The Catholic Diocese of Peoria on Sunday afternoon celebrated the 107th anniversary of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s ordination as a priest ahead of his beatification ceremony on Sept. 24.
The anniversary Mass took place at the seat of the Peoria diocese, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception at 607 N.E. Madison Ave. Many Peoria clergy were in attendance, including Bishop Louis Tylka, who heads the diocese. Father Peter Alindogan of Trenton, N.J. performed the homily, where he spoke about Sheen.
“God gives grace, and Archbishop Fulton Sheen understood grace,” said Alindogan during his homily. “His priesthood began here, but from this cathedral, the vineyard opened before him to classrooms, televisions, the episcopacy and the missions. He became one of the most recognizable Catholic voices of his generation.”
Born on May 8, 1895 in El Paso, Ill., Sheen [born and baptized as Peter John before taking his mother’s maiden name Fulton] and his family moved to Peoria.
Sheen became an altar boy at St. Mary’s before graduating from Spalding Institute in 1913 and later St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, Ill. He began his priesthood studies at the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He was ordained on Sept. 20, 1919 at St. Mary’s.
Sheen served Peoria among many other U.S. parishes, but he is best known for his radio and television work. He hosted the NBC radio show “The Catholic Hour” from 1930 to 1950, amassing a weekly audience of 4 million by the end. He became a massive hit on TV in the 1950s. His show “Life is Worth Living” winning him an Emmy in 1953.
“But the secret of Fulton Sheen was not television,” Alindogan said. “It was not the microphone. The secret of Fulton Sheen was the chapel, the Blessed Sacrament, the daily holy hour.
“Before Sheen spoke to millions, he sat silently before our blessed lord, the one. Before he stood beneath studio lights, he knelt before the sanctuary lamp, and perhaps that is why people listened. They sensed he was not merely speaking about Christ, he knew Jesus Christ our lord.”
Sheen died in 1979. Initially buried at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a lengthy legal battle brought his remains to rest at St. Mary’s.
A confirmed miracle is required for beatification. Due to a knot in his umbilical cord, James Fulton Engstrom was stillborn on Sept. 16, 2010. OSF St. Francis Medical Center staff were about to call the time of death when James’ parents, Bonnie and Travis, prayed to Jesus and Sheen. James’ heart began beating. He is now 16 and has suffered no major medical problems.
Pope Francis approved the miracle in 2019, and beautification was scheduled for late December. It was postponed in early December when the bishop of Rochester voiced concern over Sheen allegedly posting a priest named in a 1963 sexual misconduct case. The Peoria diocese argued that Sheen’s successor ordered the posting. In March 2026, the beatification was announced as back on.
“I never doubted the cause wouldn’t move forward, that this day would come,” Bishop Tylka said before the Sunday Mass. “It [was] just a matter of when the Lord was going to bring it about through the church. So, it’s an opportune moment to celebrate. There is some relief we’re finally here. It’s been a very intense six months of preparation, basically.”
Tylka said there is a great sense of joy. Because of Sheen’s accomplishments and influence, the beatification is a wonderful moment, Tylka said, not just for the Peoria diocese but the church around the world.
“There’s also, I think, the hope, as we know, that there’s more work to be done, that this is not the final stage,” Tylka said. “This is the last step before being canonized a saint in the church. So, we’ll continue to do the work to move us to that point as well, praying for another miracle.”
A second miracle is required for canonization. The church already has five miracles under consideration for Sheen. Tylka would love the process to be quick, maybe taking a year or two, but he stressed it could be a while, pointing out there are figures from centuries ago that have been beatified but still not canonized.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle will preside over Sheen’s beatification Mass, which begins at 2 p.m. Thursday at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis. A pre-Mass show, with a concert and discussions, will begin at 10 a.m. The event will be livestreamed at celebratesheen.com.
“One-and-seven years ago, in this cathedral, Fulton J. Sheen said ‘yes,’” Alindogan said. “He could not have known where that yes would take him. He simply gave it, and [on Thursday] the church will celebrate what God can do with one human yes surrendered to him.”
