Episode 39: “Life and Work of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen”

Bishop Daniel Jenky of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and Monsignor Stanley Deptula, Executive Director of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation discuss the life and work of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a man once referred to by the Reverend Billy Graham as "the greatest communicator of the twentieth century."

Sheen's life began in El Paso, Illinois. The son of a hardware store owner father with a second grade education and a mother with an eighth grade education, Sheen and his three brothers achieved great success in their respective vocations: an Archbishop, a physician, an attorney and an industrialist.

Archbishop Sheen rose to prominence first as a member of the Catholic clergy and later as the host of Life Is Worth Living, an ABC program that in its prime reached up to ten million viewers and transcended traditional religious boundaries. Sheen was outspoken when it came to issues about which he felt strongly. He delivered railing sermons on the evils of Communism, while reminding viewers not to judge the Russian people based on their government's ideals. While serving as the Bishop of Rochester, Sheen spoke out against what some considered to be the racist hiring practices of Eastman Kodak, the city's largest employer.

Bishop Jenky and Monsignor Deptula describe the canonization process, involving 22 volumes of testimony, currently underway for Archbishop Sheen.