PEORIA (25News Now) -The celebration of Central Illinois native, Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, made its way to Rome just weeks after thousands gathered for his beatification in St. Louis.
Bishop Louis Tylka and Monsignor Jason Gray traveled to the Vatican Monday, presenting Pope Leo XIV with a relic of Sheen’s fingertip on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
In Catholic tradition, relics are physical objects connected to saints or blesseds, and are venerated as a way of honoring their lives, holiness and witness to the faith.
Presenting a relic to the pope also symbolizes the communion between the local Church and the universal Catholic Church.
Tylka described the meeting with the Chicago-born pontiff as a “profound joy and privilege,” saying the presentation carried particular significance following Sheen’s beatification.
Tylka added that Pope Leo has spoken about Sheen on several occasions, including Sheen’s ability to use the forms of communication available during his lifetime to evangelize, and Sheen’s commitment to missionary work.
“To place a relic of this son of the Diocese of Peoria into the hands of the first American pope, both of whom are from Illinois, was an especially moving moment,” Tylka said in a release.
“My hope is that this relic will serve as a reminder of who Fulton Sheen was and of the mission he embraced so completely: to bring Jesus Christ to the world.”
Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, and Msgr. Jason Gray, the executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican Oct. 5, 2026, and presented him with a relic of the Blessed Sheen. (CNS photo/Vatican Media).(CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Sheen became one of the most recognizable Catholic figures in the U.S during the 20th century, reaching millions through radio and television while also serving the Church’s missionary efforts.
Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, has worked on Sheen’s sainthood cause since 2002. Gray participated in the investigation into Sheen’s life and virtues, and he directed the investigation into the miracle recognized for Sheen’s beatification.
“Blessed Fulton Sheen met the various Popes during his life because of his work for the missions, both by raising money to help the poor and by visiting the faithful in remote and developing parts of the world,” said Gray.
“Archbishop Sheen served the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, which today is known as the Dicastery for Evangelization, headed by Cardinal Tagle, who celebrated the Beatification in St. Louis,” said Gray in the release.
“I felt that Archbishop Sheen was with us in spirit when greeting Pope Leo. I am grateful that Pope Leo spoke so fondly of Archbishop Sheen, whom he remembered watching when he was young.”
Sheen was formally declared “Blessed” during a beatification Mass in St. Louis on Sept. 24. Beatification is a major step in the Catholic Church’s process toward sainthood and allows for public veneration of Sheen under the title “Blessed.”
The Diocese of Peoria has led Sheen’s sainthood cause for more than two decades. Church officials have said six additional alleged miracles attributed to Sheen’s intercession are being examined as the cause continues toward possible canonization.
The relic will remain in Rome.
