C&SI - Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 8 March 2026 (S06E16)

On this weeks podcast the C&SI team head to the diocese of Peoria in Illinois in the US to speak to Msgr. Jason Gray who is the Executive Director of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation to learn about one of the newest Beati/Blessed from the America's, Archbishop Fulton Sheen. 

In part one we have our regular liturgical odds and ends including a brief mention of the up coming saints of the week.

In part three we have our reflection on the Sunday gospel which this weeks is John's account of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42). 

Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Msgr Jason Gray introduces our listeners this week to Archbishop Fulton Sheen whose ceremony of beatification is due to take place later this year. While the official decree of beatification by Pope Francis was issued in 2019, the formal ceremony will recognise the next step in the process towards canonisation of the man known in his lifetime as "America's Bishop". Gaining prominence initially through his radio programme the Catholic Hour  (1930 - 1950) and then from 1951 to 1979 his television series, Life is worth living, Archbishop Sheen was regarded as one of the premier 20th century Catholic evangelists who harnessed the power of what was then the new media of radio and tv, eventually reaching an estimated 30 million viewers each week, which would make it the most widely-viewed religious series in the history of television. He won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, and became one of the most influential Catholics of the 20th century.

Msgr Gray takes us through Sheen's life story including his role as National Director of the Society for the  Propagation of the Faith, raising money to support the missions, as Bishop of Rochester, his participation in the Second Vatican Council and the cautious approach taken to ensure there was no issues with formally declaring him Blessed. He reflects on Sheen's example to us of daily prayer as Sheen kept a daily Holy Hour and there are many videos of Sheen available online as a resource to us still in the journey of faith. 

Resources mentioned in segment about Archbishop Fulton Sheen

- Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation

Book recommendations:

- Treasure in Clay (Autobiography)

- The Life of Christ

- The Priest is not his own

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