Show Notes
This week on Practicing Catholic, Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Hefelfinger celebrate Archbishop Fulton Sheen just days before his beatification in St. Louis. Emily joins the conversation as the guys trace Sheen's remarkable life story and reflect on why his witness has meant so much to them personally.
Taylor and Scott walk through Sheen's biography — born in 1895, ordained in 1919, and shaped for life by a daily Holy Hour he kept without fail. They cover his advanced studies at Louvain, the Sorbonne, and the Angelicum, his 23 years teaching at Catholic University of America, his wildly popular radio ministry, and the Emmy-winning television show "Life Is Worth Living," which drew 30 million weekly viewers at its height. They also discuss the painful falling-out with Cardinal Spellman that ended his TV career, and how Sheen's later years of relative obscurity became, in their view, a lesson in detachment and holy suffering. Scott shares how discovering Sheen's writings and talks — especially during a 500-mile walk on the Camino de Santiago — profoundly shaped his own faith, while Emily reflects on knowing surprisingly little about Sheen despite his beatification happening in her own city.
The episode closes with some of the most memorable stories of Sheen's personal ministry, his famous meeting with Pope John Paul II two months before his death, and a look ahead to his beatification. Taylor and Scott each share a personal challenge inspired by Sheen's example — including committing to a Holy Hour of their own.
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