew how to explain the truths of the faith in a way that all people could grasp.
But it would be a disservice to think of him as only a popularizer. Fulton Sheen was a first rate philosophical and theological mind. He was friends with some of the great thinkers of the last century, such as Monsignor Ronald Knox and G.K. Chesterton. In fact, Chesterton who wrote a forward for Sheen’s book, God and Intelligence, which anticipated the so-called “New Atheists” by some decades.
Most importantly, Sheen was a devout priest. He constantly promoted the daily hour. As he put it, “The purpose of the Holy Hour is to encourage a deep personal encounter with Christ. The Holy and Glorious God ¡s constantly inviting us to come to Him, to hold converse with Him, to ask for such things as we need and to experience what a blessing there is in fellowship with Him.” He spoke about the holy hour not just for priests and religious but for all Catholics.
All of this is on my mind because I recently visited Sheen’s tomb in Peoria, IL (not, I will grant you, a common summer vacation destination). In addition to the privilege of praying at his tomb, I also met the grandmother of the young man who received a miraculous healing through Sheen’s intercession. She explained that her grandson was stillborn. His parents appealed to Fulton Sheen for intercession. After one hour, the doctors were about to declare him dead…when he suddenly showed signs of life. That young man, who has no physical or mental impairment, will be present at Sheen’s beatification in September.
Fulton Sheen, pray for us.
Updates…
The Church Springs Eternal: How Christ has Guided the Church Through Over Two Millenium–Join summer seminarian, Tyler Boreani, as he guides us through Church History from Apostolic Times to the Modern Age over the course of three sessions. We’ll dive into the evangelical reach of the apostles, the persecution of the Early Church, the Scholastic Period (Middle Ages), the Crusades, the Protestant Revolution, and much more. Each lecture will be followed with a period of Q&A and discussion.
- July 22nd, 7:00pm, IHM Conference Room
- July 29th, 7:00pm, IHM Conference Room
- August 5th, 7:00pm, IHM Conference Room
Join Bishop Burbidge as he visits Saint James on July 18th to offer the 8:30am Mass and lead the Rosary at the abortion facility afterwards.
Mass and Mimosas-The 830am Mass on Saturday the 26th will be a special Mass to celebrate the feast of Saint James. With treats to follow outside on the lawn afterwards!
The Catholics Vote No campaign invites you to pledge to vote no on the proposed Virginia constitutional amendments that would codify unrestricted abortion and gay marriage. Visit Catholics Vote No to learn more.
Canine Humor
When the local blacksmith died, I adopted his dog. But as soon as we got home, he made a bolt for the door.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Scalia