Show me your hands. Do they have scars from giving? This is one of the most popular quotes from Archbishop Fulton Sheen, an American catholic bishop who is known for his television and radio preaching. Regarded as the first televangelist ever, his show was able to reach up to 30 million viewers.
Sheen was born in Illinois, Chicago in May 1895 as Fulton John Sheen. Later, the family relocated to Peoria where he was picked for altar boy and where he would later be ordained to a priest. For his basic education, he attended schools around Illinois. Later, he proceeded to Washington to study Philosophy at the Catholic University of America.
After his degree, he went for his doctorate in philosophy in Belgium at the University of Leuven. While there, he became the first American to win the Cardinal Mercier prize an award seeking to recognize contribution to International Philosophy. After serving in different regions, he was ordained a bishop in New York.
Fulton began evangelism through mass media in 1930. His first show was known as Catholic Hour broadcast on radio every week on Sundays. It was right in the middle of World War II and he took advantage of the platform to preach against the war. Besides, he conducted the first ever church service on mass media. The popularity of his program among viewers won him an Emmy award.
Archbishop Fulton was not short of controversy. Perhaps the most remembered broadcast was in 1953 where he publicly denounced the regime of Joseph Stalin. Dramatically, he used the burial scene from Julius Caesar from Shakespeare to predict doom to Stalin and other Soviet leaders of the time. His last words were that Stalin should one day face his judgment. True to his word, Stalin died within the week from stroke.
Fulton faced his death as a result of a heart condition having undergone an open heart surgery in 1979. He was buried in a crypt in the cathedral he served in New York which is to blame for his delayed journey to his sainthood. Cause for canonization was begun in the year 2002 and was granted the Servant of God title. A decade later, the Vatican approved the journey towards his beatification by bestowing him the title of Venerable.
To be considered for beatification, one has to have performed a miracle. The miracle needs to be something that nature or science cannot explain. For Archbishop Fulton, he was prayed to by the mother of an infant who had been declared still born after lack of a pulse for around one hour. The boy survived without any physical or mental problems. A team of Vatican medical experts have proved that this was indeed a miracle, since there was no medical explanation for it. The decision to give Sheen the title blessed is in the final stages.
As a result, beatification of Sheen is in its last stages which will earn him the title blessed. This is an important step in the journey of canonization although another miracle might be necessary. The challenge at the present moment is his remains which are in New York and are required for an examination in his home church. All his fans hope that Sheen is canonized eventually.
Sheen was born in Illinois, Chicago in May 1895 as Fulton John Sheen. Later, the family relocated to Peoria where he was picked for altar boy and where he would later be ordained to a priest. For his basic education, he attended schools around Illinois. Later, he proceeded to Washington to study Philosophy at the Catholic University of America.
After his degree, he went for his doctorate in philosophy in Belgium at the University of Leuven. While there, he became the first American to win the Cardinal Mercier prize an award seeking to recognize contribution to International Philosophy. After serving in different regions, he was ordained a bishop in New York.
Fulton began evangelism through mass media in 1930. His first show was known as Catholic Hour broadcast on radio every week on Sundays. It was right in the middle of World War II and he took advantage of the platform to preach against the war. Besides, he conducted the first ever church service on mass media. The popularity of his program among viewers won him an Emmy award.
Archbishop Fulton was not short of controversy. Perhaps the most remembered broadcast was in 1953 where he publicly denounced the regime of Joseph Stalin. Dramatically, he used the burial scene from Julius Caesar from Shakespeare to predict doom to Stalin and other Soviet leaders of the time. His last words were that Stalin should one day face his judgment. True to his word, Stalin died within the week from stroke.
Fulton faced his death as a result of a heart condition having undergone an open heart surgery in 1979. He was buried in a crypt in the cathedral he served in New York which is to blame for his delayed journey to his sainthood. Cause for canonization was begun in the year 2002 and was granted the Servant of God title. A decade later, the Vatican approved the journey towards his beatification by bestowing him the title of Venerable.
To be considered for beatification, one has to have performed a miracle. The miracle needs to be something that nature or science cannot explain. For Archbishop Fulton, he was prayed to by the mother of an infant who had been declared still born after lack of a pulse for around one hour. The boy survived without any physical or mental problems. A team of Vatican medical experts have proved that this was indeed a miracle, since there was no medical explanation for it. The decision to give Sheen the title blessed is in the final stages.
As a result, beatification of Sheen is in its last stages which will earn him the title blessed. This is an important step in the journey of canonization although another miracle might be necessary. The challenge at the present moment is his remains which are in New York and are required for an examination in his home church. All his fans hope that Sheen is canonized eventually.
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