A board of medical experts with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved a reported miracle attributed to the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, which is promoting his cause for canonization, announced March 6.
Archbishop Sheen served as Bishop of Rochester from 1966-69. A native of Peoria, Ill., he reached millions through his popular radio show and his Emmy-award winning television show, "Life is Worth Living," which reached 30 million viewers. He also served as the United States director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the church’s primary missionary apostolate.
The reported miracle involved a stillborn baby born in September 2010. For more than an hour the child showed no signs of life as medical professionals attempted to save his life, while the children’s parents and loved ones sought the intercession of Archbishop Sheen, according to the Sheen foundation. After 61 minutes, the baby was restored to life and made a full recovery, according to the foundation; the now 3-year-old boy remains in good health.
The team of Vatican medical experts found no natural explanation for the child’s healing, according to the foundation. The case will next be reviewed by a board of theologians and with their approval, it could move on to the cardinals and bishops who advise Pope Francis on canonizations. Finally, the pope would have to affirm that God performed a miracle through the Archbishop Sheen’s intercession.
"Today is a significant step in the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of our beloved Fulton Sheen, a priest of Peoria and a son of the Heartland who went on to change the world," Peoria Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, president of the Sheen foundation, said in a statement. "There are many more steps ahead and more prayers needed. But today is a good reason to rejoice."
