An estimated 50,000 Catholics packed the Dome at the America's Center downtown Thursday afternoon to take part in the Beatification Mass for Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Sheen was a Peoria native most known for using television and radio to bring religious teaching into millions of homes before his death in 1979.
Beatification is the second-to-last major step towards Sainthood in the Catholic church. The church credits Sheen for a miracle from 2010 involving an who infant born without a heartbeat or pulse, who began breathing when his parents invoked Sheen’s name an hour after his birth.
Dan Cordis said that miracle is one reason he traveled to St. Louis from Aurora, Illinois for today's service.
"I just always loved Fulton Sheen. I read a book of his quotes everyday and when I heard about this event, there was no way I could pass it up," Cordis said. "And then the miracle that's accredited to him, nothing can be said about that it's just overwhelming.
Christine Sinclair traveled from Peoria, Illinois, to bring her four children and their friends to the service, which she called a 'once-in-a-lifetime' event.
"Well for starters, you learn about Saints and it's always someone who lived like200 years ago, not anybody who people know now and that you can actually connect with. There's a lot of people still alive who knew him personally," she said. "So it's very cool that we actually get to be a part of a ceremony that's celebrating somebody that knew the modern struggles."
Listen to the podcast above to get more from KMOX Religion Editor Fred Bodimer.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was officially beatified by the Catholic Church on Thursday.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was officially beatified by the Catholic Church on Thursday.
