Life History Of Archbishop Fulton Sheen

By Tanisha Berg


Fulton John Sheen, born on eighth May in 1895 was a bishop later to become the archbishop Fulton Sheen. He served the Roman Catholic Church. During his time, he became famous for preaching the word of GOD on several TV and radio programs and channels that were aired all over the United States. He began working for the church after being ordained in the Diocese of Peoria. He became well-known for being a theologian after he was ordained.

The parents of Sheen were Newton and Delia Sheen. They lived in El Paso, Illinois. He had four younger brothers. When still an infant, it is recorded in history that he had tuberculosis. He got his first chance to serve in church when his family relocated to Peoria, Illinois. His first service to the church was at St. Mary Cathedral as altar boy.

Archbishop Fulton went to Spalding Institute where he earned his high school valedictorian before proceeding to St. Viator College in Bourbonnais. After completing studies in Bourbonnais, he went to Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota. He was ordained in September of 1919. He later moved to Wasington for further studies. During his stay in Washington, he served as an altar boy in one of the occasions after being asked by a priest.

Catholic University of Leuven located in Belgium was where Fulton received his first doctorate degree. Whie still in Belgium, he also became the first American to receive the Cardinal Mercier award. One year after the award, he pursued further studies in Theology in Rome. This made him earn his second second doctorate degree in Rome.

Archbishop Fulton began his priestly life in London when he was serving at St, Patrick Church, in the position of an assistant priest. During that time, he also lectured theology at the college of Edmund. It is at the college that he met Ronald Knox. In 1926, Bishop Edmund Dunne requested him to rule the Parish of St. Patrick, which he did. He served nine months before being taken back to Catholic University to lecture theology.

Fulton was consecrated bishop on eleventh of June in the year 1951. After the consecration, he served for about 14 years as an auxiliary bishop in New York City. Sheen was the first person to write the first 73 books written in 1925. He began to broadcast his teachings and preaching on the radio in 1930. Some of his teachings are being listened to up to today with thousands of listeners sending letters weekly to the broadcast.

During his life and service in Rochester, he started the Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation. The foundation existed for his entire life after creation and still operates up to this day. Some of his time and energy was also spent on political activities. In October, 1969 he resigned from being bishop. This was after he had celebrated his 50th anniversary of being a priest.

He got appointed as the Archbishop of Titular See Newport shortly after his resignation. Pope Paul VI himself did the appointment. He wrote several other books, articles, and columns after gaining this position. Seventy three was the total number of books he did.




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