Venerable Fulton J. Sheen—soon to be Blessed—was one of the most iconic Catholic figures of the 20th century. While his legacy spans from diocesan ministry to teaching and speaking to serving on the Second Vatican Council, he is perhaps most popularly recognized for his work in radio and television, especially his primetime TV show Life Is Worth Living.
Sheen evangelized millions through his media ministry, and there is an untold number of souls converted to the Catholic faith through his witness. Not that Sheen would take any credit for that, of course; he believed the work of converting hearts belonged to God alone. But Fulton Sheen was a willing and effective instrument in God’s hands.
Bishop Fulton Sheen led a full and fascinating life and ministry, taking him from his roots in small-town Illinois to his studies in Europe to participation in the Second Vatican Council. Along the way, he was a pioneer in media ministry, earning an Emmy award for “Most Outstanding Television Personality” in 1952 and reaching millions of souls across the air waves and TV waves. And that’s in addition to traveling nationally and internationally for speaking engagements and authoring 66 books.
Just months before passing into eternal life, he met Pope John Paul II at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, who said to him, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You are a loyal son of the Church.” A couple of months later, he passed away during his daily holy hour, a commitment he’d kept his entire priestly life.
Learn more about the events of Sheen’s life in the timeline below.
1895 – born in El Paso, Illinois
1903 – altar server at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria
1919 – ordained a priest in the Diocese of Peoria
1920 – began postgraduate studies at Catholic University of America
1923 – earned a doctorate at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and received Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy
1925 – assigned to St. Patrick’s in Diocese of Peoria
1926 – assigned to teaching faculty of Catholic University of America, where he taught until 1950
1926 – first radio broadcast, a series of Lenten sermons for a New York radio station
1930 – first guest appearance on the radio show The Catholic Hour, then stayed on weekly until 1950
1934 – made a monsignor by Pope Pius XI at the age of 39
1940 – spoke at the first televised broadcast of a Catholic religious service on “The Spiritual Symbolism of Television”
1950 – served as National Director of the Propagation of the Faith until 1966
1951 – ordained a bishop in Rome and began serving as auxiliary to Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York
1952 – began broadcasting Life Is Worth Living and won an Emmy Award
1962 – participated in Second Vatican Council through 1965
1966 – appointed bishop of Rochester by Pope Paul VI
1969 – resigned as bishop and named Archbishop of the Titular See of Newport (Wales)
1979 – met Pope John Paul II at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York
1979 – died in his private chapel during his daily holy hour
At a time when television was still a relatively new medium, Fulton Sheen recognized its potential for evangelization. He saw advances in communication not as threats to the faith, but as opportunities to bring the Gospel to people who might not otherwise encounter it.
Sheen’s appeal was remarkable. He was intellectually sharp, deeply rooted in Catholic teaching, and unafraid to address difficult subjects, yet he spoke with a warmth and directness that drew people in. At Cardinal Spellman’s suggestion that Sheen consider television for his evangelistic efforts, he began his famous television show, Life Is Worth Living, which aired weekly for 13 years and reached an audience of millions.
The success of Life Is Worth Living made it one of the defining broadcasts of its time and “the most widely-viewed religious series in the history of television.” Fulton Sheen’s example still speaks to the Church today: the tools of a new age can be used faithfully and effectively in service of the Gospel.
You can watch reruns of Life Is Worth Living on CatholicTV (check our schedule page for current air times).
Fulton Sheen is known not only for his work in media but for his holiness and personal example of faith. In 2002, the Diocese of Peoria—Bishop Sheen’s home diocese—officially opened his cause for canonization. He was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, and in 2014, his first miracle was confirmed: a stillborn infant resuscitating after 61 minutes without a pulse. Pope Francis officially recognized this miracle in 2019 and called for Sheen’s beatification, which was initially postponed.
Finally, in 2026, the beatification date has been set for September 24 of this same year, and fans and devotees of Fulton Sheen everywhere are excitedly preparing for this historic event!
2002 – cause for canonization officially opened by Diocese of Peoria
2012 – Recognized by Congregation for the Causes of Saints and declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI
2014 – miracle attributed to Sheen approved by Congregation for the Causes of the Saints
2019 – Pope Francis calls for Sheen’s beatification
September 24, 2026 – beatification of Fulton Sheen to take place in St. Louis, Missouri
Find more details for the beatification at the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation’s website, including a weeklong pilgrimage beginning in Peoria just four days before the beatification.
Also, stay tuned for more information on how you can get a digital front-row seat to the beatification with CatholicTV coverage! We’ll bring this historic moment into your living room so you can witness Church history unfolding before your eyes.
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation
Catholic University of America
Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Spiritual Centre
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