Cause for Canonization
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
1895 – 1979 · American bishop, televangelist, teacher of the nations
Fulton John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, in 1895 and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in 1919. A prodigious scholar — he earned a doctorate at the Catholic University of Leuven and took the Cardinal Mercier Prize for philosophy — he taught at the Catholic University of America before becoming one of the great preachers of the twentieth century.
For two decades his voice carried over NBC radio on The Catholic Hour, and on television his program Life Is Worth Living (1952–1957) drew millions of viewers and won him an Emmy. As Auxiliary Bishop of New York and then Bishop of Rochester, he joined intellectual depth to an evangelist's gift for making the Gospel plain and compelling.
He died on December 9, 1979. In 2019 his remains were translated from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York to St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria — the see where his priestly life began — to advance the cause for his canonization.
The Road to the Altar
Progress of the Cause
2002
Servant of God
The Diocese of Peoria formally opened the cause for his canonization.
28 June 2012
Venerable
Pope Benedict XVI recognized his heroic virtues — he is now titled "Venerable."
Current stage
Awaited
Blessed
Beatification requires one confirmed miracle attributed to his intercession.
Awaited
Saint
Canonization requires a second confirmed miracle after beatification.
His cause is overseen by the Diocese of Peoria. The next step — beatification — awaits the formal recognition of a miracle through his intercession. Last updated 2026-09-06.
In His Own Words
Voices of a Teacher
"The truth is like a lion. You don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."
— Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
"There are not one hundred people in the world who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they mistakenly believe to be the Catholic Church."
— Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
"Life is worth living."
— Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
Pray for the Cause
A Prayer for the Canonization
O God, our Father, source of every good gift, we thank You for the life and witness of Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Through his preaching, his writing, and the media of his time, he led countless souls to a deeper love of Your Son and His Church. Grant, we pray, that his holiness of life may one day be recognized by the whole Church, and that through his intercession we may obtain the favors we now seek. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
An Act of Devotion
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Saint Gregory the Great ora pro nobis. Pray for us, help us, guide our hearts to God, The Son and the Holy Spirit.
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— Anonymous · for Assumption of Mary · Aug 15, 2026