Fulton Sheen Beatified in St. Louis

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was beatified at a Mass in St. Louis, becoming the first American-born bishop to be beatified and taking a major step toward sainthood. Tens of thousands of pilgrims attended the ceremony, celebrating Sheen’s legacy as a pioneering communicator whose 1950s television program, “Life Is Worth Living,” drew an estimated 30 million weekly viewers. The Vatican recognized a 2010 miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession: James Fulton Engstrom, born without a pulse, began breathing after 61 minutes of resuscitation and survived without the predicted lasting injuries. Beatification recognizes Sheen as “blessed”; canonization would require approval of a second miracle. Pope Leo XIV, who said Sheen’s broadcasts helped shape his faith, praised him as an example of joyful evangelization.