PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – The Catholic Diocese of Peoria broke ground on Sunday for a cultural center honoring the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
The project will transform the Spalding Institute into “The Fulton J. Sheen Experience” at an estimated construction cost of $9 million to $11 million, coming from private donations.
25 News reports that visitors will be able to see interactive exhibits, artifacts, and large archives of television and radio work from the archbishop’s life.
Sheen grew up in El Paso, where he was later ordained as a priest at Saint Mary’s Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in 1919. He dedicated his life to spreading the word of God and gained popularity through his TV program “Life Is Worth Living.”
“We hope to create a welcoming environment to invite people in and say we have something special. [To create a] first and foremost a relationship with Jesus,” said Bishop Louis Tylka, who leads the Diocese of Peoria.
The Diocese said the center could bring around 10,000 to 15,000 people annually to Peoria. Officials hope to have it open in about two years.
