Dear Friends,
Catholic and secular media were recently abuzz with news of the impending beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Renowned as the first Catholic television evangelist with his program Life is Worth Living, the Archbishop made a significant impact on the world of visual media, even winning an Emmy Award and appearing on the cover of Time magazine.
Archbishop Sheen maintained a rigorous schedule, including authoring more than 70 books and crossing the globe numerous times to raise funds for the Propagation of the Faith. His extraordinarily active ministry was fueled by a daily Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament, a practice begun during his seminary days and continued throughout his life. Despite his appointments, writing, and travel, his time with Jesus always took top priority.
The Archbishop also had a great devotion to Mary and wished to die on a Marian Feast. It was providential that he passed away early on the morning of December 9, 1979, a few hours after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, while praying before the Blessed Sacrament in his private chapel. Two months before his death, he met Saint John Paul II in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Saint embraced the future blessed and called him a loyal son of the Church.
Archbishop Sheen’s beatification is scheduled for September 24, 2026, in St. Louis, MO, on the feast of Our Lady of Mercy. Cardinal Luis Tagle will preside at the beatification liturgy as the personal representative of Pope Leo. Coincidentally, Cardinal Tagle was Pope Francis’ representative at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, July, 2024.
We are a few short months away from this summer’s Eucharistic pilgrimage event, which will begin over Memorial Day weekend in St. Augustine, Florida, where the first Mass in the United States was celebrated at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission de Nombres. The route will continue through most of the 13 original colonies and conclude over the 4th of July weekend in Philadelphia. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The full itinerary for the pilgrimage can be found at https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/
A small group of young people, referred to as perpetual pilgrims, will make the full journey with the Blessed Sacrament from St. Augustine to Philadelphia. You can meet them virtually at https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/pilgrims or in person at one of the many stops along the pilgrimage route. The pilgrims also invite you to submit your prayer intentions, which they will carry with them on the pilgrimage. You can contact them on the pilgrimage website. To keep updated on the various events related to the Revival/Congress, please consider subscribing to the free e-newsletter, Heart of the Revival. You can sign up at https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/
May this Easter season be a time of joy and immense blessing for you and your loved ones. May you find many opportunities to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist with renewed love and devotion.
Sister Marcella Louise Wallowicz CSFN
