15-05-2025
The possible path for Archbishop Fulton Sheen to become a Saint
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — An Archbishop who was born and raised in central Illinois could have the status of a Saint sooner rather than later.
The venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen was a man who went from being born in El Paso, Illinois, to being one of the most captivating people on television.
There is a possibility he could soon be referred to as Saint Fulton Sheen.
'We believe that some day the church will indeed catch up with Fulton Sheen, meaning that the church will canonize him,' said Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria. 'But at present we're just working with the other dioceses and the Universal Church to move forward and move beyond the pause so that we can move to the beatification of Fulton Sheen.'
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Sheen was known for his television and radio presence, drawing around 30 million weekly viewers for his half-hour segments during the public service show 'Life Is Worth Living.'
He won an Emmy in 1953 for 'Most Outstanding Personality', beating other nominees such as Lucille Ball and Edward R. Murrow.
Bishop Tylka of the Peoria Diocese said even though the process for Sheen's sainthood is on pause, he hopes it can be resumed soon.
'God willing, hopefully soon,' said Tylka. 'Certainly with a new Holy Father, we'll be reaching out to him to encourage him to allow us to move that forward.'
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is set to begin for the Peoria Diocese on Monday. This is a journey that many dioceses from across the country take part in.
This journey begins with the presence of Jesus in the form of bread in the streets of different areas.
For the Peoria Diocese, they will be making stops in several cities and towns, including Galesburg, Bloomington and the home church of Archbishop Sheen in El Paso.
To see the full list of stops, click here.
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