Fulton John Sheen

Transformative Leader

Venerable Archbishop Fulton John Sheen

Venerable Archbishop Fulton John Sheen (1895-1979) was a person of great influence – one of the most impactful Catholics of the last century. Sheen was a theologian, a philosopher, a scholar, an orator, an educator and most significantly a powerful media broadcaster. By employing the power of radio and television, Sheen was successful in evangelizing to millions of listeners and viewers. He also authored dozens of books, delivered thousands of presentations and taught a myriad of classes. Sheen’s nation-wide and world-wide influence was felt consistently for over five decades.

Fulton John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, was raised in Peoria, and attended Spalding High School, St. Viator College and St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria at St. Mary’s Cathedral in 1919. After furthering his education overseas by earning a Doctorate in Philosophy, Father Sheen began teaching theology and philosophy at the Catholic University in Washington D.C.

From the classroom, it didn’t take long for Father Sheen to start extending his reach. In 1930, Sheen hosted a weekly Sunday night radio show titled The Catholic Hour. In 1951, Sheen launched his extremely popular television series – Life is Worth Living. Watched by millions, Bishop Sheen’s Emmy winning show ran through 1957 and was followed by The Fulton Sheen Program which aired from 1961 to 1968.

By the mid-1960s, Bishop Sheen was serving in upstate New York and was given the title Archbishop upon his retirement in 1969. Archbishop Sheen died in 1979. From New York, Sheen’s remains returned to Peoria in 2019, and in that same year, efforts to see Sheen canonized a saint began in earnest. Sheen was named Venerable in 2012 and will be beautified in September of 2026. Undoubtedly, Peoria’s best known Catholic man of the cloth continues to influence and inspire.

William Hardin

Title Unknown, 2002

(Portrait of Archbishop Fulton John Sheen)

Giclee on canvas

Peoria Historical Society