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Pope Leo receives a relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen from Peoria’s bishop
Confirmed
In Short: Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, presented Pope Leo XIV with a relic of the recently beatified Blessed Fulton Sheen during a private audience at the Vatican on October 5.
For the bishop of Peoria, the opportunity to give the Chicago-born pope the relic was 'a profound joy and privilege,' especially because of Pope Leo's personal interest in Blessed Fulton Sheen, who was beatified in St. Louis.
Pope Leo has previously praised Blessed Fulton Sheen as 'a light of faith, hope and love that shone through the radio and television media for decades,' as his broadcasts brought the Gospel to millions of Americans.
Jason Gray, the executive director of the Peoria-based Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, also took part in the papal audience.
During the audience, Pope Leo spoke fondly of Archbishop Sheen, whom he remembered watching when he was young.
The USCCB spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, told OSV News that the meeting was an opportunity to update Pope Leo on the Church in the United States.
Archbishop Coakley, who is in Rome, will participate in the Oct. 7-14 meeting on marriage and family convened by Pope Leo.
Bishop Tylka expressed his 'profound gratitude' for the permission to celebrate the beatification of Fulton Sheen, joined by clergy, religious, lay faithful, and members of the Sheen family.
Cardinal Tagle, in his homily, emphasized that Blessed Sheen is not 'blessed' because he was a radio and TV celebrity, but because of his missionary zeal and dedication to the poor and vulnerable.
The beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen marked the first time a U.S.-born bishop was declared blessed.
Blessed Sheen's beatification took place at a Mass at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, with Cardinal Tagle officiating.
Bishop Tylka celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Peoria following the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
Background
Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Peoria, Illinois, following Archbishop Fulton Sheen's beatification in St. Louis.
What's confirmed
- "To place a relic of this son of the Diocese of Peoria into the hands of the first American pope, both of whom are from Illinois, was an especially moving moment," Bishop Tylka said in a statement following the papal audience.
- Chieko Noguchi, USCCB spokesperson, told OSV News that the meeting was an opportunity to update Pope Leo on the Church in the United States.
- "The USCCB is grateful for the opportunities that our bishops have to spend time with our Holy Father and assure him of our support and prayers," she said.
- While in Rome, Archbishop Coakley will participate in the Oct. 7-14 meeting on marriage and family convened by Pope Leo, who called the heads of national bishops' conferences worldwide as well as the heads of Eastern Catholic Churches to the event, titled "Ten Years After 'Amoris Laetitia': Proclaiming the Gospel With Families Today."
- VATICAN CITY (OSV News) -- Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, presented Pope Leo XIV with a relic of the recently beatified Blessed Fulton Sheen during a private audience at the Vatican Oct.
- The pope also received 75-year-old Archbishop Thomas G.
- For the bishop of Peoria, the opportunity to give the Chicago-born pope the relic was "a profound joy and privilege," especially because of Pope Leo's personal interest in Blessed Fulton Sheen, who was beatified in St.
- "The Holy Father's own interest in Archbishop Sheen reminds us that his witness continues to speak to the Church today and challenges all of us to proclaim the Gospel with the same conviction and joy," the archbishop added.
- Jason Gray, the executive director of the Peoria-based Archbishop Fulton J.
- Sheen Foundation, also took part in the papal audience.
- "I felt that Archbishop Sheen was with us in spirit when greeting Pope Leo," Msgr.
- "I am grateful that Pope Leo spoke so fondly of Archbishop Sheen, whom he remembered watching when he was young." Pope Leo has previously praised Blessed Fulton Sheen as "a light of faith, hope and love that shone through the radio and television media for decades," as his broadcasts brought the Gospel to millions of Americans.
What's still developing
- The Engstrom family, the family of James Fulton Engstrom whose miraculous healing as a baby was the verified miracle required for Blessed Sheen’s beatification, presented a reliquary containing Blessed Sheen’s relic.
- “We are grateful for the heroic witness of this great evangelist, who dedicated his life to the proclamation of the Gospel and the support of the missions,” said Bishop Tylka, wearing one of Blessed Sheen’s pectoral crosses.
- “First, the missionary evangelizer is truly blessed, fortunate and happy because of the gift of communion with Jesus,” Cardinal Tagle said.
- “The second aspect of blessedness of a missionary evangelizer is this: the missionary evangelizer is blessed by the communion with persons and peoples, especially the poor and the vulnerable, and this is communion in the name of Jesus Christ,” he said.
- Blessed Sheen showed this both in his advocacy for people in poverty in the U.S. and also through his commitment to mission work around the globe — not just dedicating time and resources to those in need, but also spending time with people with leprosy in Uganda, Cardinal Tagle said.
- “Blessed is the evangelizer converted by beholding and touching the wounds of the risen Christ in wounded brothers and sisters,” he said.
- “Above all, thanks be to God. It is through His providence that we have been brought to this historic moment,” he said.
- “Dear brothers and sisters, we thank our loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has gathered us as a family of faith on the solemn occasion of the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen — son of Illinois, son of the United States of America, son of the world!” Cardinal Tagle said to increasing applause.
- Sheen’s great-nephew Paul Cunningham then read a short biography of his great-uncle’s life.
- Video displays showed Blessed Sheen’s tomb at the Cathedral of St.