Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Posted on 04/24/2009 9:39:02 AM PDT by NYer
.- The famous Catholic evangelist Archbishop Fulton Sheen's reputation for holiness and his impact on Catholics and non-Catholics alike has led to his cause for beatification being opened. Bill Engelbrecht, a member of the Archbishop Sheen Foundation’s board of directors, told CNA recently that the cause is progressing “quite well.”
The foundation, Engelbrecht explained, is kept informed of the beatification cause’s progress in Rome, and it is “on track.”
“The process is lengthy and it is undetermined. It can take from a few years to a few hundred years. It’s very difficult to actually assess one’s progress,” he said.
Engelbrecht related that several “significant” events had taken place in New Jersey, Texas, and other states. Upcoming events are planned for Georgia, Oklahoma City, and in Peoria, Illinois, Sheen’s birthplace.
“Everything has been moving in the right direction,” he said, adding that the foundation is promoting ways to make Archbishop Sheen better known to clergy and to younger generations, such as mp3 audio files, Facebook, the micro-blogging site Twitter and other new media.
“If you read Archbishop Sheen, he was able to strike a chord with almost every generation from the very young to the very old,” Engelbrecht said. “He was eminently accessible, he was charismatic, people liked him, people listened to him.”
One of his great lessons was about “how to live your life.”
“Obviously that was captured in his program “Life is Worth Living.” That’s a perfect title for what he had to say to us.”
He said that people touched by Archbishop Sheen exist everywhere.
“Go anywhere a large group of Catholics are assembled and bring up Archbishop Sheen. You’ll have somebody say how he affected them, or somebody close to them. He just touched so many people that it’s just amazing. It just repeats itself everywhere you go.”
He noted how one man, a recovering addict and alcoholic, drove nine hours to an Archbishop Sheen Foundation event to tell how one of the archbishop’s books affected him.
“He never met him. Someone by accident asked him to read a book of [Sheen’s]. He believes this man changed his life.”
Asked how Catholics might participate in advancing Archbishop Sheen’s cause, Engelbrecht said there would be a significant event at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in December.
He encouraged people to expose themselves to Archbishop Sheen’s books and to his writings.
“Simply go to the Archbishop Sheen Foundation website,” he said, explaining that there were opportunities to receive prayer cards, relic cards, information about the beatification process and information about how to support his cause.
The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation’s web site is located at http://www.archbishopsheencause.org/
But first, one Fr. Michael J. McGivney must be cannonized.
He got me to go to church. That’s a miracle!
Here are just two reviews of 46 reviews from Amazon.com readers:
For Catholics:
Fulton Sheen's book Life of Christ is a literary masterpiece. Sheen brilliantly navigates through the life of our Lord and highlights some of the more touching moments, while really bringing to life the moments that often get overlooked. Most importantly, this book will help you to nurture and inculcate a deeper and more profound love for Jesus Christ.
Sheen's treatment of Jesus' childhood is masterful. His narrations of Jesus' presentation in the Temple is so moving and spectacular that it will almost bring tears to your eyes. Sheen highlights that throughout Jesus' young life the cross was always looming over him and accompanying him wherever our Lord went.
Most of the book deals with Jesus' public ministry and Sheen does an excellent job of probing the gospel accounts for deeper spiritual insight. His constant references to the cross are always highlighted by His appeals to His resurrection and glory. Sheen illustrates how the apostles only wanted a bread king or a political Messiah, but never a suffering Messiah who was a sacrifice for our sins. It would be impossible for me to highlight all of the wonderful topics Sheen discusses in this book, but his treatment of Jesus' public ministry and his true reason for becoming a man are always highlighted throughout the book.
This book is perfect for anyone wishing to understand Jesus on a more intimate level, but it is also perfect of pastors and church leaders who wish to use this material for future lessons and sermons. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wished to know more about Jesus because when it comes to our redemption, Jesus is the only thing that truly matters.
For non-Catholics:
I am not a Catholic and I don't share all the views of this life of Jesus, but I have to say it is a wonderful presentation of the Gospel and of the Divine Jesus. I would recommend highly that everyone read this book. The insight of Bishop Sheen is astounding. It is a wonderful way for laymen to benefit from a man of God who obviously dedicated a large part of his life seeking the Creator, and then presented Him to the rest of us. Please read this book and take the adventure yourself to meet Jesus,the source of life and the way to salvation. You will not regret it and I'm betting it's message will remain forever etched in your being. I just want to say, Please read it! .
Did you read that recent biography about him?
Cool!!
Freegards
It is an gross understatement to call this a superb book. I read it in Catholic High School and it should be a “must” read for one and all.
Outstanding. He's one of my favorite voices to listen to in the evening on Relevant Radio, as they re-play his old Life is Worth Living series.
Peoria was not his birthplace—he was a native of El Paso, Illinois, about 30 miles east of Peoria. Apparently his family moved to Peoria when he was a child.
I will have to look for that. I’m so pleased he’s on track. Bishop Sheen had such a way of preaching. Newer counterparts might be Fr. Groeschel or Fr. Corapi. (And they are possibly future saints for us.) My mother would be so pleased, she read everything he wrote and never missed his shows, she thought he should be canonized shortly after his death! I learned about him and his teachings from her.
JMJ
Don't forget the mastermind behind EWTN!
My goodness, I did - for a moment! Mother Angelica is already a saint, like Mother Teresa before here, eventually the Church will make it official!
If you read her biography by Raymond Arroyo you will find confirmation of her sainthood, in my opinion. What a woman and what a nun!
I can’t believe it, but I haven’t read her bio by Arroyo yet, but have put it on my list. I had hoped to buy it, but now will have to get my library card renewed. I have read a lot of her other writings, mini-books. Her story is amazing.
I found this at a thrift store and read it. It is wonderful and a great Lenten read. I’ve read some of his other stuff also and find myself wishing we had an American Archbishop as eloquent and charismatic as Sheen in these troubled times.
"Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals"- Archbishop Fulton J Sheen
Bishop Sheen bump!
I believe we have several - Chaput is an excellent example. He has garnered much media attention. The difference, however, is that today we are bombarded with information from a multitude of sources - television, radio, internet, journalism, etc. In the late 50's, television was still in its infancy. Archbishop Sheen was given a weekend time slot for his simple program Life is Worth Living. There were only 3 or 4 stations broadcasting then. His viewing audience included people from diverse faith traditions who appreciated his message of common sense Truth based on Scripture.
EWTN now fills that gap and, IMHO, does an excellent job of structuring their programming for Catholics and "passers by". Fr. Benedict Groeschel's Sunday evening program is quite popular. On a recent segment, a self proclaimed atheist called in with a good question. Monday night's The Journey Home also attracts a broad audience of non-Catholics who, perhaps out of curiosity, are attracted to the stories told by guests, all converts to the Catholic faith. And --- EWTN also broadcasts reruns of Archbishop Sheen's program. EWTN is probably the only reason I still have cable. God bless Mother Angelica!
Due to EWTN, the internet, and Relevant Radio, he still reaches out to people and converts them. I’m one he brought into Christianity a couple of years ago.
Congrats and welcome! (Belatedly so.) Yes, and what a blessing he is. He seemed to be ahead of the curve years ago regarding societal shifts, especially regarding those losing their way. It’s so nice to hear, first hand, that he still is still reaching out to souls!
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