American television preacher and Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be beatified Thursday in St. Louis, marking a major step toward sainthood. Pope Leo XIV praised the late archbishop’s work as an influence on his own faith since childhood.
The beatification Mass will take place Thursday at The Dome at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend.
Sheen, who died in 1979, became one of the most prominent Catholic figures for his 1950s American television program “Life is Worth Living.” On the show, Sheen would stand before a chalkboard and deliver religious lessons. The program attracted an estimated 30 million viewers at the height of its popularity, according to CBS News. Sheen also won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding TV Personality.
Sheen was born in Illinois and was ordained a priest in 1919. He later served as bishop of Rochester, New York, before being appointed an archbishop by Pope Paul VI. The steps toward beatification began years ago, when Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession in 2019. A mother whose baby died at birth prayed for Sheen's intercession and after 61 minutes, the baby's heart began to beat.
Beatification was scheduled for December of that year but was postponed by the Vatican over an investigation into Sheen’s tenure as a bishop, including concerns surrounding his handling of priests accused of abuse. The investigation found no wrongdoing, and the Vatican moved forward with beatification this year.
Pope Leo, who is also from Illinois, grew up listening to Sheen and praised his work.
“Tomorrow in Saint Louis, Missouri, Venerable Fulton Sheen will be beatified,” Leo said on Wednesday. “May the example and the intercession of this holy bishop, known for his evangelizing work to the media, inspire many others likewise to find new ways of spreading the gospel message with joyful enthusiasm.”
Earlier this year, Leo had said that Sheen’s broadcasts were an influential part of his family’s faith formation.
“Archbishop Sheen was a beacon of faith, hope, and love who shone through radio and television for decades,” Leo said in June. “I myself witnessed his evangelization efforts as I was growing up. His broadcasts reached millions of people with the hope of the Gospel, and his initiatives and efforts provided enormous spiritual and material support to the churches in areas of first evangelization.”
