By Iliana Airey Sheen was born on May 8th, 1895. He was the oldest of 4 children and he lived on a farm. He altar served when he was a child at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois. He attended parochial school, which is a school that’s basically run by a parish/church, and then went on to attend St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, Illinois. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts and then a Master of Arts. Later on that year, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. Sheen pursued further studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1920; a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 1923; and a Doctor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1924. After another year of studying in Belgium, he served as a priest for a year in London. After that, he moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 1926 to serve as a parish priest. That same year, he left Peoria to join the philosophy faculty at the Catholic University of America, where he taught until 1950. That's a long time!
Not only was Sheen a great teacher, he was also a great speaker. Since the radio began to have more popularity in the 20th century, Sheen was able to use the radio to gain a wider and broader audience. In 1930, he began his radio career (which lasted 22 years!) on The Catholic Hour, which reached roughly 4 million listeners! That's a lot of people! In 1951 Sheen became a titular bishop, and he served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1951–66). During much of his stay in New York, he hosted a weekly television series, Life Is Worth Living (1951–1957), that attracted about 30 million viewers. On that show Sheen, often speaking without a script (which is pretty challenging!) and appearing at his characteristic chalkboard, discussed practical matters of faith and how to live life as a Catholic. Sheen was appointed national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1958, a position he held until 1966, when he was appointed bishop of Rochester, New York. From 1961 to 1969 he hosted another popular television show, The Bishop Fulton Sheen Show. He also wrote various books and a syndicated newspaper column. In 1969 he was appointed archbishop of Newport, Wales. From 1976 until his death three years later, Sheen served Pope Paul VI as Assistant to the Pontifical Throne, a position that authorized him to stand by the papal throne during official ceremonies. He died shortly after open-heart surgery in 1979 at the age of 84. Among his many books are Communism and the Conscience of the West (1948), Way to Inner Peace (1955), and The Power of Love (1965). Sheen was appointed national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1958, a position he held until 1966, when he was appointed bishop of Rochester, New York. From 1961 to 1969 he hosted another popular television show, The Bishop Fulton Sheen Show. He also wrote various books and a syndicated newspaper column. In 1969 he was appointed archbishop of Newport, Wales. From 1976 until his death three years later, Sheen served Pope Paul VI as Assistant to the Pontifical Throne, a position that authorized him to stand by the papal throne during official ceremonies. He died shortly after open-heart surgery in 1979 at the age of 84. Among his many books are Communism and the Conscience of the West (1948), Way to Inner Peace (1955), and The Power of Love (1965). Sheen was venerated, or officially recognized for having lived a life of holy virtue (a major step toward canonization as a saint of the church), by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. In July 2019, Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to Sheen, making possible his future beatification. Venerable Fulton Sheen: Pray for Us!
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