- 25 September, 2026
St. Louis, Missouri, September 24, 2026: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the pioneering Catholic evangelist who brought the Gospel to millions through radio, television, preaching and writing, was declared Blessed Fulton J. Sheen on 24 September 2026 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Pope Leo XIV issued the decree granting Sheen the title of Blessed, while Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, serving as the Pope’s legate and principal celebrant, read the apostolic letter during the beatification Mass. Tens of thousands of faithful gathered for the historic celebration.
Pope Leo also announced that Blessed Fulton Sheen’s feast day will be 9 December, the anniversary of his death in 1979.
The beatification came after years of investigation into Sheen’s life, virtues and intercession. In 2019, the Vatican approved a miracle attributed to his intercession involving James Fulton Engstrom, who survived after spending 61 minutes without a heartbeat. Medical experts, cardinals and others involved in the Vatican investigation unanimously recognised the healing as miraculous.
Sheen was not beatified simply because he was a famous preacher or television personality. The Church recognised a life marked by missionary zeal, Eucharistic devotion, prayer, charity and a profound relationship with Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Tagle highlighted Sheen’s “deep, humble relationship with Jesus Christ” and his solidarity with the poor and vulnerable. Rather than taking personal credit for the many people who entered the Church through his ministry, Sheen described himself as a “porter” who helped people reach the open door of God’s house.
His witness also remains striking because he understood modern communications as an opportunity for evangelisation. Pope Leo XIV himself recently described Sheen as “a light of faith, hope, and love” who shone through radio and television for decades.
For the Church today, Sheen’s beatification therefore carries a particular missionary message: new technologies can become instruments for proclaiming the timeless Gospel.
The celebration was preceded by days of prayer and preparation.
From 15 to 23 September, a nine-day novena of Holy Hours was held at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria. Each evening reflected on themes including prayer, education, the Eucharist, the Cross, priesthood, missions and evangelisation.
On 20 September, an anniversary Mass commemorated Sheen’s ordination to the priesthood. On 23 September, the focus moved to St. Louis, where Vespers was celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. A Holy Hour for young adults followed at the Basilica of St. Louis, the Old Cathedral.
On 24 September, the doors of The Dome opened at 8am. The faithful could participate in Eucharistic adoration, confession and the Beatification Expo before the main celebration.
The “Celebrate Sheen Show” began at 10am, while the processional for the Beatification Mass began at 1.30pm. The liturgy brought together 89 bishops, around 1,000 priests, seminarians, religious and hundreds of deacons, alongside tens of thousands of pilgrims.
The formal beatification rite occurred near the beginning of Mass. Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria formally requested that Sheen be declared Blessed. A brief biography was then presented before Cardinal Tagle read Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter in Latin. Bishop Tylka subsequently proclaimed the decree in English.
As the hymn of thanksgiving was sung, a new portrait of Blessed Fulton Sheen, depicting him with a halo, was unveiled. A corresponding portrait was unveiled at his tomb in Peoria. A relic of the new Blessed was then presented for veneration.
The beatification did not end in St. Louis. From 25 to 26 September, the celebrations returned to Peoria, Sheen’s home diocese.
Friday included Masses of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral of St. Mary, parish talks and the inaugural Sheen Awards Gala, celebrating people who use media, writing, preaching, music and missionary service to lead others towards Christ.
On Saturday, further Masses of Thanksgiving were followed by a Byzantine Divine Liturgy at 3pm, offered for the Church’s thanksgiving for Sheen’s life and witness.
Fulton Sheen entered eternity in 1979, but his missionary question remains remarkably contemporary: how can the Church communicate Christ to a changing world?
His answer was to use the means available to him — and to place those means at the service of the Gospel.
His beatification invites today's Catholics to do the same, while remembering that behind every microphone, television screen or digital platform is ultimately a human heart searching for truth.
Blessed Fulton Sheen’s legacy is therefore not merely about the past. It is a call to evangelise with courage, clarity, charity and, above all, a heart centred on Christ.
News Courtesy : EWTN News
Photo Credit : Jeffrey Bruno
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