Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
Congratulations to Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Professor Robert Kennedy, who today were honored at The Saint Paul Seminary as Distinguished Alumni. Bishop Cozzens graduated from the seminary in 1997 and now serves as the Bishop of Crookston. Dr. Kennedy, a professor of Catholic studies at the University of St. Thomas, was the first layman to graduate from the seminary’s master’s program. While seminaries have traditionally formed men studying for the priesthood, they now often train men and women hoping to serve the Church in various forms of pastoral ministry. We’re grateful that our St. Paul Seminary provides that broader educational role, forming joyful Catholic leaders pursuing various vocations.
Later this week, I will be traveling to St. Louis to attend the beatification Mass of one of the most famous alumni of our seminary, Archbishop Fulton Sheen. As a seminarian for the Diocese of Peoria, he attended the St. Paul Seminary prior to his ordination in 1919. (Yesterday was the anniversary of his ordination.) He would often speak fondly of his time at our seminary, noting that it was there that he began his practice of a daily Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. I am thrilled that all of the present seminarians at the St. Paul Seminary will be in attendance at the beatification, and I trust that they will find in the new Blessed a worthy role model.
The Archdiocesan Center for Mission will also be leading a pilgrimage to St. Louis and to Peoria, Archbishop Sheen’s final resting place. As director of the national office of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, he was a great promoter of the Church’s missionary efforts. Our Center for Mission continues that great work.
Fulton Sheen is probably best known as a pioneer in using new technology to spread the Gospel—which has evolved into what Pope Leo now calls digital evangelization. Long before Catholic influencers took to Instagram, he shared the Gospel using the most influential media of his time—TV and radio—to meet the people of America, no matter where they lived or what their religious affiliation might be. With both his radio show, The Catholic Hour, and his weekly television program, Life Is Worth Living, Fulton Sheen presented the full range of our Catholic tradition, ranging from explaining the teachings of the Church on morality to explaining our love for the Blessed Virgin Mary in terms that our Protestant brothers and sisters could understand, always using his well-honed intellectual gifts (honed at our St. Paul Seminary) and years of experience as a teacher and pastor to share the truths of the faith with the world.
In the process of this work of evangelization, he won an Emmy for Most Outstanding Television Personality in 1952 (and offered gratitude to his “four writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John”). His example reminded the Church, especially here in America, that when we’re rooted in prayer, we can spread the Good News of Jesus Christ anywhere.
We’re still able to watch and listen to his shows in the present day, as they still air on Catholic networks, and we’re able to find them on YouTube as well.
From the days of the apostles, communication has always been a key part of the ministry of being a bishop. As the shepherd of this archdiocese, it’s not surprising that I want the people of this local Church to know Jesus and to know what motivates me to put my trust in Christ and his Church. With that in mind, I’ve been so grateful for this series, Together on the Journey. Your comments help me to know what is on your mind, and I hope that these Weekly Words help you to know what is important to me. While I don’t have the flair or jawline to win an Emmy like Fulton Sheen, his use of the media as a bishop will always be a great source of inspiration for me. You can be sure that at his beatification—and then again at his tomb in Peoria—I’ll be asking for his intercession with these columns and our monthly videos. Please keep me in your prayers as well, so that our efforts to touch hearts and bring people to Christ might bear some of the fruit that Archbishop Sheen enjoyed.
Join more than 87,000 Catholics receiving monthly Together on the Journey videos from Archbishop Hebda. By signing up, you’ll also receive his Weekly Word newsletter.
