For the past year once a month I have been highlighting a saint that has been listed on the USCCB Year of Faith Saints Blessed and Venerable. This is the last Saint and Year of Faith ends this month. Venerable Fulton Sheen is who I am highlighting this month. Peter John Sheen was born May 8, 1895 in El Paso Illinois. He was the oldest of four children born to Newton and Delia Sheen. Soon after he was born the family moved to Peoria where when he was old enough he became an alter boy at St Mary’s Cathedral.
Sheen was the high school Valedictorian at Spalding Institute in Peoria where he graduated in 1913. He moved on to St Viator College in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He attended Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota before his ordination on September 20, 1919. He soon went to Washington DC to further his studies at the Catholic University of America. He earned his doctorate in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 1923. That year he also earned the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951. He was bishop until 1966 when he made the Bishop of Rochester. He resigned in 1969 and became Archbishop of Titular See of Newport (Wales). He was appointed by Pope Paul VI.
In 1930 Sheen began a weekly Sunday night radio broadcast called The Catholic Hour. Soon he was doing television and presenting Life Is Worth Living, a series which aired until 1957. Sheen’s last role was on the syndicated Fulton Sheen Program, which aired until 1968. Sheen won an Emmy for his work. His shows are still being broadcasted on EWTN.
Sheen died of heart disease on December 9, 1979. He previously had open heart surgery. He is interred in a crypt at St. Patrick’s Cathedral near the deceased Archbishops of New York.
In honor of him I made New York style Cheesecake.
New York Style Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons margarine melted
4 packages of Cream Cheese
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons four
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together graham cracker, sugar and margarine. Press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
With your stand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour, mixing at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and mix well. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Pour over crust and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
When cool, loosen cake from rim of pan. Chill until ready to serve.
Peace be with you,
Veronica
