Evangelization and Blessed Fulton J. Sheen

Editor’s note: The following homily was delivered on September 27, 2026, at the Oratory of Saints Gregory and Augustine, St. Louis, within the celebration of the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

The most important insight which can be gleaned from the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, in my estimation, is the universal call to holiness, that is, Our Lord’s desire that every single one of us become a saint. Intimately connected to that is a line from St. Paul which informs us that God wants all men to be saved and to come to know the truth (see 1 Tm 2:4). And as St. Paul reminded the Romans, “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?” (Rom 10:14f).

In other words, salvation demands evangelization.

The Church’s call to mission

Three weeks from today, the Church will observe the hundredth anniversary of World Mission Sunday. That realization caused me to think that it would be most appropriate to bring to a climax our celebration of the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the premier American missionary of the twentieth century, with a reflection on the Church’s call to mission.

Both facts call us to an examination of conscience: Do we Catholics living in this nation at this moment in history believe it is our responsibility to see to it that all men worship the one true God revealed by Jesus Christ? Do we preach, in St. Paul’s powerful phrase, “with full conviction” (1 Th 1:5)?

Sixty years ago, the Fathers of the Council in their document on missionary activity, Ad Gentes–with whose composition Bishop Sheen was very involved–spoke what they thought was a truism when they declared, “The Church on earth is by her very nature missionary” [n. 21]. Much post-conciliar practice, however, would call that teaching into question, so much so that both Pope Paul VI in his Evangelii Nuntiandi of 1975 and Pope John Paul II in his Redemptoris Missio of 1990 would consider it their serious obligation to restate this basic truth of faith and to give new impetus to the Church’s missionary work.

Permit me to serve as your guide today through Redemptoris Missio, so that together we may enter into the mind and heart of the sainted Pope to discover what he saw as the tasks confronting the Church on the brink of the third millennium. I am sure the issuance of this papal document gladdened the heart of our mission-minded Beatus, and I suspect our review of it today would likewise be pleasing to him.

In fact, Pope Leo himself made the connection in his June 1 address to the Pontifical Mission Societies:

It is also providential that this year, on 24 September, in Saint Louis Missouri, a renowned National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States of America, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, will be beatified. Archbishop Sheen was a light of faith, hope, and love that shone through the radio and television media for decades. I myself am a witness of his evangelization when I was growing up. His broadcasts touched millions with the hope of the Gospel and his initiatives and efforts resulted in enormous spiritual and material aid to the Churches in areas of first evangelization.

A synonym for missionary endeavor is “evangelization,” which simply means “spreading the Gospel.” Although the number of Catholics has grown tremendously in the past five decades, we must shamefacedly admit that the number of full-time missionaries has declined precipitously; furthermore, the grand total of people who have never heard of Jesus Christ has actually doubled since the end of Vatican II.

The crisis and false ecumenism

Why has this happened? The Holy Father suggests several reasons, but two stand out among them all.

First, a crisis of faith on the part of would-be believing Christians, so that they have begun to question their own faith and are therefore uncomfortable or incapable of sharing it with others; second, a false sense of ecumenism which would mistakenly hold that respect for other Christians and other religions should silence our evangelistic mission. The Pope disagrees mightily and counters by reminding us that, in his words, “Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!” And even more to the point, the finest thing that anyone can do for another human being is to introduce that person to Jesus Christ.

This massive papal document (150 pages in length) seeks to accomplish many other goals as well: To clear up confusion about the necessity of witnessing to unbelievers; to encourage missionaries in their important work; to foster vocations among clergy, religious and laity for mission lands; to stimulate theologians to teach and write more on the meaning of evangelization; to persuade dioceses to send out missionaries and to commit their resources to such projects; to assure non-Christian nations that the Church’s only purpose in evangelization is to share Christ–not to dominate or impose alien political or social norms.

Pope John Paul saw the present as particularly suited to this critical effort, especially due to advances in communications and travel, but also because modern man seems to be more attuned to so many of the values taught by Our Lord: a desire for peace, concern for the needy, thirst for social justice. Beyond that, the more man becomes overwhelmed by technology, the more he usually searches for spiritual consolation. The time is ripe then, or is it?

Questions about missionary activity and dialogue

First, it is crucial to tackle some of the questions that have been raised about either the importance or even the validity of missionary activity.

Is converting people to Jesus Christ still relevant? The Pope pointedly asks: “Has it not been replaced by interreligious dialogue? Is not human development an adequate goal for the Church’s mission?” Doesn’t preaching violate freedom and conscience? Can’t human beings be saved in any religion? I’m sure you’ve heard people make such statements, perhaps missionaries themselves and even in their own publications. But the New Testament resounds with a contrary answer, as Jesus asserts: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). And the apostles after Him declare: “There is no other name given to men by which they can be saved” (Acts 4:12).

So, let’s take these questions and try to answer them, one by one.

Dialogue is good and wholesome, but it is not an end in itself. Dialogue helps to clear away misconceptions; it aids us in expressing our respect for others; it provides friendly terrain on which to communicate as fellow human beings, created in the image and likeness of the one true God. Nevertheless, the Holy Father warns us: “Dialogue should be implemented and conducted with the conviction that the Church is the ordinary means of salvation and that she alone possesses the fullness of the means of salvation.”

What about human development as a worthwhile expression of evangelization? It, too, is good but inadequate. Providing for the needs of the hungry, the naked, the homeless and the ignorant are holy things to do. In truth, Jesus tells us that we shall be judged at the end of time on how well we did such things (see Mt 25:40), but that same Jesus also taught Satan that “man does not live by bread alone.” On what else does he live? “On every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). So, yes, it is our Christian responsibility to care for men’s bodies–but even more so for their souls.

Does missionary work violate human freedom and dignity? We must sadly admit that, at times, missionaries did conduct themselves in such ways in certain places, but the Church herself never sanctioned such methods. Coming to Christ is possible only when the human person is fully respected, which is to say that the preacher must never forget that every human being has the inestimable gifts of intellect and free will–and only when those are touched can a person make a decision for or against Christ. Presenting the truth in love is the most powerful sign of respect for freedom and dignity, at one and the same time.

Finally, what about this notion of people being saved in any religion? Certainly, it is true that salvation can occur outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church. Redemptoris Missio notes that well: “The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church.” But the Church and her sacraments are indeed the normal means of salvation and, just as importantly, it is our privilege and obligation to see to it that as many of God’s children learn that truth as possible. In other words, I always say that I am not so concerned about what God will do with millions of unbaptized Chinese as I am about what He will do with me because countless millions have not heard about His divine Son.

Evangelization today

Which leads logically to our personal involvement and commitment to evangelization today. Our tasks are many as committed Catholics who, for the most part, will never venture beyond our borders to preach the Gospel. What can we do? What should we do?

First of all, we must enfold the Church’s missionary activity in our daily prayer. Although the Lord has not called us to be missionaries in the strict sense of the word, He does expect us to be missionary cooperators. St. Thérèse of Lisieux always wanted to be a missionary, but her weak health did not allow for it. Instead, the Little Flower gradually realized that she could be a missionary by uniting herself in prayer to the sacrifices of those in the foreign missions; hence, the very reason that Pope Pius XI named her patroness of universal missions . The support of our prayers is critical for the success of the contemporary work of evangelization.

Secondly, a devout Catholic will support the missions financially. This is another way of being a part of the overall effort to preach the Gospel to all creation. Such gifts ought to be generous and sacrificial in nature, never stingy or token. At the same time, you must be sure that your contributions are going to worthy missionary associations, faithful to Christ and to the teaching authority of His Church. That is why gifts to well-known organizations like the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood, or the Catholic Near East Welfare Association are always “safe bets.”

Thirdly, we need to take yet another cue from the patroness of the Church’s missions. As St. Thérèse suffered almost unbearable pain and a most agonizing death, she determined not to allow that suffering to “go to waste.” On the contrary, she insisted on putting to good use her depressions, her doubts, her confusion, her near-despair. How? By joining her sufferings to those of the Suffering Christ, thereby making them meritorious–and one of the intentions uppermost in her mind was the saving of souls. How much human suffering, however, does “go to waste,” either because it is resisted, or resented, or just passively endured? The headache, the anxiety over an impending medical examination, the depression which comes from loneliness, old age or being misunderstood – all of these are sufferings which can be “offered up” for holy intentions like the salvation of the world.

Fourthly, become an informed Catholic. Read and re-read the documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially texts like those on missionary activity and the role of the laity in the world. Study Sacred Scripture. Become completely familiar with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Subscribe to good Catholic literature, which presents the Catholic Faith in all its truth and in total fidelity to the authentic Magisterium. St. Thérèse knew this well; hence, in her “Last Conversations,” we hear her say: “I can nourish myself on nothing but the truth.” Which sounds like an echo of the Divine Teacher Himself who declared, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work” (Jn 4:34). Or yet again, His holy counsel, “Do not labor for food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27).

Fifthly, you must be a witness to the Gospel in the circumstances of your own life. Most of Europe and the Americas are lands where the Gospel once flowered so beautifully; today, that is no longer the case, unfortunately. In 1994, John Paul II, in Tertio Millennio Adveniente, his apostolic letter preparing the Church for the Great Jubilee of 2000, said just that, no doubt with a great degree of sadness. He wrote, “The more the West is becoming estranged from its Christian roots, the more it is becoming missionary territory” (n. 57).

Be bearers of the light of Christ

Lest we become despondent (unworthy of a Christian), take heart at this encouragement from a great convert-maker a century before Archbishop Sheen–the great saint and Doctor of the Church, John Henry Newman. In his Biglietto speech, upon receiving the Red Hat, he reflected thus:

Providence rescues and saves His elect inheritance. Sometimes our enemy is turned into a friend; sometimes he is despoiled of that special virulence of evil which was so threatening; sometimes he falls to pieces of himself; sometimes he does just so much as is beneficial, and then is removed. Commonly the Church has nothing more to do than to go on in her own proper duties, in confidence and peace; to stand still and to see the salvation of God.

At any rate, Pope John Paul called the type of preaching needed today “re-evangelization” or “the new evangelization.” And God has placed us in a time and place where that is the work most urgent to perform, and we cannot exempt ourselves from it. Get involved in the Legion of Mary or an apologetics group committed to explaining and defending our holy Faith. That also means creating a climate of faith, so that you can impart the saving message of Christ and His Church at home with relatives who have lost their way, at work, at school, in the neighborhood, in the marketplace—wherever the Gospel light no longer shines, or does so only dimly.

In the contemporary darkness, you and I are to be bearers of the light of Christ, “whether convenient or inconvenient” (2 Tm 4:2). St. Francis of Assisi is thought to have counseled his brethren: “Always preach; sometimes use words.” Or as Pope Paul VI put it so well, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 41).

Finally, allow me to offer a very practical, verifiable application of what I have been saying–a suggestion in two parts. In the next twelve months, make it your goal to bring into the fullness of life and love which is found in the Catholic Church one person not presently visibly joined to her; in that same time period, make it your goal to bring back one person who, for whatever reason, has left the Church or distanced himself from her. Cardinal Newman never tired of advocating “personal influence,” epitomized in his cardinalatial motto: Cor ad cor loquitur (Heart speaks to heart).

St. Teresa of Àvila implored her nuns to consider their “business matters” (to use her terminology), the support in prayer of defenders of the Faith and missionaries. The Little Flower had integrated that admonition into the very fabric of her spirituality. And so, we hear her say: “The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: ‘I thirst!’ These words ignited within me an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Beloved to drink, and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls.” Does that same spirit inflame you? It should.

During the Tre Ore sermon, which Monsignor Sheen preached on the Good Friday of 1938, he asked his audience:

If Jesus Christ thirsted for souls, must not a Christian also thirst? If He came to cast fire on the earth, must not a Christian be enkindled? Has he not called us to be His apostles and His ambassadors, in order that His Incarnation might be prolonged through the continued dispensation of the divine through the human?”

He answered his questions with a stinging condemnation: “A Catholic who does not strive to spread his Faith is a parasite on the life of the Church.”

It just dawned on me that the three saints on whom I have leaned so heavily in this homily–St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cardinal Newman, and St Teresa of Avila–are all celebrated in the month of October, the month of the missions: respectively, October 1, October 9, October 15!

During the baptismal liturgy, at the rite of Ephphatha, the priest–in imitation of the actions of Our Lord–touches the ears and mouth of the newly-baptized and says: “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” At that moment, you were made a missionary.

The Mass of the Roman Rite ends with the stark dismissal: “Ite, missa est.” What does that mean? Literally, “Go, it has been sent.” What has been sent? The Church. To do what? To proclaim the Gospel.

Simply stated, the Eucharist, the Church, and evangelization are intimately connected to one another; indeed, they are inseparable. And so it is that the work for which each celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice prepares us is precisely that of spreading the Gospel; it is the work to which we re-commit ourselves in the glow of the beatification of the man who made the missions “his business.” May it be so for each of us as well.

Our Lady, Queen of the New Evangelization, pray for us.
St. John Henry Newman, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us.
Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us.

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