Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Beatification Set for Sept. 24 in St. Louis After Years-Long Delay

A major milestone in an American Catholic figure’s path toward sainthood

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a nationally known Catholic preacher and former bishop of Rochester, New York, is scheduled to be beatified on Sept. 24, 2026, in St. Louis. Beatification is a formal step in the Catholic Church’s canonization process that permits public veneration in designated settings and recognizes a candidate as “Blessed.”

Sheen, who died in 1979, rose to prominence through radio and television at a time when religious broadcasting was becoming a mass-medium force in the United States. He also held senior church leadership roles, including service as an auxiliary bishop in New York and later as bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969.

Why the beatification had been postponed

The Sept. 24 ceremony follows a prolonged pause in Sheen’s cause that began after a previously planned beatification in 2019 was postponed. That delay came amid renewed scrutiny of how clergy leaders handled sexual abuse and misconduct cases during the mid-to-late 20th century, including questions raised about Sheen’s short tenure leading the Rochester diocese. The Holy See later authorized the cause to proceed, allowing planning for a new beatification date.

In addition to the review of historical governance questions, Sheen’s cause experienced earlier complications tied to legal disputes over the location of his remains. His body was ultimately transferred to Peoria, Illinois, where he was ordained a priest and where his cause is headquartered.

The recognized miracle connected to Sheen’s cause

Under Catholic canonization norms, beatification for a confessor (a candidate not martyred) generally requires a verified miracle attributed to the person’s intercession. In Sheen’s case, a miracle approved for the cause centers on the survival of an infant born in 2010 who was reported to have been without a pulse for an extended period before being revived after prayers seeking Sheen’s intercession.

The Church’s process for evaluating miracles includes medical review and theological assessment before a decree is issued authorizing beatification to move forward.

What happens next and what beatification does—and does not—mean

The beatification liturgy is expected to draw significant attention because Sheen remains one of the most recognizable American Catholic communicators of the 20th century, with decades of influence through speeches, books, and broadcast preaching.

• Beatification recognizes a person as “Blessed” and allows public veneration in specified contexts.

• Canonization—declaring a person a saint—typically requires a second recognized miracle occurring after beatification.

• The Sept. 24, 2026 ceremony will be a religious event rather than a civil proceeding; questions previously raised about Church governance formed part of the Vatican’s review before permitting the cause to continue.

Sheen’s scheduled beatification places St. Louis at the center of a national Catholic event marking the latest stage in a decades-long canonization cause.

Event logistics, including venue details and access arrangements, are expected to be released as planning advances ahead of the late-September date.