Presidential Message on the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Summary: This is a presidential message from President Trump (with Melania Trump) marking the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the first American-born bishop to be beatified by the Catholic Church. Biography and career highlights: Born in central Illinois in the late 1800s, Sheen spent over two decades teaching, lecturing, and broadcasting on radio before becoming Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 1951. Launched the television series "Life Is Worth Living," which became a ratings phenomenon — reportedly outperforming Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra, winning an Emmy for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and appearing on Time magazine's cover. The show attracted an estimated 30 million weekly viewers and is described as one of the most-watched religious programs in television history, converting notable politicians, celebrities, and even communist figures to Catholicism. In the 1960s, on "The Fulton Sheen Program," he warned against what he called a "new type of violence" tied to rejection of institutions like schools, churches, and government, urging Americans to turn "Up... up to God." Later served as Bishop of Rochester, New York, and titular Archbishop of Newport, Wales. Pope John Paul II praised him in 1979 at St. Patrick's Cathedral; Sheen died two months later while praying in his private chapel. Legacy: Notes his broadcasts and writings remain popular, and the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Museum in Illinois draws many visitors annually. The message concludes by noting his Beatification Mass was held in St. Louis, Missouri, with a prayer that his legacy will continue to inspire.