Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Born on May 8, 1895, in El Paso, Illinois, US and died December 9, 1979, was an American evangelist, religious leader, writer, radio and television personality and a priest of the Roman Catholic Church.

Sheen was the eldest of four boys born to Newt and Delia Sheen. He was original named as Peter John sheen but was mostly addressed by his mother’s maiden name ‘Fulton’. During his childhood, he served as an altar boy for his local church, the cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois and was raised in Catholicism having all his education in different Catholic Church institutions.

He earned a Bachelor of Art degree in 1917 and a Master of Science degree in 1919 from the St. Viator College, Bourbonnais, Illinois. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1919, just after getting his M.A degree. To fulfill his quest for knowledge, Sheen pursued further education in Europe. First, he acquired a bachelor’s degree in canon law, a PhD in philosophy from The Catholic university of Louvian in Belgium where he was awarded the Cardinal Mercier Prize for international philosophy in 1923.  He latter proceeded to the Pontifical urban university Rome where he bagged a doctor of sacred theology degree.

Sheen later returned to America after his extensive work and study in Europe and was appointed to teach theology and philosophy at the catholic university of America in Washington DC from 1927 to 1950. Sheen was a gifted orator and also renowned teacher. This enabled him to host the program “the Catholic hour” on the NBC radio network for 20 years starting from 1930 until 1950. In 1951, he moved to television and hosted the program ‘Life is worth living’ from 1952 to 1957. This program drew a wide audience for his style. Sheen often spoke without any script and on his characteristic chalkboard, he analyzed topics brothering on faith and communism. In 1961, he started hosting his syndicated program “The Fulton sheen show” which ran until 1968, earning him two Emmy awards for most outstanding Television Personality. He was also featured on the cover of Time magazine. And is credited as being one of the first televangelists.

The miracle attributed to Sheen is the healing of James Fulton Engstrom of Washington, Ill., who was considered stillborn when he was delivered during a planned home birth Sept. 16, 2010