So much has happened since the last time I posted here, however this week marks such an important moment in the American Church that I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the many ways that Archbishop Fulton Sheen has impacted and shaped my spiritual journey.

You may notice from my avatar photo that since my last post, in 2023 I was ordained a deacon in the Archdiocese of Denver. Entering into Formation, I already had an enthusiastic devotion to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who was ordained in my birthplace of Peoria, IL and not far from my hometown of Pekin.

I spent some years of lukewarm practice of the faith, but during the “returning home” process I encountered YouTube recordings of Archbishop Sheen’s television show “Life is Worth Living.” I was struck by the power of his preaching, his conviction, the stage-like quality of his speaking, and the fact that quite simply he called us all to live more authentically for Christ.

As the years went on and I entered Formation, this devotion grew. My spiritual director, Fr. Dennis Brown, O.M.V. was a directee of Archbishop Sheen’s, and had a decades long friendship with him. He shared many stories of his time visiting Rochester, and his own love for Sheen was evident as he told these stories. Throughout the process, I became more and more captivated by Sheen’s love for the Eucharist – his daily Holy Hour devotion and how he credited his time with our Blessed Lord as where his power and energy came from.

As I approached my own ordination, I was required to do a capstone project and presentation intended to challenge us in an area where we needed the most growth. For me, it was finding stillness and silence amid such a busy world. I opted to study the writings of the Carthusian monks, and took the inspiration from Archbishop Sheen and (at the advice of my spiritual director) committed to a 30-day interval of daily Holy Hours. I ended up doing that twice, it was so fruitful – and it was among one of the richest spiritual experiences in my life to this point. The practicality was the most difficult part, as my parish is about 30 minutes from my house and I still maintain my day job… but the great gift of time with the Lord was a tremendous benefit.

I credit Archbishop Sheen as being that intercessor for much of my vocational journey. Starting tomorrow, my family and I are traveling to St. Louis to attend his beatification Mass. This has been many years coming and I am grateful that I will be able to serve and distribute Communion. I can remember being captivated by Archbishop Sheen all those years ago, and imagining how joyful I would be when he takes the next step toward sainthood – I just never imagined I’d get to see it with my own eyes. I will be filled with joy to join my brother Deacons from Pekin to serve this momentous event. God is so good, and I grateful and excited to take this journey.

God Love You.