Show me your feet. Are they wounded in service? This is a quote by the American Roman Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen. He was one of the most visible Catholics of 1950s whose preaching was famous in radio and television. In fact, he is regarded as the first televangelist who brought church to 30 million American living rooms.
Sheen was born Fulton John Sheen in May 1895 in Illinois, Chicago. In Peoria, Illinois he served as an altar boy and years later he would be ordained into priesthood there. He attended local schools for his basic education then proceeded to Catholic University of America to further his studies in Philosophy.
Later, Sheen proceeded to the Catholic University of American in Washington to study Philosophy. He got a doctorate in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. It was during his stay that he was awarded the Cardinal Mercier prize, an award that rewards recipients for their contribution to Philosophy. Later, he left to begin service as a bishop in New York.
Fulton began evangelism through mass media in 1930. His first show was known as Catholic Hour broadcast on radio every week on Sundays. It was right in the middle of World War II and he took advantage of the platform to preach against the war. Besides, he conducted the first ever church service on mass media. The popularity of his program among viewers won him an Emmy award.
Archbishop Fulton was not short of controversy. Perhaps the most remembered broadcast was in 1953 where he publicly denounced the regime of Joseph Stalin. Dramatically, he used the burial scene from Julius Caesar from Shakespeare to predict doom to Stalin and other Soviet leaders of the time. His last words were that Stalin should one day face his judgment. True to his word, Stalin died within the week from stroke.
Fulton faced his death as a result of a heart condition having undergone an open heart surgery in 1979. He was buried in a crypt in the cathedral he served in New York which is to blame for his delayed journey to his sainthood. Cause for canonization was begun in the year 2002 and was granted the Servant of God title. A decade later, the Vatican approved the journey towards his beatification by bestowing him the title of Venerable.
Before one is considered for beatification, they have to have performed a miracle. The event that is defined to be a miracle should be beyond the explanation of science or nature. In the case of Sheen, he is said to have healed a baby boy who was declared stillborn after missing a pulse for 61 minutes. The mother of infant is said to have interceded to Fulton. The infant survived with no impairments and the case proved beyond scientific explanation by a Vatican medical team.
The infant miracle has brought the Sheen beatification journey into its final stages conferring to him the title blessed. Coincidentally, this is an important journey towards canonization. The present challenge is to have his remains examined at his home church in Peoria and the tussle with the church in New York has continuously delayed the process. All his followers can hope for is an eventual canonization.
Sheen was born Fulton John Sheen in May 1895 in Illinois, Chicago. In Peoria, Illinois he served as an altar boy and years later he would be ordained into priesthood there. He attended local schools for his basic education then proceeded to Catholic University of America to further his studies in Philosophy.
Later, Sheen proceeded to the Catholic University of American in Washington to study Philosophy. He got a doctorate in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. It was during his stay that he was awarded the Cardinal Mercier prize, an award that rewards recipients for their contribution to Philosophy. Later, he left to begin service as a bishop in New York.
Fulton began evangelism through mass media in 1930. His first show was known as Catholic Hour broadcast on radio every week on Sundays. It was right in the middle of World War II and he took advantage of the platform to preach against the war. Besides, he conducted the first ever church service on mass media. The popularity of his program among viewers won him an Emmy award.
Archbishop Fulton was not short of controversy. Perhaps the most remembered broadcast was in 1953 where he publicly denounced the regime of Joseph Stalin. Dramatically, he used the burial scene from Julius Caesar from Shakespeare to predict doom to Stalin and other Soviet leaders of the time. His last words were that Stalin should one day face his judgment. True to his word, Stalin died within the week from stroke.
Fulton faced his death as a result of a heart condition having undergone an open heart surgery in 1979. He was buried in a crypt in the cathedral he served in New York which is to blame for his delayed journey to his sainthood. Cause for canonization was begun in the year 2002 and was granted the Servant of God title. A decade later, the Vatican approved the journey towards his beatification by bestowing him the title of Venerable.
Before one is considered for beatification, they have to have performed a miracle. The event that is defined to be a miracle should be beyond the explanation of science or nature. In the case of Sheen, he is said to have healed a baby boy who was declared stillborn after missing a pulse for 61 minutes. The mother of infant is said to have interceded to Fulton. The infant survived with no impairments and the case proved beyond scientific explanation by a Vatican medical team.
The infant miracle has brought the Sheen beatification journey into its final stages conferring to him the title blessed. Coincidentally, this is an important journey towards canonization. The present challenge is to have his remains examined at his home church in Peoria and the tussle with the church in New York has continuously delayed the process. All his followers can hope for is an eventual canonization.
About the Author:
There is now a much quicker and convenient way to get to know Archbishop Fulton Sheen thanks to his official website. To see all the related info, simply log on to our homepage by clicking here http://www.archbishopfultonsheen.com.
0 comments:
Post a Comment