Archbishop Fulton Sheen and the Angels

Archbishop Fulton Sheen was famous for attributing stagehand help on his television show, Life is Worth Living, to his "little angel." The reference was always good for a chuckle, especially when a very visible hand was shown erasing his infamous chalkboard in full view of the camera.

But as much as the good Archbishop joked about angels, he could be also be pointedly serious about them. As he said on one of his shows, "There are angels. I have one of them with me on this program. You've got one of them too, if you only knew it, incidentally."

Archbishop Sheen was renowned for his expressive–some would say overly dramatic–preaching style, and for his work in radio and television. At the peak of his media career, he reached an estimated 30 million viewers. Deservedly, he is often referred to as one of the first televangelists.

Archbishop Sheen died on December 9, 1979. His remarkable career as a priest, speaker, writer, radio and television personality has produced innumerable stories and testimonies about the personal holiness of this great man. As Pope John Paul II told him during an meeting with the Archbishop shortly before his death: "You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You have been a loyal son of the Church!"

The Church is now returning the favor by considering Archbishop Sheen for canonization. His cause was opened in 2002 by Bishop Daniel Jenky, CSC, of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, where Sheen was ordained a priest. In June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the Congregation for the Causes of Saints had found Archbishop Sheen to have lived a life of “heroic virtues,” thereby conferring on him the title of “Venerable” and paving the way for the next step of beatification.

In the meantime, we can enjoy and benefit from the many writings, audio clips, and videos Archbishop Sheen has left behind. Among his works was a wonderful talk on the angels he gave on his Life is Worth Living show. Luckily, it has been reproduced on YouTube in three separate videos. Parts 1 and 2 are about 10 minutes each; part 3 is only four minutes. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy.

THE ANGELS PART 1

THE ANGELS PART 2

THE ANGELS PART 3

St. Boniface

One of my earliest church-related memories is wandering through the sacredly silent, mysterious yet majestic spaces of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota, where I grew up. (They don’t make churches like that anymore. Sigh.) What I remember most impressing my 9-year-old brain was the curving hallway behind the sanctuary called the Shrines of the Nations.

Along this walkway are six mini chapels/shrines that honor the national patron saints of many of the immigrants who settled Minnesota: Saint Anthony of Padua (Italy), John the Baptist (France and Canada), Saint Patrick (Ireland), Saint Boniface (Germany), Saints Cyril and Methodius (Slavic Nations), and Saint Therese (protector of all missions). Each shrine holds a (large) statue of the patron saint, an altar, stained glass windows depicting other saints of the same country, and marble imported from their respective country. It is a beautiful, moving place to spend time, which oftentimes there seems suspended.

Coming from a robust German family, I was always fascinated in particular with the statue of St. Boniface. Maybe fascinated isn’t the right word. Thinking back, I’m pretty sure I was a little intimidated by the stern-looking, bearded figure with the pointy hat and big stick. Though similar in stature and garb, he just didn’t look like as much fun as St. Patrick down the hall. I thought his name was kinda cool back then too. Boniface. Never heard that one before. Then again, my maiden name, Manteufel, wasn’t exactly vying for a lot of phone directory space. Maybe I sensed a connection.

At any rate, today is this great saint’s feast day, and I hope many people visit his shrine today in St. Paul and throughout the world. Here’s a snapshot of his life:

Saint Boniface was an English Benedictine monk who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century. By the age of 30, he had become an ordained priest, and in 731 an archbishop. On his missions east of the Rhine River, he was unrelenting in his effort to convert pagans to the faith.

A famous story is told of Boniface and the Donar Oak (also known as Thor’s Oak). This particular oak tree was highly venerated by the pagan Germanic people. In an effort to convert them to Christianity, Boniface struck the tree with an axe, after which a great gust of wind blew and knocked the oak completely down. When Boniface was not immediately struck by lightning for his blasphemous action, the pagan people became convinced of Christianity’s truth and converted. Boniface later built a chapel dedicated to Saint Peter from the tree’s wood at the site where today stands the Cathedral of Fritzlar.

In 754 he returned to evangelize in Frisia (an area in northwestern Germany today), where he and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation. Boniface is the patron saint of Germany.

In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.  (From Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feasts by Leonard Foley, O.F.M.)