Novena of Masses and Prayers Around the World

As the cause for his beatification continues, devotees of Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen concluded an international novena to mark the 33rd anniversary of his holy death on December 9, 2012.   Msgr. Richard Soseman, Coordinator of International Outreach, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR, Vice-Postulator, and Msgr. Stanley Deptula, Executive Director of the Sheen Foundation offered nine consecutive days of Masses. On December 5th, a special anniversary Mass was also offered in the Lady Chapel of St. Patrick Cathedral, New York, NY by Fr. Andrew Small,OMI, National Director of the Propagation of the Faith which Sheen had directed for 16 years.

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.

MSGR. RICHARD SOSEMAN at ST. PETER'S BASILICA

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.”

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?”

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.

Novena to Start December 1, 2012

If you wish to have this novena mailed to you in booklet form please send your address to the following email:  info@sheencause.org

DAY 1 “How God will judge my life I know not, but I trust he will see me with mercy and compassion. I am only certain there will be three surprises in Heaven. First of all, I will see some people whom I never expected to see. Second, there will be a number whom I expected who will not be there. And - even relying on God’s mercy - the biggest surprise of all may be that I will be there. When the record of any human life is set down, there are three pairs of eyes who see it in a different light. 1. As I see it. 2. As others see it. 3. As God sees it.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen 

Lord, help us to focus on You as Fulton Sheen did so that we may be humble when looking upon ourselves, so that others will see You when they look upon us, and so we can see our lives as You see it.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be  

 DAY 2 “Protestants, Jews and Catholics have God, morality, and religion in common. In the name of God, let us - Jews, Protestants, and Catholics - do two things: 1. Realize that an attack upon one is an attack upon all, since we are all one in God; it is not tolerance we need, but charity; not forbearance but love. 2. Begin doing something about religion, and the least we can do is say our prayers; to implore God’s blessings upon the world and our country; to thank Him for his blessings; and to become illumined in the fullness of His truth. There is entirely too much talk about religion and not enough action.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen reached out to people of every religion. Help us to see others as You see them and to focus on what we have in common instead of our differences.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be 

 DAY 3 “In every friendship hearts grow and entwine themselves together, so that the two hearts seem to make only one heart with only a common thought. That is why separation is so painful; it is not so much two hearts separating, but one being torn asunder.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, help me to see you in others like Fulton Sheen did so I can become one with them as we will all be one in heaven. Help me to realize that separation from You means an empty heart for me.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be 

 DAY 4 “The great tragedy of life is not so much what men have suffered, but what they have missed. And what greater tragedy is there than to miss the peace of sin forgiven? There is not a man living who, if he willed it, could not enjoy the spiritual food and drink which God serves to all who ask.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen led so many to peace of soul by introducing them to your forgiveness. Help us to share your gift of peace to others by introducing them to Your true loving forgiveness and gift of confession. 

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be　

DAY 5 “All love on this earth involves choice. When, for example, a young man expresses his love to a young woman and asks her to become his wife, he is not just making an affirmation of love; he is also negating his love for anyone else. In that one act by which he chooses her, he rejects all that is not her. There is no other real way in which to prove we love a thing than by choosing it in preference to something else. Word and signs of love may be, and often are, expressions of egotism or passion; but deeds are proofs of love. We can prove we love our Lord only by choosing Him in preference to anything else.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen loved you above all things. Help us to choose to put you first in our lives so that we may learn what true love is.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be 

DAY 6 “Burning the candle at both ends for God’s sake may be foolishness to the world, but it is a profitable Christian exercise for so much better the light! Only one thing in life matters: Being found worthy of the Light of the World in the hour of His visitation. We need have no undue fear for our health if we work hard for the Kingdom of God; God will take care of our health if we take care of His cause. In any case, it is better to burn out than to rust out.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, even when tired and sick, Fulton Sheen worked unceasingly for your cause. Help us to learn how to tirelessly work for You through Fulton Sheen. Help us to know that there is no rest unless it is in You.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be  

DAY 7 “Mary is not only mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but she is also our mother, and this is not by a title of courtesy, not by legal fiction, not by a mere figure of speech, but by the right of bringing us forth in sorrow at the foot of the cross....Mary, by sacrifice and obedience, regained for us the title, Mother of the living. What a destiny to have the Mother of God as my Mother and Jesus as my brother.” Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen learned obedience at the school of Mary. He had such a great relationship with her; he knew that when he went before the judgment seat of Christ You would say ‘I heard my Mother speak of you.’ Help us to better know Mary so we may gain insight into such great obedience, love, faith and hope.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be 

DAY 8 “If we followed the same rules for health that we do about religion, we would all be bedridden. It is not enough to talk about the necessity of health; we must do something practical about it - for example, eat, exercise, and rest. So it is with religion. We must nourish ourselves with the truths of God, exercise our spiritual muscles in prayer, mortify ourselves of those things which are harmful to the soul, and be just as scrupulous in avoiding moral evil as we are in avoiding physical evil.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen did not ask others to go to confession or visit our Lord an hour a day without doing it himself. He practiced what he preached. Guard us from hypocrisy and help us to lead others to you through our actions.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

　

DAY 9 “The better we become, the less conscious we are of our goodness. If anyone admits to being a saint, he is close to being a devil. Jean Jacques Rousseau believed that of all men, he was the most perfect, but he had so many cracks in his soul that he abandoned his children after their birth. The more saintly we become, the less conscious we are of being holy. A child is cute so long as he does not know that he is cute. As soon as he thinks he is, he turns into a brat. True goodness is unconscious.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen always thought of himself as an unworthy servant and never thought himself a saint. Help us to be humble in our service and to realize as Fulton Sheen realized that all good works come from You.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

  

11/3/12 Mass in Italy for Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Chief Vatican supporters of the Cause of Beatification of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen gathered recently for a Mass celebrated by His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke.  Present were Monsignor Jason Gray, the newest member of the Roman Curia from the Diocese of Peoria, who began in October at the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, as well as organizer of the event and long-time Postulator of the Cause of Venerable Fulton, Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, members of his staff and other supporters.   

The November 3 Mass was celebrated at the Church of the Carmelite Monastery in the village of Caprarola, about 40 miles to the north of Rome.  Caprarola is the site of what has been called “one of the finest examples of Renaissance Architecture,” the massive pentagon shaped Villa Farnese.  The palace is now maintained by the Italian State, with it’s “garden cottage” considered resplendent enough to serve as a Summer residence for the President of Italy and his retinue.  Arriving as they did after dark, those travelling to the Mass from Rome were guided along the way by this lighted façade, towering over the village and shining in the darkness. 

Soon after arrival at the Carmelite Church, His Eminence Cardinal Burke began the Mass, with the assistance of two chaplains, as called for in the ceremonial of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, Frenchman Fr. Gilles Guitard, of the Institute of Christ the King, His Eminence’s emcee, and Monsignor Richard Soseman, Coordinator of International Outreach for the Sheen Foundation.  Friends of the Sheen Cause will recall that Monsignor Soseman began his work at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy in January, 2008, just as the Diocesan Phase of the Cause concluded.   Monsignor Gray attended the Mass vested in choro. Cardinal Burke spoke quite movingly of the opportuneness of the advancement of the Sheen Cause, a message taken to heart by all those present.  It was perhaps fitting that this international celebration take place with the participation of Cardinal Burke, like Bishop Sheen also proud to be of Irish extraction, and with those present being native speakers of English, French, Italian, and Latin, the languages which Bishop Sheen spoke well and knew best.   

After Mass a festive banquet was hosted by Dr. Ambrosi and his wife Rita at their home in Caprarola.  At the dinner, as course after course was served, conversation often turned toward stories of Archbishop Sheen, with glowing appreciation of this good and holy Archbishop.  At the end of the evening, those who were returning to Rome were sent home by Dr. and Mrs. Ambrosi with bags of toasted hazelnuts, the chief product of the region around Caprarola, having enjoyed an evening of animated conversation of hope for the future of the Cause.  Venerable Fulton Sheen, Pray for Us! 

Rev. Msgr. Richard Soseman
Congregation for the Clergy
Vatican City 

Pictures From The Mass of Thanksgiving of Archbishop Fulton Sheen

The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation wishes to thank all the people who traveled from all over to attend the Mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen