A portrait of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979), New York, 1964. | Credit: Bachrach/Getty Images
The Holy See informed the Diocese of Peoria that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification, according to the diocese.
The Holy See has officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification, according to an announcement from the diocese.
“The next step in the process is the celebration of the beatification, in which Fulton Sheen would be declared Blessed,” Tylka said. “Archbishop Fulton Sheen was one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century. I have long admired his lifelong commitment to serve the Church as a priest, rooted in his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist.”
“As he journeyed through the different stages of his life, his ability to share the Gospel and truly relate to people drew countless souls into an encounter with Jesus — one that transformed not only his life, but more importantly, the lives of those he touched.”
“In his later years, particularly through his work for the Missions, Archbishop Sheen helped us recognize that the Church is meant for all people. He reminded us that as members of the Church, we are called to serve everyone, especially those most in need and those longing to hear and experience the Gospel, wherever they may be in the world,” he said.
Tylka thanked the Holy See, his brother bishops, clergy, and laypeople for the collaboration and prayers that led to Sheen’s beatification, which will be “a special blessing for the Church in the United States, where he was a powerful evangelist on radio, television, and in personal appearances.”
The Diocese of Peoria is working with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican to determine the details for the upcoming beatification.
Fulton Sheen
Peter John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, on May 8, 1895, and was called “Fulton” in honor of his mother’s maiden name. Sheen was ordained a priest of the Peoria Diocese on Sept. 20, 1919. On June 11, 1951, he was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and remained in the position until 1966. He was then named the bishop of Rochester, New York, until his retirement in 1969 at the age of 74.
Tylka has previously called Sheen a “trailblazer” due to his Emmy-winning television show “Life Is Worth Living.” The show aired on television from 1952 until 1957, discussing morality and Catholicism.
Sheen “reached millions of people because of [the show],” Tylka said. “He was so far ahead of his time in that reality that we take for granted today.”
Sheen died due to heart disease on Dec. 9, 1979, the feast of St. Juan Diego.
Road to beatification
Although Sheen is to be beatified, the process leading to the milestone has been marked by many challenges and delays.
The televangelist’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.
On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved a reported miracle attributed to his intercession. Parents of a stillborn baby, James Fulton, prayed through the intercession of Sheen and their son miraculously recovered.
On June 17, 2014, the seven-member theological commission that advises the congregation unanimously agreed with the medical team’s finding.
In September 2014, Sheen’s cause was suspended due to an ownership dispute of his remains. The suspension was announced “with sadness” in a statement by then-bishop of Peoria Daniel R. Jenky, president of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation.
Explaining how the Holy See “expected that the remains of Venerable Sheen would be moved to Peoria where official inspection would be made and first-class relics be taken,” the statement said that the Archdiocese of New York had denied Jenky’s request to move the body to Peoria.
Finally in March 2019, a New York appeals court unanimously ruled that the earthly remains of Sheen could be moved to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. The following June, his body was transferred to St. Mary’s Cathedral after three years of litigation, helping to clear the way for the archbishop’s sainthood cause to go forward.
Pope Francis approved of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Sheen on July 5, 2019. Sheen was set to be beatified on Dec. 21, 2019, but the beatification experienced a delay.
Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester reportedly requested the delay of Sheen’s beatification due to concerns that he could be named in the final report of an ongoing investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.
The situation was later cleared up and it was reported the delay was not related to the 2007 allegation that Sheen witnessed and covered up an act of clerical sexual abuse. The Diocese of Peoria issued an announcement that said “it has been demonstrated definitively that [Sheen] was an exemplary model of Christian conduct and a model of leadership in the Church. At no time has his life of virtue ever been called into question.”
The diocese said the beatification would be delayed so that more time can be given to examine Sheen’s life. It further called the delay “unfortunate,” because “there continue to be many miracles reported through Sheen’s intercession.”
Despite the delays, proponents of the beatification continued to work to advance the cause. In May 2025 Tylka reiterated his intention to advocate for the beatification process with Pope Leo XIV.
By Tessa Gervasini
This article was originally published by EWTN News on February 9, 2026.
