The Ven. Fulton Sheen: Our Lady's Beatitudes Novena reflects on the Blessed Virgin Mary's unique place in the mystery of Christ through passages from Fulton Sheen's book "The World's First Love". As Catholics, we pray this novena to grow in love for the Mother of God, receive Christ's grace more faithfully, and learn from Mary's faith, freedom, humility, and obedience to the will of God.
Begin PrayingMore about Ven. Fulton Sheen
Ven. Fulton John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, on May 8, 1895, and grew up in Peoria. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria on September 20, 1919. At his ordination, he resolved to make a daily Eucharistic Holy Hour, a practice he maintained throughout his priestly life and later urged upon other priests and laypeople. After advanced studies at the Catholic University of America and the University of Louvain, he taught philosophy and theology at the Catholic University of America. His preaching reached a national audience through "The Catholic Hour", which began on radio in 1930, and later through the television program "Life Is Worth Living". He explained Catholic doctrine in direct language and addressed conscience, suffering, marriage, politics, communism, and the need for personal conversion.
Ven. Fulton Sheen was consecrated a bishop in 1951 and served for sixteen years as national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, supporting the Church’s missions throughout the world. He later led the Diocese of Rochester from 1966 to 1969. Pope Paul VI then named him titular Archbishop of Newport, Wales. He wrote many books, preached retreats, encouraged devotion to Mary, and taught that holiness begins with friendship with Christ before the Blessed Sacrament. He died in New York on December 9, 1979. Pope Benedict XVI recognized his heroic virtues in 2012, giving him the title Venerable, and Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to his intercession in 2019. In 2026, the Holy See authorized his cause to proceed, and his beatification was scheduled for September 24, 2026. This novena is prayed from November 30 through December 8, concluding before the anniversary of his death on December 9, and asks God to bring his cause to completion according to the judgment of the Church.
