Peoria-area native Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is on track toward sainthood in the Catholic Church once again, the Diocese of Peoria announced Monday.
In a video statement, Bishop Louis Tylka said that he has been notified by the Vatican that the cause for Sheen will move forward to beatification.
“That means that the church has recognized his life of heroic virtue and one verified miracle, opening the way for him to be declared ‘Blessed,’” said Tylka.
Sheen originally was slated for beatification in 2019, but the process was delayed following a request from the bishop of Rochester, New York.
“Sheen was one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the 20th century. His deep love for the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist shaped everything he did,” said Tylka. “Through his preaching, teaching and missionary work, he helped countless people encounter Jesus in a personal and life changing way.”
Sheen, who was born in El Paso in 1895 and ordained a priest in Peoria in 1919, became a famous religious author and televangelist prior to his death in 1979. His tomb is now located in Peoria’s Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
“For us here in the Diocese of Peoria, where Archbishop Sheen was born and now rests, this reminds us that holiness can grow from humble beginnings and reach the whole world,” said Tylka.
The date and details of Sheen's beatification ceremony will be shared soon through an update at CelebrateSheen.com.
