The Vatican has approved the next step toward sainthood for Venerable Fulton Sheen, allowing him to be declared “blessed,” Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, announced in a Feb. 9 video statement.
“I’m excited to share some wonderful news,” Bishop Tylka said in the video. “The Holy See has informed me that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can now move forward to beatification.”
Bishop Tylka said the decision means the Church has formally recognized Archbishop Sheen’s “life of heroic virtue” and has approved “one verified miracle.”
Archbishop Sheen was a globally influential religious communicator, reaching millions through radio, television, and print. He died in 1979. Bishop Tylka described him as “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,” Bishop Tylka said, adding that Sheen’s preaching, teaching, and missionary work “helped countless people encounter Jesus in a personal and life-changing way.”
The bishop emphasized that the beatification process is not only about honoring Archbishop Sheen’s legacy, but also about offering his life as an example for Catholics today.
“The process of beatification is meaningful because it lifts up someone as an example for all of us,” Bishop Tylka said. “Someone whose life shows what it means to follow Christ faithfully.”
For Catholics in central Illinois, the announcement carries special significance. Sheen was born in the Diocese of Peoria and is now buried at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Peoria.
“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,” Bishop Tylka said.
He ended his message by urging the faithful to draw inspiration from Archbishop Sheen’s witness. “May his example inspire each of us to live with that same faith, courage, and love for Jesus Christ,” he said. “Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, pray for us.”
Archbishop Sheen is widely remembered for his Emmy-winning television program “Life Is Worth Living” and for his role in bringing Catholic teaching to a broad American audience during the mid-20th century.
Additional details about the beatification celebration will be announced later on Sheen’s website.