The Diocese of Peoria (Illinois, United States) laid the first stone on October 19 for a cultural center dedicated to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of the most influential Catholic communicators of the 20th century. According to Catholic News Agency (CNA), the project will transform the historic building of the Spalding Institute—the former diocesan college—into a modern space called The Fulton J. Sheen Experience, which will expand the existing museum since 2008.
The new center, with an estimated budget between 9 and 11 million dollars, will be entirely funded through private donations. It will feature interactive exhibits, personal objects, audiovisual archives and unpublished materials from Sheen’s television and radio ministry, who reached millions of homes in the 1950s and 1960s with his famous program Life Is Worth Living (“Life Is Worth Living”).
A tribute to the “most illustrious son of Peoria”
“The goal of this project is for more people to know and love the man who is, without a doubt, Peoria’s greatest son,” stated Bishop Louis Tylka, head of the diocese, in a statement released to the local press. “We want people, through his testimony, to draw closer to Jesus Christ,” he added.
Currently, Sheen’s museum receives around 4,000 visitors per year, and the new center is expected to increase that figure to between 11,000 and 15,000 annual visitors, which could also boost religious tourism in the region.
“Fulton Sheen was not only a son of Peoria, but a voice for the entire Church, who touched millions around the world,” Tylka emphasized. “With The Fulton J. Sheen Experience, we are creating a place where visitors can encounter his faith, his vision, and his enduring testimony. This center will inspire new generations to live boldly for Christ, as he did.”
The beatification cause on hold
The beatification cause of the archbishop was paused in 2019 due to a review of his time as bishop of Rochester (1966–1969), as part of the New York Attorney General’s investigation into the handling of abuse cases. After a detailed review and the submission of documentation to the then Congregation for the Causes of Saints, it was concluded that Sheen had acted correctly.
A family memory
Dolores Sheen, the archbishop’s niece, also participated in the ceremony, describing the event as “very moving.” “I fully support the expansion, because there is still a lot of material that needs to be shown, and this is the place where he walked. That makes it very special,” she said.
Dolores fondly recalled the family moments shared with her uncle, especially his 80th birthday. “I would call him and ask: ‘Bishop, what do you want to do?’ And he always replied: ‘I want to be with the family.’ So we would gather the cousins and spend a wonderful day,” she recounted. “He was a very real man, very simple and approachable.”
Regarding her hopes for the new center, she expressed her desire for visitors to “discover how much the bishop loved Christ and the Virgin Mary.”