The White House marked the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Thursday with a statement praising the mid-century televangelist as a media pioneer who brought Catholic teaching into American living rooms — and, according to the administration, converted politicians, Hollywood figures, and even communist leaders along the way.
The statement was posted to the official White House website on September 24, the same day the Catholic Church formally beatified Sheen in St. Louis. Beatification is the final step before canonization, meaning the American archbishop is now one step closer to being declared a saint.
According to the White House, Sheen “pioneered the use of media to speak the truth, preach the Gospel, and bring many souls closer to Christ.”
A blackboard and a primetime slot
Sheen’s television program, “Life Is Worth Living,” became a cultural phenomenon in the 1950s. The White House statement described the format: Sheen lecturing before a live audience on theological, philosophical, and political subjects, “dressed in striking priestly robes and armed with only a chalk stick and blackboard.”
That unlikely combination made him a primetime sensation, the statement said, as he brought Christian teaching to a world it described as threatened by communism.
The administration’s statement also highlighted Sheen’s commercial success, noting that he “shocked the entertainment industry by besting American legends like Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra in weekly ratings.” Sheen won an Emmy for Most Outstanding Television Personality and appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The White House credited his “sharp wit and piercing intellect” with filling millions of American living rooms and drawing thousands of converts into the Catholic faith, including national politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and communist leaders.
Sheen’s rise unfolded during a period of intense anti-Catholic sentiment in American public life. Some experts have credited his mainstreaming of Catholicism with helping to set the stage for the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy, the nation’s first Catholic president.
Beatification in St. Louis
The beatification ceremony was held Thursday in St. Louis, Missouri. The Associated Press reported that organizers chose the Dome at America’s Center because no venue in Sheen’s home Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, was large enough to accommodate the expected crowd.
During the ceremony, James Fulton Engstrom carried an ornate vessel containing relics of his namesake — the man the Catholic Church credits with his miraculous survival as a newborn.
James was born at home without a pulse 16 years ago this month, according to the account surrounding the beatification. He was rushed to the hospital while his parents and others prayed and asked Sheen to add his heavenly prayers, following the Catholic tradition of seeking the intercessions of departed holy people. Medical workers were preparing to declare him dead when he was resuscitated.
After a formal inquiry, the Catholic Church determined that James’ resuscitation was a miracle attributable to Sheen’s prayers. The Vatican typically requires one verified miracle for beatification. Sheen died in 1979.
The White House statement framed Sheen’s legacy in explicitly religious terms, describing his television work as an effort to bring “the teachings of Christianity” to a global audience at a moment of ideological confrontation with communism. It is the rare instance of the executive branch formally honoring a Catholic cleric on the day of a beatification, and it places the administration alongside the church hierarchy at a moment of significance for American Catholics.
For Sheen’s admirers, the beatification caps a long campaign to elevate a figure whose influence stretched from the earliest days of television into the highest reaches of American politics. For the White House, the statement offers a chance to align with that legacy — and with a Catholic audience that has become an increasingly closely watched bloc in national politics.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/24/white-house-honors-archbishop-fulton-sheen-on-day-of-his-beatification/