Bishop Sheen (a Saint? -- a Miracle?)

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I’ve been watching EWTN. Seeing Bishop Sheen again (now I am an adult). Also watching Father Groeschel and others.

At a Catholic bookstore, I bought “Life is Worth Living” (Bishop Sheen). I wanted it, but I was only going to get it if it was really on sale (it was full price and I have been out of work since November). The copy of the book underneath had “DISCOUNTED – COVER PUT ON UPSIDE DOWN” taped to it. Sure enough the cover was upside down. In fact it startled me a little – because I thought he was still in purgatory – but I felt as if he personally gave it to me (Bishop Sheen standing upside down on the cover to get my attention). Since I grew up in Upstate New York while he was Bishop, I supposed that Bishop Sheen wanted me to really read and study his book (not just keep it on my shelf). So I am reading it each day. Bishop Sheen’s “Three Degrees of Intimacy” helped me to understand one of my most painful life experiences (the suicide of my best friend about eight years ago). That was a big breakthrough for me. And my life is changing.

Look, I was/am a Baptist. I was long thinking that Our Lady at Fatima Portugal was like a crazy superstition attached to the Roman Catholic Christian faith. On page 202, Bishop Sheen presents the whole matter in a very convincing way – and it seems to me that he was divinely inspired to speak as a result of wearing Bishop Eugenio Pacelli’s pectoral cross. Bishop Eugenio Pacelli became Pope Pius XII. The same pectoral cross was struck by a communist assassin just before Bishop Pacelli replied in soft tones “All right – kill me! But you gain nothing! I am only trying to save Germany.” I had to read Bishop Sheen’s very convincing “Fatima” telecast – and hear of his wearing that special Holy Cross (borrowed from Cardinal Spellman for the telecast) – to get me to understand and really begin to believe in Fatima. And I urge anyone who wants to know more about Fatima to get Bishop Sheen’s book, read it and re-read it (page 202).

Bishop Sheen’s Prayer is this: “Give me strength, tonight, to speak Thy Truth, that Thou mayest be known, not me; the power to make others love Thee, but not that I may be loved. Instill in those who listen to me a love of Thee, so that there may not be only truth communicated but also a love of that truth.” – from “How to Talk” telecast. He prayed that prayer kneeling down before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament before each telecast.

If Bishop Sheen is now out of purgatory, in my mind he is still praying that priestly prayer every time a telecast is repeated and every time someone reads his writing and needs to be closer to God.

Am I being a little too much like Nathanael in John 1:46-49? But wasn’t that a miracle also – that Jesus knew Nathanael?

You Catholics don’t keep a few books in your bookstores with upside down covers just to fool somebody like me, right? I am waiting for RCIA this fall.
 
It’s a pity he can’t be fast-tracked. I’d like to honor him in my confirmation name, but I can’t put off RCIA for several more decades. 😉
 
space ghost:
If he is not a saint, he should be … 👍
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I heard that the process has begun to promote the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen for canonization as a recognized saint, but it is still in the early stages.
 
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seeker63:
It’s a pity he can’t be fast-tracked. I’d like to honor him in my confirmation name, but I can’t put off RCIA for several more decades. 😉
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You could choose Peter or John in his honor. Sheen was baptized Peter John, but throughout his life he was known by his mother’s maiden name, Fulton. 😉
 
I’ve also discovered him via EWTN (his show was on when I was too young to remember it!) & am also starting to read some of his books. You will not find a better teacher of the Catholic faith. My late grandmother, an illiterate Italian immigrant who couldn’t have possibly followed some of his more intellectual points, loved him very much & I really think that speaks to his charisma, which he surely got straight from the Holy Spirit. Since he devoted so much to defending the faith specifically against all the attacks of modernism and secularism, he would truly be a saint for our times. I have heard that his cause for sainthood has been started, but I don’t know the details.
 
His cause is open and the priest that was in charge of it either died or retired recently and a new one was appointed I believe, so there is still interest.
 
I absolutely love Bishop Sheen!!! Very wise and holy man… faithful and obedient… great example of priestly life!

Your unworthy brother in Christ and by the Grace of God a future Maronite priest,
Donnchadh
 
Yes, I forgot all about Archbishop Sheen’s original name.

Unfortunately, I’ve never gotten to see any footage from “Life Is Worth Living.” I’ve just read some of his work.

A few weeks ago I went to a Saturday vigil for the first time. Officiating was an Anglo-Irish Priest I’d never seen before. The Gospel was the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Then the Priest stepped forward for his Homily:“The Sermon today will be a short one: GO AND DO LIKEWISE!” And then he turned around and walked away.

Wow! You could’ve heard a pin drop in that Church.I felt like I’d had the air sucked out of my lungs and was looking around to make sure I’d not been the only one to hear that.

Then he turned around, went back to where he’d been standing, and said,“You didn’t think you were getting off that easy did you?” Big laughs were followed by a powerful homily.

Later I was waiting at the bus stop with some older people. An Hispanic lady asked if any of us knew who this priest was, then added, “I think this man could become another Bishop Sheen.” She and I shared what could only be called a delighted Christian laugh, and I said, “You know, I was thinking throughout the service he reminded me of Bishop Sheen for some reason.”

“Well, what made Bishop Sheen so great was he’d get your attention with a joke, then drive home a really important message…But did you see how many people looked relieved for a few seconds, thinking they weren’t gonna have to hear a long sermon?”

I said, “Actually, as good a sermon as that was, when he just commanded, ‘Go and do likewise,’ and walked away I was just blown away thinking how powerful that would’ve been. A one-sentence sermon, but no one who heard it would ever forget it the rest of their lives.”

It reminds me of that great story of the National Prayer Breakfast Archbishop Sheen attended less than a year before his death. He’d been having heart problems.Billy Graham had been asked to substitute for him at the Breakfast. But despite his doctor’s warnings, Sheen went anyway. He managed with some effort to reach the podium, then he turned to Jimmy Carter and said, “Mr. President, you are a sinner.”

He had everybody’s attention now, and he then said, “I am a sinner…We are ALL sinners,… and we all need to turn to God.” And he then gave one of the greatest sermons of his life.

Man, if that doesn’t move you, check your pulse.
 
– from jmm08 again:

When my family and I are Catholic, I know how I can make my home a witness. I can hang a picture of Bishop Sheen upside down and put this beneath it inside the frame:

Bishop Sheen’s Prayer: “Give me strength, tonight, to speak Thy Truth, that Thou mayest be known, not me; the power to make others love Thee, but not that I may be loved. Instill in those who listen to me a love of Thee, so that there may not be only truth communicated but also a love of that truth.”

And when somebody sees it and asks why Bishop Sheen is upside down, I can share my story and show them the book.
 
Here’s the official website for Archbishop Sheen’s Cause of Canonization sheen.catholicexchange.com/index.html

I’m sooo glad that someone has opened this thread. I’ve had something I’d been wanting to share about Archbishop Sheen but I’ve been too nervous to start a thread on my own. Just a little over two weeks ago I was in a state of mortal sin and was about to go to confession… As I made an examination of conscience the day before going, I had decided to not confess a particular sin that my confessor had refused to absolve in the past since he felt that it was not a sinful matter (lllooooooooooong story). My conscience had been troubled by this in weeks past but this time I decided to just ignore Church teaching and go with what my confessor had said. That night I had a rather interesting dream…

In the dream, I was an altar server of some kind (perhaps an acolyte), serving a Tridentine Mass for Archbishop Sheen (I’ve never served a Tridentine Mass but I seemed to be doing very well at it. LOL). Anyway, it came time for reception of communion and Archbishop Sheen asked each of the servers if they were properly disposed and I replied “Yes, your eminence.” To that he replied “Liar.” and passed me by when he distributed communion. The dream concluded after Mass when he asked me something like “are you ready to make a good confession this time?” It was really… odd. I highly doubt this is some sort of miracle or intervention from above, but suffice it to say that I certainly did make a good confession the next day. But there’s the possibility that this is some sort of message from Archbishop Sheen, right? Just thought I’d post this and see if other people have had similar experiences… (I’m not crazy, really, I’m not!!!).
 
Catholic Nerd: Get thee to a confessional at once!!! When Bishop Sheen speaks, you had better listen. I fell in love with Bishop Sheen when I was about 11 years old. TV was only on a few hours a day before it went to the test pattern. This was back in the days when all that was on the air was Hit Parade, Cid Caeser, Milton Berle, and a few other shows worth watching. I remember when Bishop Sheen started his Tuesday night show opposite Milton Berle we tuned in for the novelty of it. Remember, I was just a school girl so watching TV was a real treat for a school night. His show mesmerized us and after a few weeks even the protestants in the town were talking about this wonderful “preacher”. I think watching his show as a child gave me a love and interest in my religion that I have kept these many years. Back to you Catholic Nerd. Put on your shoes and turn off your computer…get thee to a church!!
 
Yes, the late Archbishop Sheen is a candidate for sainthood. for holy cards and other information you can write to:

Th Archbishop John Sheen Foundation
P.O. Box 313
El Paso, IL 61738-0313
 
Another private miracle from Bishop Sheen: August 2, just before going to sleep, I prayed some “Our Fathers” and “Hail Marys”. I tried to remember, but I couldn’t remember St. Augustine’s name (he had prayed “Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.”) So instead I prayed to and reminded Bishop Sheen that he said “and who in the name of God has not [sin]?” - his “Suffering” telecast. And I asked Bishop Sheen how he was able to get over sin in his life. With my eyes still closed and without delay, the instant reply was a very dim and very brief red flash of light. It looked like the small red light near the front of the Church Sanctuary. My mind knew the answer right away. Bishop Sheen made a Holy Hour before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament each day (Eucharistic Adoration).

I turned in my paperwork for RCIA today.

Bishop Sheen enthusiastically drew strength in his life from his daily Holy Hour.

Bishop Sheen reveals in his “How to Talk” telecast that before each talk he goes into the chapel, kneels down before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and prays the following prayer.

Bishop Sheen’s Prayer: “Give me strength, tonight, to speak Thy Truth, that Thou mayest be known, not me; the power to make others love Thee, but not that I may be loved. Instill in those who listen to me a love of Thee, so that there may not be only truth communicated but also a love of that truth.”

Bishop Sheen died on December 9, in his chapel before the Blessed Sacrament.

“Of all the pulpits from which human voice is ever sent forth, there is none from which it reaches so far as from the grave.” – John Ruskin, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, 1849

I am convinced that Bishop Sheen prays his prayer any time somebody watches him on a re-broadcast (EWTN) or any time somebody is reading one of his books.

In 1950 Cardinal Spellman named Fulton Sheen to head the American branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He is still working towards that end.
 
I found a place where Bishop Sheen told a parable just like Jesus did.
See “Prayer” page 275 in “Life is Worth Living”, Ignatius

“In many homes at springtime, little girls about three and four years of age go out to the lawn and gather up bunches of dandelions. The mother is presented with them very solemnly. This creates a difficulty. She must get a vase for the dandelions; she may even have to display them, which she certainly does not want to do. The mother does not need the dandelions. But the child needs to give them. By accepting the dandelions, the mother is training the child in love, kindness, and goodness.”

Bishop Sheen doesn’t say so, and perhaps it was already overly obvious to all you Roman Catholics.

To me the meaning of Bishop Sheen’s parable is this: That we should make roses for Our Lady in praying the rosary often. That Mary doesn’t need the roses, but she displays them to God because she loves us. And she encourages us to pray the rosary because we need to – to grow in love, kindness and goodness.

Of course, Bishop Sheen’s talk was on prayer and he says in the talk that we need to give God our praise. But isn’t it really neat that Bishop Sheen also hid a deeper message to pray the rosary?

Or am I new and dumb and you all knew that already when you heard him talk or read his book?:confused:

Do you remember your childhood? When I was a child with my friends, we made crowns and necklaces by tying the yellow dandelions together. And the rosary is like a necklace.
👋
 
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jmm08:
Do you remember your childhood? When I was a child with my friends, we made crowns and necklaces by tying the yellow dandelions together. And the rosary is like a necklace.
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I’m getting old. I don’t remember so well. It was clover that we tied together, never dandelions.

But still, I think it was really clever for Bishop Sheen to be giving such a motivational message to Protestants (with one meaning) and to Catholics (with the Rosary meaning) at the same time.
 
we watched Bishop Sheen on Tuesday evening, never Milton Berle. Years after the good bishop was dead and gone my parents still never allowed Milton Berle on TV in their house. the only other shows we were allowed to watch were Omnibus and Disney
 
CatholicNerd - loved your post! God has such a sense of humor to use our dreams for motivational purposes. Oh how God does know our “inner man”!

JMM08 - I also completely enjoyed hearing how God has given the gift of Bishop Sheen to help you on your path.

I do believe both of your accounts (CatholicNerd and JMM08) are miracles from God. God has brought you to a point in your life that you can recognize those moments for what they really are - very important miracles.

That alone is a blessing, a gift from God. Most other people would just chalk it up to coincidence.

God Bless.
 
LOVE Bishop Sheen. Used to watch him on TV in the 50s…along with Roy Rogers, his was the very first TV show I watched as a small child—yes,I remember when we got our 1st TV Set…1,000 years ago…OY, am I getting old. Anyhow, I expect Bishop Sheen is responsible for my postive initial impression of Catholicsm. Growing up in the wilds of western North Carolina, I was in Junior High School before I ever saw a Roman Catholic in the flesh…there just weren’t any around. Am glad to see this thread. I had just come across a wonderful book of his, about him taking his nephew Jerome to Rome where he meets Pope John XXIII. Pictures, beautiful pictures by Joseph Karsh, a VERY famous photog—and text by HV Morton, one ofthe VERY best travel writers ever. It;s wonderful. Interesting you should mention Bishop Sheen, and me reading that book. :clapping:
 
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jmm08:
Another private miracle from Bishop Sheen: August 2, just before going to sleep, I prayed some “Our Fathers” and “Hail Marys”. I tried to remember, but I couldn’t remember St. Augustine’s name (he had prayed “Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.”) So instead I prayed to and reminded Bishop Sheen that he said “and who in the name of God has not [sin]?” - his “Suffering” telecast. And I asked Bishop Sheen how he was able to get over sin in his life. With my eyes still closed and without delay, the instant reply was a very dim and very brief red flash of light. It looked like the small red light near the front of the Church Sanctuary. My mind knew the answer right away. Bishop Sheen made a Holy Hour before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament each day (Eucharistic Adoration).
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Today I borrowed “Treasure in Clay – The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen” from the public library. The Epilogue is from Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara (delivered 13 December 1979 in St. Patrick’s Cathedral NYC). It confirms what I instantly saw as my answered prayer from Bishop Sheen:

“Whenever he chose to respond to those who asked him the secret of his ability to touch minds and hearts, his answer was always – “the Holy Hour” – when he spoke to God, and listened to God speaking to him. Here his conflicts were reconciled, for he held no opinions lightly; here his anxieties and insecurities were calmed, for he was the most human of men; here his heart was literally set on fire with the drive that made him ever restless to respond totally to God’s call.”

Last night on EWTN, Father Corapi said he listens to everything the Pope says. On 2 October 1979, Pope John Paul II said to Archbishop Sheen: “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You are a loyal son of the Church.”
 
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