The date and event details of the beatification have not yet been announced.
By Catholics for Catholics
On Monday, Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria announced that the Holy See communicated that the beatification of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed. Once beatified, Sheen will become “Blessed.” The next step after beatification is canonization, in which he would officially become a saint. Sheen is buried in Peoria.
Pope Benedict XIV declared Sheen as Venerable in 2012, and in 2019, Pope Francis officially recognized the miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession that was required for the beautification cause to proceed – but the process was met with controversial delays.
Sheen was set to be beatified on December 21, 2019, but at the eleventh hour, the Peoria diocese announced a postponement of the process. According to a report from Catholic News Agency, it was the Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester who contacted the apostolic nuncio and requested the delay, apparently due to concerns that Sheen’s name might appear in a report from the New York attorney general’s office. The office was investigating whether any of the eight dioceses in the state had ever mishandled or covered up accusations of clerical abuse, and Sheen had served as the Bishop of Rochester from 1966-1969.
Msgr. James Kruse, Director of Canonical Affairs in the Diocese of Peoria and member of the Sheen Foundation, was adamant that there was no evidence to suggest wrongdoing by Sheen. The postponement, in the eyes of many, appeared to be purely for political reasons.
It is an enormous blessing that in 2026, the year in which the United States celebrates its 250 birthday, that the spiritual giant that is Venerable Fulton Sheen will be recognized as Blessed. Sheen was a brilliant orator and a trailblazer in using the media to spread the truth of Jesus Christ and His Church throughout America.
Servant of God Adele Brice, who received apparitions from Our Lady in Champion, Wisconsin, is also on the path to sainthood.
Catholics For Catholics believes that it is truly the Catholic faith that is necessary to put America on the path to full conversion to Christ and correct the many wrongs that permeate our culture and laws. The recognition of holy individuals such as Venerable Fulton Sheen and Servant of God Adele Brice is a beautiful gift and what we need: for America to give more saints to the Church!
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