May 8, 1895

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was born Peter John Sheen in El Paso, Illinois, on this day in 1895. The Archbishop, who is often referred to as the first televangelist, was known for his preaching especially on radio. For 20 years he hosted The Catholic Hour on radio (1930-1950), which drew over four million listeners. In 1951 he moved to television presenting “Life is Worth Living” (1951-1957), and “The Fulton Sheen Show” (1961-1968). He received an Emmy for his work and was said to have had an audience of 30 million viewers. Sheen died in 1979 and is was buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Sheen’s cause for canonization was opened in 2002 and he is now referred to as a Servant of God.