Description

Oil Dedicated to Ven Fulton J. Sheen

Ven Fulton Sheen, in full Fulton John Sheen, also called Bishop Fulton Sheen or Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, (born May 8, 1895, El Paso, Illinois, U.S.—died December 9, 1979, New York), American religious leader, evangelist, writer, Roman Catholic priest, and radio and television personality.

Ven Fulton Sheen was the oldest of four children born to Newt Sheen, a farmer, and his wife Delia. As a child, he served as an altar boy at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois. Sheen attended parochial school and then attended St. Viator College, in Bourbonnais, Illinois, where he earned a B.A. in 1917 and an M.A. in 1919. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest later that year.

Sheen was not only a respected teacher but also a gifted orator. The rising popularity of radio in the early 20th century provided Sheen with an opportunity to gain a wide audience. In 1930 he began his 22-year radio career on the program The Catholic Hour, which reached an estimated four million listeners at the height of its popularity. In 1951 Sheen became a titular bishop, and he served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1951–66).

Sheen was appointed national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1958, a position he held until 1966, when he was appointed bishop of Rochester, New York. From 1961 to 1969 he hosted another popular television show, The Bishop Fulton Sheen Show. He also wrote various books and a syndicated newspaper column.