Praying Big with Blessed Fulton J. Sheen
by Praedicare Staff with Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P.
A Catholic Media Legacy
Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., a friar of our Eastern Province, who is now the General Promoter of Social Communication for the Order of Preachers, travelled back to the USA from Rome this August. After flying into St. Louis, Missouri for the long anticipated beatification of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, he set up his tripod, and like the Blessed he was celebrating, turned his face to the camera. “Today is a day to ‘pray big’ and ask the Lord for miracles through the intercession of Fulton Sheen! We are gathered here to witness a moment that so many Catholics have prayed for over decades, and it reminds us that God hears the prayers of His people.”
Blessed Fulton Sheen’s beatification took place in The Dome at America’s Center, a huge stadium near the center of St. Louis. It was a venue that reminded Fr. Patrick of Blessed Sheen’s entire career, which brought Catholic teaching into homes and mainstream culture through radio, television, and even stadium-sized events. While today’s Catholic media is too big to map, Blessed Sheen is its precursor and patron. He infused new media (at the time) with his holiness, assuring faithful Catholics that what is new can still be imbued with solid, Christ-centered preaching. He reminded priests and lay people that our new technologies can be used to spread not only political developments or sports results, but also the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Intercession and Eucharistic Devotion
Blessed Fulton Sheen’s work had a spiritual core. His time before the Holy Sacrament gave him the strength to preach publicly and to become a friendly face to millions. Fr. Patrick makes an important clarification: “Blessed Fulton Sheen wasn’t effective on television simply because he was charismatic or articulate; he was effective because he spent an hour every single day in front of the Blessed Sacrament. What was reflected on the screen was the fruit of a deep, interior life with Christ.” Like Dominican Friars, who pray and study long hours in order to prepare their preaching, Blessed Fulton Sheen knew that without Christ at the center of his efforts, his preaching would lack the conviction and grace needed.
Blessed Fulton Sheen’s Devotion to Mary
A few days later, Fr. Patrick was back among his Dominican brothers in Washington, D.C., praying the Rosary in another huge event in the life of the Church.
At the Fourth Annual Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, he detailed the parallels between the St. Louis beatification events and our own Dominican-led religious pilgrimage: “It’s the life of the Church on display in the United States; we’ve got great energy, great spirits, huge crowds. People want faith, they’re looking for the Lord, and they want to share that love of Jesus with the world.” As Blessed Fulton Sheen himself says in his book on Mary, The World’s First Love, “The Rosary invites our fingers, our lips, and our heart in one vast symphony of prayer… the power of the Rosary is beyond description.”
Dominican Friars share Blessed Fulton J. Sheen’s passion for uniting prayer with preaching. Events like the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, podcasts, informative videos for the curious, and preaching in parishes combine to carry Blessed Fulton Sheen’s mission forward today.
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Photo: Dominican Province of St. Joseph Archives – Blessed Fulton Sheen gives a blessing to the friars at St. Vincent Ferrer Church
