Born Peter John Sheen in 1895 in El Paso, Illinois, while later adopting his mother's maiden name "Fulton" as his own in his youth, the future Blessed Fulton J. Sheen was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, in 1919.
He studied at both The Catholic University of America and at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, one of Europe's oldest universities, before returning to the former to teach religion and philosophy for more than 20 years.
While at Catholic University, then-Father Sheen's ability to engage with modern society on any number of issues and bring the light of the Gospel to them, quickly gained attention. He soon showed he was just as much at home before a radio mic and television camera as he was in the pulpit or the classroom.
Blessed Fulton Sheen rose to fame first through his radio show "The Catholic Hour" and then the Emmy-winning television program "Life is Worth Living."
Drawing on his scholarship, pastoral insight and a keen sense of humor, he shared with millions his love for Jesus Christ and his devotion to the Blessed Mother, while warning of the dangers of communism and the emptiness of a worldview that exalted man while excluding God.
With priestly faculties in both the Roman and Byzantine rites, Blessed Fulton J. Sheen was known for his closeness to Eastern Catholics.
Amid his broadcasts, his appearances, and the hundreds of letters a week he received, Archbishop Sheen wrote more than 60 books, not counting various reprints and collections of his works.
In 1950, he was appointed the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, now known as The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, and spent 16 years at the helm, reaching millions and modernizing missionary outreach.
He was ordained and named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951 before being appointed bishop of Rochester, New York, in 1966. Upon his retirement in 1969, he received the title "archbishop" from St. Paul VI. He continued to preach and give retreats, and died at age 84 in 1979, while in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in his private chapel.
The Diocese of Peoria opened Archbishop Sheen's cause for canonization in 2002, and in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI recognized the archbishop's heroic virtue, declaring him "venerable."
