His Life, Legacy, and the Miracle Behind His Beatification
On September 24, 2026, the Catholic Church will celebrate the beatification of one of the most recognizable Catholic voices of the 20th century: Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. Known for his remarkable ability to explain the Catholic faith with clarity, warmth, and even humor, Archbishop Sheen used the newest forms of media of his day to bring the Gospel into millions of homes. After his beatification, he will officially be known as Blessed Fulton Sheen.
Who Was Fulton Sheen?
Fulton J. Sheen was born on May 8, 1895, in El Paso, Illinois, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1919. A gifted teacher, preacher, and writer, he taught for many years at The Catholic University of America and authored dozens of books throughout his life.
Sheen became especially well known through radio and television. Beginning in 1930, he reached millions through The Catholic Hour, where he explained the truths of the Catholic faith in a clear and engaging way.
In the 1950s, he brought that same gift to television with Life Is Worth Living. Standing before a simple blackboard, Bishop Sheen spoke directly to viewers about faith, morality, family life, suffering, and the challenges of the modern world. At its peak, the program reached an estimated 30 million viewers, and Sheen received an Emmy Award for his work.
Long before social media and online videos, Fulton Sheen understood that modern media could be a powerful tool for evangelization.
A Life Rooted in Prayer
Behind Sheen's very public ministry was a deeply personal life of prayer. One of his most cherished spiritual practices was spending a daily Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament, a devotion he faithfully maintained throughout his priesthood.
Archbishop Sheen died on December 9, 1979, at the age of 84. In 2012 Pope Benedict XVI recognized that Sheen had lived a life of heroic virtue, giving him the title Venerable.
The Miracle Attributed to Fulton Sheen
For a person who has been declared Venerable to be beatified, the Catholic Church ordinarily requires a miracle attributed to that person's intercession. In Fulton Sheen's case, that miracle involved a baby named James Fulton Engstrom.
James was born in Illinois in September 2010 with no detectable heartbeat or breathing. Doctors and medical personnel worked to revive him, but for 61 minutes he showed no signs of life. During that time, his family and friends began praying for Fulton Sheen's intercession.
Then, just as medical personnel were preparing to declare that the baby had died, James' heart began to beat.
Even after his heart began beating, there were serious concerns that such a prolonged period without a heartbeat would leave him with severe brain or organ damage. Instead, James recovered and went on to develop normally, without the cognitive or developmental disabilities doctors might ordinarily have expected following such an event.
The case underwent years of investigation. Medical experts concluded unanimously that the recovery could not be scientifically explained, and theologians determined that the prayers had been directed specifically through Fulton Sheen's intercession. In 2019, Pope Francis formally recognized the miracle, clearing the way for Sheen's beatification.
A New Blessed for Our Time
More than four decades after his death, Fulton Sheen's words continue to reach people through his books, recordings, television programs, and online videos. His methods may have been groundbreaking for his time, but his message was timeless: True personal happiness and a meaningful life can only be found by placing Jesus Christ at the center of everything.
HIs life offers a powerful reminder that evangelization can happen anywhere—from a church pulpit to a radio microphone, a television studio, and today, even through the screens we carry in our pockets.
Most importantly, Sheen reminds us that great works of evangelization must begin with something much quieter: time spent with Jesus in prayer.
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