Clergy and religious fill a good portion of the floor seating during the beatification Mass of Archbishop Fulton Sheen Sept. 24 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
By Dan Byrne
Guest Column
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen thrived in the spotlight. His humor, storytelling, intellect, intense gaze, and distinct vocal cadence made him a uniquely special figure. He captured the attention of Catholics around the world as well as many in the public square.
I remember listening to Life is Worth Living specials rebroadcasted from Relevant Radio several years ago. Though the radio couldn’t reveal to me the chalkboard, his cassock, or his twinkling eyes, I was holding on to every word. His messages were delivered some seventy years ago, but they were still relevant to me in the 21st century.
Upon hearing from friends in our neighboring Illinois parishes about the announcement of his beatification, I began looking for opportunities to learn more and experience the legacy of Sheen. In the summer I was fortunate to attend a pilgrimage sponsored by The Catholic Messenger to Peoria, Illinois. Visiting the Archbishop Sheen Museum and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, where Sheen is buried, was a powerful experience for me. I also first learned about his upbringing in the Diocese of Peoria, his commitment to a daily Holy Hour, and his humility through fame and incredible accomplishments. After that trip, I knew that I wanted to come to St. Louis for the big event.
St. Mary Parish in Moline, Illinois, was kind to allow me to travel to St. Louis for the beatification on their parish bus trip. When people heard I was going and had questions about it, I described it as a sort of Super Bowl for the Diocese of Peoria. As soon as I got there, it really was like a Catholic Super Bowl with the vast crowd, memorable celebration, and the fact that it was held in a football stadium. I was in awe of the great size and numbers, the level of detail, the connections to Peoria, the music and chanting, and the uniqueness of the event.
The opening procession might have been 30 minutes, but no one could take their eyes off it. Seminarians, deacons, priests, bishops, and cardinals slowly crept down an aisle the length of a football field. Yes, there were cardinals in St. Louis, but of a different kind than those that hit home runs. More than 50,000, including many religious sisters and brothers, watched from the floor of the stadium and the seats above. There were special chasubles worn by the priests that had JMJ on the back, a nod to how Sheen placed those letters, representing the names of the Holy Family, at the top of his chalkboard during his TV show.
The beauty of the Catholic liturgy was on display in many forms. Music included a pre-show from Matt Maher, Lauren Moore of Catholic Music Initiative, as well as an amazing group of instrumentalists, soloists, and choral singers, chanting, and playing during the Mass. It may have been the loudest and most heavenly singing of “Holy God We Praise Thy Name,” “Alleluia Sing To Jesus,” and “Now Thank We All Our God” that I’ve ever heard. The universality of the Catholic faith was shown as readings and prayer intentions were read in multiple languages. One thing different and special about this Mass was the request for beatification made by Bishop Lou Tylka of Peoria and the Apostolic Letter from Pope Leo XIV read in Latin and then English.
How would I summarize this trip to St. Louis? I would compare it to the story of the Mountain of Tabor.
We read in the Gospel of Mark chapter nine, about the Transfiguration of Our Lord and how Peter, James, and John were so happy and wanted to pitch tents and stay with Jesus. There was more work to be done; however, and they had to come down the mountain. This is how I felt in St. Louis. Being there was timeless, heavenly, and filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t want it to end; I wanted to pitch a tent and remain in the presence of God. But I also realized that it was now my job to come down the mountain to evangelize and to persevere when I face obstacles to sharing and living my faith.
There were many great things said about Sheen during the celebration but one stood out to me. That he never tired of telling the story of Jesus and in improving how he told it. If one of the most gifted minds and public speakers of the last century, who was also spending at least one hour daily with Jesus in a Holy Hour, was constantly improving in this way, then it’s something that we can always improve upon as well. Therefore, let’s dust off those Bibles and head to that Eucharistic adoration chapel, so that we too can keep improving how we tell the story of Jesus to others.
Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
(Dan Byrne is a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Bettendorf.)
