SANDPOINT, IDAHO - APRIL 17, 2023. A dead-stopped Cause for Canonization for one of America’s most beloved bishops has spurred an urgent petition to reopen and move forward with his cause for sainthood and to put a spotlight on the paused cause. Led by Dr. Peter Howard, founder of the Fulton J. Sheen Institute, the petition aims to reignite the Cause for Canonization of Fulton Sheen with a SET THE DATE FOR SHEEN campaign.

“A baby resurrection miracle has been approved and all aspects of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s tenure as Bishop of Rochester thoroughly investigated by Rome and the state of New York Attorney General’s office with nothing found to impede his cause,” said Dr. Peter Howard, founder of the Fulton J. Sheen Institute and architect of the global petition. “Sheen, an Emmy Award-winning Catholic bishop, was a media pioneer, often characterized as America’s first televangelist, and author of over 70 published works such as Treasure in Clay, Three to Get Married, Lift Up Your Heart, Life of Christ, and The World’s First Love. He brought Christ to the masses and yet his date with destiny, the date to elevate him to sainthood, has been slow-walked, blocked, and utterly forgotten. We won’t let that happen.”

We applaud the many years of tireless work of the Diocese of Peoria and the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, first led by Bishop Jenky and now by Bishop Tylka. Peoria not only carried out the canonical process to bring the cause of Sheen to this important goal of beatification, they also were united with the family of Sheen in its legal battle to obtain the now fitting resting place of Sheen’s body in the Cathedral of St. Mary in Peoria, where Venerable Sheen was ordained a priest.

The stunning silence from the Vatican and American Catholic hierarchy, nor any signal that this will move forward, is what ignited the Fulton Sheen Movement and its global petition, the SET THE DATE FOR SHEEN campaign. The Movement’s founder, Dr. Peter Howard, stated Sheen’s universal impact and significance were demonstrated within the first 15 hours of the petition’s launch as signatures came in from all six inhabited continents. Ven. Fulton J. Sheen was scheduled to be beatified in December 2019, when just weeks before the anticipated Peoria event, the beatification was abruptly canceled with no explanation from Catholic officials.

“This is a scandal,” said Dr. Howard. “Bishop Sheen was America’s bishop, but his impact around the world is undeniable. He was a missionary and took the Gospel to the ends of the earth - the impoverished, the destitute, and the spiritually poor and disenfranchised. He went to the peripheries through the media and traveled as a missionary to developing countries around the world. His intercession brought a baby back to life after being dead for over an hour.”

Dr. Howard clarified what this petition movement is about, “It’s very simple. This is about rescheduling the Mass for beatification. Period. Everything required canonically by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for Sheen to be Blessed has been completed since 2014. The legal drama over his body was concluded in 2019. At that same time, on 5 July 2019, Pope Francis issued a decree verifying a miracle through the intercession of Venerable Sheen. That cleared the way for a date to be set for the ceremonial Mass during which Fulton Sheen would be declared 'Blessed.' Pope Francis moved quickly at that point to schedule that Mass for 21 December 2019 in Peoria. There remain no impediments for delaying the Mass for Sheen’s beatification. Sheen is clean, heroic and the saint needed for our times. It's time to set the date to draw attention to him as 'Blessed.'”

This is why Dr. Howard is calling Catholics everywhere to petition the bishops of the United States to tell Rome “It’s time to set the date.” Sheen’s cause and significance extend way beyond a single diocese. Sheen’s cause is for the whole Church. Who better to reignite that spark and fan it into flame than the lay movement Fulton Sheen himself prophesied would save the Church in our times.

To support this effort, Dr. Howard is asking Catholic writers, podcasters, and radio and television news outlets to bring him on as a guest to help spread the truth about Sheen’s beatification, why this is so important for our times and to help this petition reach its first goal of 200,000 signatures as quickly as possible.

“We can accomplish this goal within weeks if just a few of the Catholic influencers with large followings step up courageously and as true leaders, sign the petition and invite their listeners to do the same,” said Dr. Howard. A simple yet powerful action plan every Catholic can do right now to bring the reality of “Blessed Fulton Sheen” closer and faster, is to click on the following: 

PRAY for the Canonization of Venerable Fulton Sheen

SIGN the Petition

SHARE the Petition within your social communities and email lists (reach at least 5 people and have them duplicate that)

DONATE to help spread the importance of Sheen and his beatification throughout the world

To interview Dr. Peter Howard, please contact Chantal Howard, at (719)-659-4473 or via email at team@fultonsheenmovement.com.