Who is the "Fulton Sheen" of this era?

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Fulton Sheen was my favorite Catholic televangelist, and he died when I was 2! Who do you think is this era’s Fulton Sheen? Would you say it is Father Corapi? Father Groeschel? Father Apostoli? Mother Angelica? Father Pacwa?

The funny thing is I have seen people try to immitate him and they just fall on their faces! 😃 Their content is good, but their effectiveness is not so good.

My vote would be between Mother Angelica and Father Corapi, but it is really hard to decide.
 
pprimeau1976 said:
Fulton Sheen was my favorite Catholic televangelist, and he died when I was 2! Who do you think is this era’s Fulton Sheen? Would you say it is Father Corapi? Father Groeschel? Father Apostoli? Mother Angelica? Father Pacwa?

The funny thing is I have seen people try to immitate him and they just fall on their faces! 😃 Their content is good, but their effectiveness is not so good.

My vote would be between Mother Angelica and Father Corapi, but it is really hard to decide.
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You know how Google offers suggestions as you type in your search term? Well, if you type in "fr. " that’s f-r-space-dot the suggestions are:

fr. john corapi
fr. corapi
fr. stan fortuna ( a young Franciscan with a music ministry)
fr. benedict groeschel
fr. larry richards
fr. andrew wingate ((private revelation/prophecy, rather off the rails, sorry to say)
fr. fernando suarez (filipino priest w/a healing ministry)
fr. z – real name fr. john zuhlsdorf, owner of the blog WDTPRS = What Does the Prayer Really Say?
fr. groeschel

So those are the top Catholic voices at least as far as the Google guys are concerned 🙂

PS – given all the books he’s written I was surpised by the absence of fr. andrew greeley
 
I think that Mother Angelica had an ability to connect with audiences on a kind of everyman level that Bishop Sheen also had. However, her reach was different, coming through a network which she started. His was more widely popular through network TV. As far as innovation and impact, though I think that they belong in the same sentence. Pope John Paul II’s reach as a preacher was at a level that none can equal, perhaps since St. Paul, but even that was in some ways less about what he said and more about how he carried himself as a man and made himself present as a pastor.

I don’t know if there is anyone at quite that level in the U.S. media, at least, these days. There are some dynamic preachers, to be sure, but their reach, innovation, and impact in no ways even begins to compare with that of those who I’ve mentioned.
 
I echo the sentiments of Fr. Larry Richards and Fr. John Corapi.
 
I third Fr. Larry Richards! 😃

Also, I know they’re not terribly known, but I also would vote Fr. Michael Scanlan and Fr. Dave Pivonka, both from Franciscan University of Steubenville…they can captivate an audience and have such wisdom to share :)!
 
Well I haven’t seen all of these guys. Maybe Fr. Pacwa. But can you imagine any Catholic priest or bishop getting a prime-time network broadcast these days?

Fulton Sheen had this whole dramatic-orator thespian presence about him. Especially with the cape. Did he have theater training? Anyway, that’s what I haven’t seen in any contemporary Catholic TV preacher. Fr. Corapi has a certain “gravity” about him at times, but it’s like he alternates between that an “aw, shucks” persona.
 
Let me answer the question directly.

Though there are some good and popular speakers around, there is not a Fulton Sheen of this era at the present moment.
 
I’d have to say Father Robert Barron, Father Corapi, and Father Larry Richards. They are all different, but they each have wonderful speaking styles that really reach and teach people.
 
chicago said:
Let me answer the question directly.

Though there are some good and popular speakers around, there is not a Fulton Sheen of this era at the present moment.
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I agree. Having heard his shows now, I don’t know if there is really anyone who really seems to pull the same draw, and I think he is able to appeal to a lot more people. On the other hand, though I think we may lack a Archbishop Sheen, we have a lot more options and more channels of media. Didymus gave a nice list, and the nice thing is each is a bit different, which seems very catholic to me.
 
Brain said:
I think Fulton Sheen was and his work is sui generis.
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:amen:
I had the amazing privilege of meeting Fulton Sheen when he was bishop of Rochester.No greater experience can be imagined. He is surely a great saint of God.👍 👍
 
Al_Masetti said:
Father Benedict Groeschel.
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He comes almost close to #1 with his holy, no-nonsense, wisdom! I love the man! Saw him and Fr corapi at conferences in the US. You guys are so blessed to have such holy priests!:tiphat:
 
There would have to be a prime time program on regular tv-there is none, so there is no “Fulton Sheen” of this era.
 
Shoshana said:
He comes almost close to #1 with his holy, no-nonsense, wisdom! I love the man! Saw him and Fr corapi at conferences in the US. You guys are so blessed to have such holy priests!:tiphat:
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From what I understand, Fulton sheen was like THAT all the time. According to a ex-franciscan (he switched to being disocisean) Fr Benedict is really catty and gossipy off camera.
 
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