SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Bishop Fulton Sheen is one step closer to sainthood. Tens of thousands of Catholics are in St. Louis today for his beatification. Sheen, who died in 1979, launched into American living rooms as a TV personality during the 1950s and '60s. On his show, "Life Is Worth Living," he explained the Catholic faith to millions of viewers, becoming one of the most influential religious voices of the 20th century.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "LIFE IS WORTH LIVING")
FULTON SHEEN: Next week, we shall speak on the psychology of traitors and 30 pieces of silver. Bye, and God love you.
(APPLAUSE)
DETROW: Jonathan Ahl of St. Louis Public Radio was on the scene and joins us now. Hey, Jonathan.
JONATHAN AHL, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.
DETROW: Describe the ceremony today. What did you see?
AHL: Well, there were people from 49 states and 10 countries all here in St. Louis to see the beatification of Fulton Sheen. The faithful turned a former NFL stadium, the Dome at America's Center, into a sanctuary for the Mass with thousands of priests and Catholics attending. The mood was one of celebration. There was music and speakers, an expo hall full of tables like it's a conference. There are even merch tables where one could buy T-shirts or even a Fulton Sheen Lego minifigurine. There were certainly some solemn moments as well, but overall, it's been joyful and a party atmosphere, and it culminated with Bishop Lou Tylka of the Peoria Diocese, where Sheen was ordained, officially declaring the beatification.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LOU TYLKA: The venerable servant of God, Fulton John Sheen, may henceforth be called blessed.
DETROW: You know, it's been decades since Fulton Sheen was on televisions. Tell us more about his story.
AHL: So he was born in the small town of El Paso, Illinois, and later lived in Peoria. In addition to his training to become a priest, he studied and later taught philosophy. But he is best known for his use of broadcast media to share the message about Jesus, one of the first in the Catholic faith really to do that. And he started in radio but was on TV in the '50s and '60s, most noticeably - notably for the show "Life Is Worth Living" that reached an international audience. He really was a showman. He was charismatic. He had a presence. He really knew how to talk to the camera and, therefore, talk to millions of people. He even won an Emmy for outstanding television personality, beating Lucille Ball.
DETROW: So probably the first beatified person to have an Emmy, as far as I can guess. What does it mean, though...
AHL: For sure, for sure.
DETROW: What does it mean, though, that he's now beatified?
AHL: So beatification is the second to last step before becoming a saint. And with this action today, Sheen can be called blessed by the church. To reach this point, a miracle had to be tied to Sheen, and the miracle the Vatican verified to get Sheen to this point was the story of James Engstrom, who had no heartbeat for more than an hour when he was born 16 years ago. His parents prayed to Sheen, asking him to intercede, and James recovered. James' mother, Bonnie, then said they prayed to Sheen because they'd always planned to give their son the middle name of Fulton for the bishop. But this was months before he was born.
It was a natural step to ask him to intercede. Engstrom says she felt a connection to Sheen, also from central Illinois, by watching videos from his television show. And Engstrom was at the service today. So the Catholic Church is exploring six proposed miracles to connect to Sheen. If one of those is verified, he could then be recommended for canonization. And if that happens, Pope Leo XIV, who's also from Illinois, could take that final step to make him a saint.
DETROW: Jonathan Ahl from St. Louis Public Radio, thank you so much.
AHL: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMMON AND JOHN LEGEND SONG, "THEY SAY (FEAT. KANYE WEST)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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