December 2009: Mass in Honor of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Held on December 9, 2009
A Mass in honor of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Servant of God, was held on Wednesday, December 9th at 11:45 a.m. in the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel of the Cardinal Rigali Center. Mass was celebrated by Msgr. David Ratermann, former missionary in Bolivia and former Archdiocesan Director of the Propagation of the Faith.
Archbishop Sheen's Cause for Canonization
To mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Servant of God, the Archbishop Sheen Foundation embarked on a worldwide project that brought Catholics together, united in prayer for our beloved Archbishop.
The highlight of the anniversary celebration was a Mass on December 9, 2010 celebrated in New York City at St. Patrick’s Cathedral – the very Cathedral where Archbishop Sheen preached so many powerful sermons and where he is laid to rest. But the New York Mass was only one of hundreds of Masses celebrated on December 9th around the country and around the world in memory of the death of Archbishop Sheen, and to pray for his cause for canonization.
Masses were offered on December 9th in Australia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, India, Lebanon, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina. There were also Masses scheduled in the U.S. in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Colorado.
Who Was Archbishop Sheen?
Fulton John Sheen (May 8, 1895-December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. He was born in El Paso, Illinois and grew up in Peoria, Illinois.
Ordained a priest in 1919, Sheen quickly became a renowned theologian, earning the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy in 1923. In 1950, he became the National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, supervising 129 diocesan directors throughout the country. He held this position until 1966.
For 20 years, Sheen hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour (1930-1950) before moving to television and presenting Life Is Worth Living (1951-1957). His final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961-1968). For this work, Sheen won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on EWTN.
Archbishop Sheen’s cause for canonization for sainthood was officially opened in 2002. He is now referred to as a Servant of God.
Archdiocese of St. Louis: Mission Office
20 Archbishop May Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63119 • missions@archstl.org
Special Events and Pictures
To mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Servant of God, the 
Fulton John Sheen (May 8, 1895-December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. He was born in El Paso, Illinois and grew up in Peoria, Illinois.
For 20 years, Sheen hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour (1930-1950) before moving to television and presenting Life Is Worth Living (1951-1957). His final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961-1968). For this work, Sheen won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on