With construction underway on a new center honoring Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, Bishop Louis Tylka has reinstated the long-dormant Sheen Foundation Advisory Board to help promote the famed televangelist’s legacy.
The 14-member board consists of scholars, medical professionals, media specialists, museum leaders, tourism officials, alumni of Sheen’s former high school, and two members of the Sheen family. It will support the diocese’s push to elevate public awareness of Sheen’s writings, teachings and evangelistic influence, according to a Dec. 4 press release.
The board had been inactive since 2019, when the Vatican put Archbishop Sheen’s canonization process on hold. According to the release, the cause remains under the supervision of the Bishop of Peoria.
Bishop Louis Tylka said in the release, “I look forward to working with this excellent board to promote the legacy of Archbishop Sheen in our country and throughout the world.”
The decision to reactivate the advisory board follows growing public interest in Ven. Archbishop Sheen, fueled in part by the diocese’s Fulton Sheen Experience project. According to the release, the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation has drawn new public attention after Bishop Tylka announced that the Spalding Institute, the high school that Archbishop Sheen graduated from in 1913, would become a cultural center devoted to the alumnus.
Ground broke in October for the Fulton Sheen Experience, the initiative to transform the school into a $9–$11 million cultural center funded entirely through private donations. According to WCBU, the center, which is expected to open in 2027, will feature exhibits, archives, and interactive elements designed to introduce visitors to Archbishop Sheen’s life and spiritual influence.
Archbishop Sheen, a Peoria native, rose to national prominence as a bishop, author, and Emmy-winning television personality. According to the release, the foundation hopes the renewed advisory board will help advance his cause for sainthood.
Monsignor Jason Gray, the foundation’s executive director, said the group is already energized by its mission.
“I am so happy to have such an enthusiastic and dedicated collection of board members who share our love for Archbishop Sheen,” he said. “Each of these nominees expressed great excitement at their appointment and look forward to working for the advancement of the Cause.”
The diocese expects the strengthened board to provide strategic guidance as it works to preserve Sheen’s legacy and reintroduce his message to even more audiences.
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