I knew he was a household name among Catholics for his work with television and radio, but he simply wasn’t someone I had called upon for intercession or knew much about. As I learned the beatification was taking place in the United States, I knew this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity that I wanted to experience and I began to look at him more closely.

I had the incredible ability to be credentialed media for both Vespers on September 23 and the Beatification Mass on September 24. The moment I walked into the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis for Vespers, my jaw dropped and I gazed around in awe. The shimmering gold and vibrantly colored mosaics captivated me, and I had a moment of realizing just how blessed I was to be there. As they began, the organ music and hundreds of voices echoed throughout the church.  

I personally pray Lauds, Vespers, and Compline daily, so having the opportunity to pray these prayers of the Church that I am so familiar with in union with hundreds of laypeople and clergy from across the country and beyond was a moving experience. In his homily, Bishop Robert Barron, bishop of Winona-Rochester, remarked on the connection that Fulton Sheen has to so many of our lives.

“I believe that Fulton Sheen is par excellence the saint of the new evangelization,” commented Bishop Barron. “Anyone who dares to use the media of communication available to us today is indebted to Fulton Sheen.”

His words struck me. As someone who serves the Church through communications, who better to seek the intercession of than someone like Fulton Sheen? Anyone who uses media, even in their personal lives, can say the same.

On September 24, walking into The Dome at America’s Center was stepping foot into beautiful chaos. Crowds were dense, especially in the hall filled with vendors that felt much too small for the number of people, but there was a recognition that everyone was there for the same purpose: to celebrate that a beloved archbishop is officially named “Blessed.” Those in attendance came from nearly every place imaginable and ranged in age from families with newborns to the elderly. Every person that I walked past had a smile on their face and despite how overwhelming the crowds were, genuinely seemed happy to be there.

This was an uplifting experience for all ages. Fulton Hoegstrom, son of local Spirit FM announcer Olivia Hoegstrom, was able to attend with his mother and experience the beatification of his namesake.

“It was really cool to see all of the people that love the man who I was named after,” he said. “I also got to meet four or five other boys named Fulton.”

A variety of speakers and musicians welcomed everyone with segments leading up to the Mass. As the stadium slowly filled with nearly 50,000 attendees, I was reminded of the beauty of events like these. I have attended many conferences such as Steubenville youth conferences, SEEK conferences, and, most recently, the National Eucharistic Congress in 2024. Every time, there is something about being with thousands of others who are also seeking to know, love, and serve the Lord that makes me excited and in awe of the way the Lord works. Everyone there is being led by the Lord in their own unique way and yet ended up at the same place. The Holy Spirit’s presence in the room was palpable.

“The crowds were honestly a bit much at the beginning,” said Mike Lieder, an attendee from Bloomington, Illinois which is within the Diocese of Peoria, the same diocese Archbishop Fulton Sheen was born and raised in. “But, once I got to my seat in the Dome and Mass started, it was actually quite an uplifting emotional experience seeing all the clergy and laity together offering Mass for someone born just a 20-minute drive north of me.”

The entrance procession for the Mass took over forty minutes as 850 seminarians, 260 deacons, 1,000 priests, and 89 bishops processed in, even as they walked four abreast. They were followed by Cardinal Luis Tagle, pro-prefect for the Dicastery for Evangelization at the Vatican, who was the celebrant of the Mass.  

“I’ve never been at an event with so many priests,” remarked Father Gabriel Mosher, O.P., pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Newman Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and one of the priests who concelebrated the Mass. 

“It was edifying to stand shoulder to shoulder with them who, I presume, all share a similar devotion to Blessed Fulton Sheen as I have. There were so many of us.”

Cardinal Tagle’s pectoral cross and crozier were the same cross and crozier used by Archbishop Fulton Sheen while he was alive and was one of many small details that made the Mass more special. The vestments for concelebrating clergy were another unique touch. Each chasuble had “JMJ” embroidered on the back in Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s handwriting. “JMJ” stands for “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph” and was always the first thing that Archbishop Fulton Sheen would write at the top of the chalkboard for his television segments.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s life was one spent bringing the Gospel to others through modern media. He spent many years as a professor and serving the poor but is most well-known for his television and radio shows. From 1930 to 1950, Archbishop Fulton Sheen hosted a Sunday night radio show titled The Catholic Hour which addressed faith, philosophy, and social issues. This show launched him into national fame prior to his shift to television.  

From 1951 to 1957, he hosted a television show titled Life is Worth Living. This consisted of discussions on a variety of topics and using his trademark chalkboard to draw and list the topic at hand. This show is believed to be the most widely viewed religious series in the history of television, reaching an estimated 30 million viewers each week, the majority of whom were not Catholic. It gained such popularity that he won an Emmy for his work.  

He concluded each show with the words, “Bye now, and God love you!” reminding every viewer that their life had meaning, and they were loved by the Lord. He offered insight, care, and guidance to the people of his time through his messages which continue to be viewed online by many to this day.  

It is through this media that he inspired many and continues to make Catholicism accessible for the everyday person. His shows inserted the faith into areas that were untouched, bringing Catholicism to the secular world of media, something we see quite often today.  

“I think he does a lot to make Catholicism accessible and somewhat ‘normal,’” said Lieder. “The fact that someone who drove a car, was on and watched TV, and did all the modern things we deal with is well on his way to canonization means that it’s possible for the rest of us, too.”

As we see a rise in Catholic “influencers” and overall presence of the faith being represented online, someone like Archbishop Fulton Sheen can be a source of inspiration in sharing our faith well.

“I think he can inspire the average layperson to be more courageous in evangelization,” said Sarah Circello, an attendee from Cincinnati, Ohio. “He spoke with such authority and zeal about how we should live for Christ and not for ourselves.”

As I serve the Lord through my work in communications, I can’t help but see him as an inspiration and a friend in heaven I can call upon for intercession. What we do when communicating, whether through official diocesan communications, or our own online presence, matters and strengthens the Church when done well.

“We need people like him who use other means of communicating the faith to help fortify and bolster it,” said Father Mosher. “The culture of all of these new media movements all stem from his work on radio and then television, and we are all better for it.”

During the Beatification Mass, three unique elements stood out to me: the presentation of the primary relic, the reading of the decree naming Archbishop Fulton Sheen as “Blessed,” and the reveal of the official image and title. The child who was miraculously brought to life through Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s intercession after having no heartbeat for 61 minutes, and his family, were part of the entrance procession and carried the primary relic. The relic is his mandible, a fitting bone to be used for the relic as his work centered around proclaiming the faith on radio and television.

Bishop Louis Tylka, bishop of the Diocese of Peoria, read the decree of beatification from Pope Leo XIV in English and the official image was revealed. Shown via live video feed, simultaneously, a new name plate on Blessed Fulton Sheen’s tomb was revealed, updated to now say “Blessed.” This moment was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever experienced. As the curtain was removed from the image and applause erupted, the choir led those present in singing the hymn Holy God We Praise Thy Name. Hearing 50,000 people sing a song of praise and thanksgiving for the gift of this beloved archbishop moved me to tears.

As the Mass continued, Cardinal Tagle gave the homily, reflecting not only Blessed Fulton Sheen’s life, but how his ministry and understanding of the calling to evangelize that he received speaks to the way we should all live.

“A missionary evangelizer, therefore, is known by Jesus and is called to know Jesus and this Gospel,” said Cardinal Tagle. “Blessed are you when Jesus sees you, knows you, calls you, sends you, and labors with you. Blessed are you when you come to know your true self and mission.”

How incredible it is that we have the incredible example of Blessed Fulton Sheen to ask to intercede as we navigate the world today amid ever-changing media!

Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us!

Keep an eye out for Part 2 next week. Click on the arrows below to view photos from this momentous event.