Fulton Sheen may have been the first great Catholic influencer.
Not in the cheap sense of chasing attention or cultivating a brand, but in the nobler sense: he converted attention into evangelization. He demonstrated that a microphone, a camera, a chalkboard, and a printing press could become instruments of grace.
Before Catholic media became an industry, Sheen mastered radio, television, books, and public speaking.ย Life Is Worth Livingย brought Catholic thought into millions of American homes. He wasnโt a comedian, movie star, or political celebrity. He was a bishop in a cape, standing before a chalkboard, speaking about God, the soul, freedom, sin, suffering, love, and eternity.
And America listened.
It would be profoundly fitting if Sheen became Americaโs first native-born male saint. The United States is one of historyโs great communications superpowers. We export images, stories, slogans, distractions, and dreams to the world. How beautiful it would be if the first American-born man canonized by the Church were a communicator who used every available medium not to promote himself, but to proclaim Jesus Christ.
When Fulton Sheen accepted the Emmy Award for โMost Outstanding Television Personalityโ in 1953, he said in his remarks, โI wish to thank my four writersโMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John.โ