Friday 11 December 2009

Archbishop Fulton J Sheen


I have added the link for the website of the cause of Archbishop Fulton J Sheen. The Catholic Church in the U.S. has just celebrated the 30th anniversary of his death. I saw part of the anniversary Mass on EWTN, and then watched part of Fulton Sheen's last meditation on Good Friday. What a man! What a priest!
In these sad days when so much that passes for Catholic catechesis is like watery, luke-warm porridge, it's great to hear the substantial full breakfast of Sheen's sermons. (I'm sorry - that's the image that came to mind - I must be hungry!)
Actually, a good bishop or priest is like a father who feeds and clothes his children. Are we being fed today by most of our priests and bishops? I know- and proclaim - that the Church still has excellent and holy priests and bishops, but our catechetical programmes over the last 30 years have been poor and thin by comparison to the kind of teaching we can still hear and see (thanks to video) presented by this great son of the Church. I sincerely hope he is beatified and canonised - as quickly as possible, following the great Cardinal Newman.

2 comments:

  1. “Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops, and your religious act like religious.”

    Fulton Sheen

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  2. I feel I must wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments. A few years ago when I was in the 'wilderness', I bought a book of his called "The Power of Love" and around the same time, I saw "A Man Called Peter" (re your earlier blog) as a late night film on TV. They both had a profound effect on me and set the small smouldering embers within me aglow. Now many years later, I still remember the circumstances at that time and am still looking to see where this will take me.
    Keep up your good work in preaching the word as they both did, as the only to true freedom is acheived by proclaming the "Truth" who is Christ.

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