Pilgrims Seeking Goodness

From September 24-26, the seniors of Fiat Classical Academy made a pilgrimage to St. Louis, MO and Peoria, IL to attend the beatification Mass of Blessed Fulton Sheen, visit his burial site, and go to the Fulton Sheen Museum.

Bl. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979) was a Catholic priest from Peoria, Illinois who rose to become an archbishop.. Throughout his life he was well known for his work as a theologian, teacher at the Catholic University of America, and as an evangelist who used the “new media” to preach the word of God and speak the truth to Americans in their homes through radio and television. He even won an Emmy Award for his television program in which he thanked his writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Pope St. John Paul II, the patron of Fiat Classical Academy, embraced Bishop Fulton Sheen two months before he died. This was at a time when Sheen himself was being maligned by those who misunderstood him. The Pope said, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church.”

FCA’s 5 seniors and their chaperones joined over 50,000 other pilgrims to attend the beatification Mass of Bl. Fulton Sheen. On the journey to St. Louis, the students chanted Morning Prayer, and sang Latin hymns. “We sang for 3 hours straight! I am almost certain,” said Stella I.

When they arrived and went to the Mass, in St. Louis it was just a matter of soaking it all in. The students recounted that it took 40 minutes as 1000 priests processed into the stadium. More than any other aspect of the Mass, the students recounted the fellowship amongst all the pilgrims. “It was impactful being surrounded by all the other Catholics,” recounts Colette W.

After the beatification, they continued their pilgrimage to the hometown of Fulton Sheen, Peoria. There, they listened to a witness by Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of James Engstrom who received a lifesaving miracle attributed to the intercession of Fulton Sheen. “You could tell it was touching her still even though it was 16 years ago,” said Colette.

Amongst the steps for a person to be beatified in the Catholic Church, perhaps the most well known is that a miracle has to be attributed to that person’s intercession to God. James Engstrom was born without a pulse and didn’t have one for the first hour of his life. His heart began beating after his parents prayed for Fulton J. Sheen’s intercession: the namesake of their son. Furthermore, he made a full recovery despite the traumatic experience of his birth.

In addition to this witness, they attended a Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral in Peoria and went to the Bishop Fulton Sheen Museum. This pilgrimage was a unique experience that allowed the seniors at Fiat to deepen their spiritual lives, but also to grow closer as a class and dwell upon what Fiat is inculcating in young men and women. 

Bishop Fulton Sheen is a remarkable example of our pillars: cultivating wonder, encouraging encounter, fostering integration, and seeking excellence. Sheen evangelized to people across the United States and the world. His work led to the conversion of many, and he stayed focused on Christ. May Bl. Fulton Sheen especially intercede for us to be loyal sons and daughters of Mother Church! Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us!