Msgr. Soseman began the Novena with a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome which was served by a student from Thomas More College in New Hampshire. Msgr. Soseman stated the altar used portrays the doubting Thomas, who although he believed in our Lord, was overcome with doubt, and so needed physical proof. We can tend to look down upon St. Thomas, but thank god he doubted as his need to prove his faith in Our Lord, reassures us when we are stumbling along the way.
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| MSGR. RICHARD SOSEMAN at ST. PETER'S BASILICA |
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| Immaculate Conception Seminary Chapel Novena Mass |
Msgr. Richard Soseman, who is a priest of Sheen's home diocese of Peoria,
IL and currently works in the Vatican Congregation for
Clergy, also offered a Mass that approximately
100 seminarians plus many faithful were in attendance for. This special novena
Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his
homily, preached in Italian, Msgr. Soseman connected Venerable Fulton Sheen to
Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a New Evangelization during this Year of
Faith: “As Bishop Sheen said, we can transform the world through ‘two
hands and two knees,’ and through the daily Holy Hour.” The sermon
recalled the prophecy of St. John the Baptist, calling people to repentance to
prepare the way of the Lord. Soseman added: “In a similar way, we follow
the example of Bishop Sheen, who God has provided in our own times, so that
through our prayer and spreading of the faith in modern times, we may also
prepare the Advent of Christ in souls.”
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| ST. PETER'S BASILICA |
Msgr. Brian Brownsey, Vocations
Director of the Diocese of Peoria, presided at the official conclusion of the
Novena in Sheen's home parish, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate
Conception, Peoria. In his homily, Msgr. Brownsey said “Advent is a
season of hope…Sheen’s show was Life is Worth Living, is there a more hopeful
statement than that?”
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| Cathedral of St. Mary of The Immaculate Conception Peoria, IL |
Sheen grew up in the Cathedral
parish, attending the local Catholic grade school and Catholic high
school. In 1919, he was ordained a priest in the Cathedral and the next
day offered his first solemn Mass of Thanksgiving. The Cause for Sheen's
beatification and canonization was officially opened by the Diocese of Peoria
in 2002 and the Peoria Cathedral has hosted several celebrations over the years
to mark the progress of the Cause.
Most recently, a Mass of
Thanksgiving was offered in the Cathedral in September to commemorate the title
"Venerable" bestowed by Pope Benedict XVI this past June. In
December, 2011, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, Bishop of Peoria, presided over the
official conclusion of a diocesan inquiry into an alleged miraculous healing of
a still born baby, reportedly through Sheen's intercession. Also attending
the Mass in Peoria for Sheen's 33rd anniversary was the child James Fulton and
his mother Bonnie who said "My only intention for the Novena was that
Sheen be Canonized." The Vatican Congregation for the Causes of the
Saints continues its own process of reviewing this alleged miracle.
Fulton Sheen died on December 9,
1979 at the entrance of his private chapel in his New York City apartment.
