Illinois congressman honors Fulton Sheen on House floor ahead of beatification

An Illinois congressman honored Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen on the House floor ahead of his Sept. 24 beatification, highlighting the future blessed’s pioneering use of media to bring the Catholic faith into millions of American homes.

Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., recognized Sheen’s life and ministry in remarks before Congress Sept. 17, drawing particular attention to his connection to the state.

“For the people of central Illinois, this is an especially meaningful moment,” LaHood said. “Fulton Sheen was one of our own, a product of central Illinois.”

LaHood also reflected on Sheen’s early embrace of new forms of media.

“Long before podcasts, social media, or streaming, Sheen understood how technology could be used to reach people wherever they were, including in their own homes. He asked fundamental questions: Why are we here on earth?” LaHood said.

That legacy is now drawing renewed attention as Sheen’s beatification approaches.

“And now, after decades of prayer and discernment, his cause is reaching a historic milestone,” LaHood said. “Fulton Sheen will be beatified and declared a blessed of the Catholic Church.”

LaHood then turned to the message Sheen carried throughout his public ministry.

“Over his career, he consistently and beautifully offered a message centered on faith, human dignity, personal responsibility, and purpose,” LaHood said.

He said Sheen also called people to carry those principles into the way they lived.

“He spent his life encouraging people not to simply watch the world around them, but to participate, to serve others, stand for human dignity, seek truth, and live with purpose.”

Concluding his remarks, LaHood said: “I am proud to honor the life and legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a great Catholic leader, a pioneering communicator, and a proud son of our Peoria Diocese. May his example continue to inspire generations to come.”

As Zeale News previously reported, the miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession involved James Fulton Engstrom, who was born without signs of life in 2010 and recovered without lasting complications. Engstrom is expected to attend the Sept. 24 beatification Mass in St. Louis.

Following beatification, a second Church-approved miracle is required before Sheen could be canonized. Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, previously told Zeale News that five other reported miracles have emerged as potential leads for his cause.