Catholic conversions are on the rise this Easter, and a revered figure in the faith, known locally, is approaching sainthood.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen, originally from Illinois, has received approval from the Vatican to be beatified, moving him closer to sainthood. His legacy of sparking widespread faith discussions continues to resonate.
ABC7 had the opportunity to talk with the family associated with the miracle that has significantly contributed to this milestone in Sheen’s path to sainthood.
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Renowned for bringing spiritual teachings into countless American homes, Archbishop Sheen is advancing towards sainthood, partly due to a miraculous event linked to the birth of a boy from Illinois.
During the early television era, Archbishop Sheen captivated a national audience, earning him the affectionate title of “America’s Bishop.”
“If Fulton Sheen were with us today, he would undoubtedly be active on TikTok, Instagram, and various social media podcasts because that was his mission,” remarked Bishop Louis Tylka from the Diocese of Peoria.
The pioneer televangelist’s radio and television programs reached millions in the 50s and 60s.
“Everybody was made to feel that they were the most important person with him,” Bishop Tylka said. “He was able to speak truth to power. He spoke the truth of the gospel, and he did so with great wisdom and wit.”
Decades later, the Vatican has cleared the way for his beatification, centered on one reported miracle.
“I just trusted that Fulton Sheen was praying for us,” Bonnie Engstrom said.
In 2010, Engstrom’s son was born without a pulse.
“There was a knot in James’s umbilical cord… and it tightened so much that it cut off his blood supply and his oxygen supply so that when he was born, he was essentially a stillborn baby,” Engstrom said.
Doctors tried to restart her son’s heart, and Engstrom kept praying.
“I do remember very clearly in my head repeating Fulton Sheen’s name over and over and over again,” Engstrom said. “I kind of think it was like my cry for help.”
Then, after more than hour, there was a miracle.
“Everyone took their hands off to call time of death,” Engstrom said. “And it was at that moment after James not having a heartbeat for 61 minutes, that his heart started to beat again. And then it never stopped.”
Engstrom named James Fulton after Sheen. Today he’s a healthy 15-year-old boy.
Engstrom says doctors found no medical explanation. The Vatican later recognized it as a miracle tied to Sheen.
“It’s something that we try to stress to our kids, like you should appreciate this,” Engstrom said. “Our family has a special like footnote in all of church history in a way that most people do not like in the history of the world.”
“To have a Chicago-born pope, you know, be the one to finally sign off on moving forward… signing off on a remarkable individual who’s another son of the land of Lincoln,” Bishop Tylka said. “It’s just kind of all those things line up.”
The beatification Mass for Archbishop Fulton Sheen is set for September 24. in St. Louis, Missouri. The location was chosen to accommodate the anticipated large crowds.
More details about Sheen’s ceremony from the Catholic Diocese of Peoria can be found here.
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