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Vatican Beatifies Archbishop Fulton Sheen After Abuse Review

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 2:58 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

U.S. Beatifies Sheen

U.S. beatified Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, declaring him Blessed at a St. Louis Mass on September 24, 2026.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle read the Latin beatification formula for Pope Leo XIV.
The miracle cited James Fulton Engstrom, a 2010 stillbirth, whose heart restarted after 61 minutes.
About 50,000 attendees, including over 80 bishops and a thousand priests, gathered at the Mass.

Summary

Vatican Clears Sheen

The Vatican investigation found no misconduct in Sheen’s handling of abuse claims, causing a six-year delay.
Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria formally petitioned Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle for Sheen’s beatification, starting the final decree.
A relic of Sheen’s mandible was displayed in a reliquary during the Mass, symbolizing his preaching gift.

History

Historical Context

John Neumann, a Bohemian-born bishop of Philadelphia, was beatified by Pope Paul VI on 13 October 1963 after two miracles were accepted; 157 bishops petitioned the Vatican in 1957 to revive his cause. The 2026 St. Louis Mass for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, requested by Bishop Louis Tylka and celebrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, echoes Neumann’s precedent, showing the Vatican’s ongoing reliance on miracles for American causes.

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U.S. Beatifies Sheen

U.S. beatified Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, declaring him Blessed at a St. Louis Mass on September 24, 2026.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle read the Latin beatification formula for Pope Leo XIV.
The miracle cited James Fulton Engstrom, a 2010 stillbirth, whose heart restarted after 61 minutes.
About 50,000 attendees, including over 80 bishops and a thousand priests, gathered at the Mass.

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