PEORIA, ILL. — “What a glorious day it is.”
That’s how Rochester Bishop John S. Bonnici began his homily for a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrating the Sept. 24 beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Rochester. The Sept. 25 Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Ill., where Blessed Sheen was ordained a priest in 1919 and where his tomb is located.
Bishop Bonnici was joined by Bishop Emeritus Salvatore R. Matano along with Bishop Edward Lohse of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad, Pakistan. In attendance were more than a dozen priests, including Fathers Aaron Kelly and Daniel E. White, priest secretaries for Bishops Bonnici and Matano respectively, who concelebrated the Mass.
Bishop Bonnici addresses Blessed Sheen’s stint in Rochester
During his homily before a standing-room-only cathedral, Bishop Bonnici gave a brief summary of Blessed Sheen’s life as a priest, missionary, teacher, preacher, communicator of the Gospel and bishop. He noted that the beatification is particularly special to the Diocese of Rochester.
Following decades of national and international prominence, Blessed Sheen’s ministry took a turn he may not have anticipated when in late 1966 he was appointed bishop of Rochester, Bishop Bonnici remarked.
“He came to a diocese with a long history, strong parishes, schools, hospitals, religious communities, priests, sisters and faithful laity. He also arrived at a moment of enormous transition,” Bishop Bonnici explained, noting that the Second Vatican Council had just concluded and that questions of race, poverty, war, authority, liturgy, education and social justice were pressing upon the nation and the church.
Bishop Bonnici acknowledged that some of then-Bishop Sheen’s initiatives were welcomed, but others were questioned and resisted. Bishop Sheen challenged structures, encouraged renewal, spoke forcefully about the church’s responsibility toward the poor, and sought to translate the social teaching of the Gospel into concrete action, Bishop Bonnici said.
“His Rochester years remind us that pastoral leadership is not exercised in abstraction; it is living among real people in particular places at particular moments in history, amid hopes, misunderstandings, successes, limitations, resistance and grace,” he added. “Perhaps this is one of the gifts Rochester can offer the wider church’s remembrance of Blessed Fulton Sheen. We knew not only the famous communicator on the television screen; Rochester knew the bishop who had to live the Gospel in the daily complexity of a local church.”
Though his tenure as shepherd of the Rochester Diocese came to an end two years and 10 months later, Bishop Bonnici noted this was not the end of the mission for Blessed Sheen, who received the title of archbishop. Archbishop Sheen continued to preach, write, teach and witness to Christ until his death in 1979, the bishop noted.
“His earthly assignments changed, but the command of the Gospel remained: ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel,’” Bishop Bonnici said.
Bishop Bonnici: Follow Blessed Sheen’s example of missionary zeal
Bishop Bonnici told the faithful present that Blessed Sheen’s beatitication is a reminder that they should always return to the Eucharist and to spend time with Jesus. He also told them to not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel using whatever means possible.
“(Blessed) Sheen used radio and television when those media were shaping a new culture,” he said. “Our missionary field includes parishes, churches, school, homes, hospitals, universities and workplaces, but also phones, podcasts, social media, video and technology. (Blessed) Sheen could never ever imagine the things being done with TikTok.”
Lastly, Bishop Bonnici said the faithful are called to remember the poor and marginalized, and also to pray for vocations.
“Let us keep Christ at the center, not ourselves, not our success, just Jesus Christ,” he concluded. “Thanks be to God for Blessed Fulton J. Sheen. Thanks for his priesthood, his preaching, his devotion to Mary, his love in Jesus, the Eucharist, his work for vocations, his missionary zeal, his service to God’s people, and through his intercession, may we all of us receive anew the courage to obey the command of Christ. Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us.”
Faithful to have opportunities to venerate Blessed Sheen’s relic
As they processed out of the church at the end of Mass, Bishop Bonnici and Father Kelly paused to pray before the tomb and relic of Blessed Sheen.
Bishop Bonnici will welcome Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria to Rochester’s Sacred Heart Cathedral Sept. 29. Bishop Tylka will present a first-class relic of Blessed Sheen to the Diocese of Rochester. The Sept. 29 Mass will be followed by a series of related liturgies at several diocesan parishes this fall. At these Masses, the faithful will have opportunities to view and venerate the relic — a small portion of Archbishop Sheen’s remains — before it is placed on permanent display at the cathedral for further viewing and veneration.
