Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the Catholic preacher who reached millions of Americans through radio and television, was beatified on Thursday, September 24, at a Mass in St. Louis, Missouri, putting him one step from sainthood.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle delivered the homily. Pope Leo XIV sent greetings, rejoicing at the beatification of his fellow countryman and fellow Illinoisan.

Sheen spent decades preaching on the airwaves, most famously on his 1950s television program “Life Is Worth Living,” and extended his reach through his books and missionary work.

In his homily, Tagle told the story of Sheen meeting a leprosy patient in Uganda. Sheen first recoiled, then overcame his fear and embraced the man, seeing Christ in the suffering person. Sheen's greatness, Tagle said, lay not in his celebrity but in opening doors to God for others, especially the poor.

Beatification allows Sheen to be honored with the title “Blessed.” Canonization, the final step, generally requires a second miracle attributed to his intercession.