Papal nuncio to US, Jonathan Roumie to attend inaugural Fulton Sheen Awards celebrating evangelization efforts

Following Venerable Fulton Sheen’s beatification, Catholic leaders and media figures will gather Sept. 25 in Peoria, Illinois, for an inaugural awards ceremony honoring his legacy of sharing the Gospel through modern media.

The Sheen Awards gala will recognize individuals and organizations whose work in media, evangelization, and mission reflects Ven. Sheen’s approach to proclaiming the faith, the Diocese of Peoria announced Sept. 3.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., is among those scheduled to attend.

“As the representative of the Holy Father, Pope Leo, to the Church in the United States, his presence at the Awards and his presiding at a Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday morning shows the importance of the Beatification of Fulton Sheen for the Church in the United States and around the world,” Peoria Bishop Louis Tylka said in the announcement.

Other guests will include Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in “The Chosen”; Word on Fire founder Bishop Robert Barron; Monsignor Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States; actor and filmmaker David Henrie; Catholic radio host Katie Prejean McGrady; and Catholic speaker Paul Kim.

Roumie recently discussed his growing connection to Ven. Sheen during the Aug. 27 “Before He Is Called Blessed” webcast, as Zeale News previously reported.

“I started looking into him and I recognized and I understood what his ministry was and how I could sort of relate to it, working in television and working in my heart as a form of ministry, doing what I do as an actor, using the gifts that God has entrusted to me to point the way to his son Jesus,” Roumie said.

Kim also recounted during the webcast how more than one million people joined his family in seeking Ven. Sheen’s intercession when his 5-year-old son, Micah, became gravely ill. Although Micah ultimately passed away, Kim spoke of his hope in Christ and said those prayers may have helped move Sheen’s beatification forward.

The awards will begin at 6 p.m. CDT at the Peoria Civic Center and include dinner and a live, four-act show exploring how the Church communicates the Gospel through mission, encounter, and storytelling.

The Peoria event comes one day after Ven. Sheen is beatified Sept. 24 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. As Zeale News previously reported, the Holy See cleared the way for the ceremony in February, nearly seven years after Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to his intercession.

Ven. Sheen was born and ordained a priest in Peoria and began his ministry in the diocese. He later became one of the most recognizable Catholic figures of the 20th century through his preaching, writing, and pioneering work in radio and television, including his Emmy Award-winning program “Life Is Worth Living,” which brought Catholic teaching to millions of American homes.