North Dakota diocese spotlights a 1973 visit from Fulton Sheen: An ‘eloquent witness for our Lord Jesus Christ’

As the Church prepares to celebrate the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen Sept. 24, the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, is spotlighting when he had visited for a priests’ retreat and several community events, sharing with them the same message he echoed throughout his ministry: cultivate prayer, charity, and faith in God. 

Archbishop Sheen visited the diocese in September 1973, just a few years after he resigned as bishop of Rochester, New York. He emphasized that he was merely resigning, not retiring, and spent his remaining years primarily preaching and writing, according to his biography. He died in 1979 at the age of 84 and his cause for canonization opened in 2002. 

According to the Fargo diocesan magazine New Earth, during his visit he held a multi-day retreat for diocesan priests, giving several speeches and lectures. 

Among the more than 80 priests in attendance was Father Bernard Pfau, who is now retired. 

He told New Earth that the archbishop had emphasized the importance of time with Christ in the Eucharist. 

“Two things stand out about his ministry,” Father Pfau told the publication. “His emphasis on making a daily Holy Hour if you wish to be a great preacher, and his leadership with the World Mission Collection for many years, better known as Society for the Propagation of Faith.”

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This society is a part of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which Archbishop Sheen led from 1950 to 1966 as national director. According to the Venerable Fulton Sheen Society, the archbishop “raised more money for the spread of the Gospel than any other American Catholic. This effort includes the donation of more than $10 million of his personal earnings.”

Father Pfau recalled how the archbishop inspired prayer, faith, and generosity. A priest from his hometown left most of his estate to Archbishop Sheen for his mission work, he told New Earth, estimating this amounted to at least $500,000. 

Moreover, Father Pfau added, “I'm sure he instilled a spirit of generosity in many people over the years of his popular preaching.”

Along with the retreat Archbishop Sheen held, he attended a meeting of a fundraising club for a local Catholic high school, and gave a speech to 700 people at a C-400 Club meeting and dinner for alumni and donors of the Lutheran Concordia College, the evening of Sept. 18, according to the publication. He gave a speech the next day at the Concordia College Fieldhouse as well; both speeches were open to the public and about 7,000 people attended. 

According to New Earth, an archived Catholic Action News issue from October 1973 reported that he told engaging stories throughout his speeches, captivating his audiences both evenings.  His remarks included more than just interesting anecdotes; there was a clear message urging attendees to cultivate faith. 

“To keep our rights and liberties, we have to keep our God,” he said, according to Catholic Action News. 

He also told them, “We have our destiny in our faith.”

New Earth also reported that it obtained from Concordia College’s archivist a digital copy of a letter, sent to Archbishop Sheen days after the visit, by John Pierce, who was executive secretary of the C-400 Club at the time. 

Pierce told Archbishop Sheen, “Your eloquent witness for our Lord Jesus Christ, your genius of expression that captured the hearts of our friends, and your thoughtful, sincere quietness in such a personal [and] supportive way were very special.”

“Your visit,” he added, “left a visible, dramatic impact that shall profoundly affect our future as Christian brothers and sisters who work together for his kingdom… I believe God used you mightily in your Fargo-Moorhead stay.”