The Rosary and Sarah's Laugh

Last fall my friend Beth sent me an email inviting me to write a study for Blessed Is She on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. The BIS leadership team had been discussing it, praying over it, and wanted me to do it. I was incredibly honored but I had to admit something to them before I could accept: I rarely pray the rosary. 

Oh my goodness! I said it! I said it to women I admire who love the rosary! But I felt like it needed to be shared: I rarely pray the rosary. Would they still want me? (And now that you know will you still want me?) I mean- I love Mary, and I frequently meditate on the life of Christ (the heart of the rosary), and I usually try to do what God and the Church encourage me to do but the rosary.... for some reason it is hard for me. It lulls me to sleep. I can't do the prayers and the meditating together. 

But they didn't care. They asked me to sit with the Scripture that inspires the Glorious Mysteries and to look at Christ's life through Mary's eyes. It was a beautiful, powerful experience for me and the months and teamwork that went into the prayer, writing, editing, and designing of this book are very dear to me. 

The book is called Believe and it is part of a four-book grouping called Mystery and belongs with the Blessed Conversations series.

As we worked behind the scenes and sent it off to the printer I grew more and more excited to share it with my friends, family, and you. This is my first actual book that was actually published by an actual real ministry and I am proud of it. 

And then something happened that took my breath away for a moment. 

I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw that another women's ministry is launching the sale of the exact same kind of study - a book filled with reflections on the Rosary. It looks lovely - I sincerely mean that - and I never saw this coming so out of surprise I laughed. And in my laughter I thought of this passage:

Instantly in my mind's eye Sarah stood next to me, her eyes twinkling as she laughed with delight at the thoroughness of God. 

It looks like the Holy Spirit really wants us to pray the Rosary and spend time reflecting on the life of Christ, ladies! How beautiful that different women in different ministries both heard the same prompting?! This is not a bad thing, a competition, a popularity contest - this is the power of the Holy Spirit getting the job done! And it makes me laugh. 

The Mystery series are on sale now and will be shipped in time for Easter. They are perfect for individual or small group study and personally I would start with the Glorious Mysteries since those are the ones that deal with the Resurrection. ;)

You can buy them as a bundle or an individual booklet and they are available as digital downloads or printed and saddle stitched. Laura Kelly Fanucci wrote Behold on the Joyful Mysteries, Brigid Hogan wrote Beloved on the Luminous Mysteries, Sr. Maria Kim Bui wrote Belong on the Sorrowful Mysteries, and I wrote Believe on the Glorious Mysteries.  (All of those links are my affiliate links - thanks for using them!)

And before you go I have a couple more exciting announcements! 

This coming Monday and Tuesday, March 19th and 20th, I will be giving a mini parish mission at St. Mary's in Mount Caramel, Illinois. It would be so cool if you can join me! And if you are a Berberich I especially want to meet you since I count one of your relations as a good family friend. 

Then, on Friday, March 23rd Travis, MJ, and I will be at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, Minnesota. I will be sharing the story of James' alleged miracle at a prayer rally for Fulton Dobbs. I would really appreciate Minnesota folks coming to support the Dobbs family and to pray for a miracle for Fulton. 

A Court Victory for Sheen Family, NY's Appeal, and the Bottom Line

I know that all the ins and outs of the court case that is tied to Fulton Sheen's cause for canonization can be confusing. I will try my best to explain it all here, to the best of my knowledge, using plenty of links for your benefit. I firmly believe that poor Archbishop Sheen is mortified over all this and I'm trying to emulate him - a man of action, a man who spoke up - while I'm trying to emulate him - a man who suffered silently and did not fan the flames of gossip. Here goes...

The cause for Fulton J. Sheen's canonization began, in part, on the promises from the cardinal of New York that his archdiocese was not interested in pursuing the cause and they would transfer Sheen's remains when the Vatican said the appropriate time had come.

The appropriate time arrived and, following the canonical norms, it was necessary for Venerable Sheen's remains to be moved to the Diocese of Peoria.

However, in September 2014 the Archdiocese of New York said they would not allow the remains of Fulton Sheen to be moved because, in part, they were following the wishes of Archbishop Sheen and his surviving family, and they were being careful to follow New York state law. You can read their press release here.

Over the years the Vatican basically said to the Diocese of Peoria and the Archdiocese of New York, "You two need to work this out." That's understandable but tricky: the canonical norms state that in the canonization process the earthly remains would be examined and relics reverently gathered in the Diocese that is promoting the cause. Canon law also makes clear that civil laws should be followed in the process of transferring remains, etc. Therefore, with the Archdiocese not wanting to lose their future saint the Diocese of Peoria's hands were tied.

Eventually, Archbishop Sheen's family - led by the niece Sheen raised, Mrs. Joan Sheen Cunningham, privately contacted the Archdiocese and asked them to allow for their uncle to be moved to Peoria. The Archdiocese refused. Wanting to see the cause progress, the family hoped the Archdiocese would have a change of heart and in fact, last spring, it looked like they had: Fulton Sheen would come home to Peoria. But as the arrangements for transfer were being made the Archdiocese clarified that Sheen would immediately return to New York. The Archdiocese claims Sheen's family agreed to this, even claiming in a newspaper article that,

"The proposal ... would balance the personal wish of Archbishop Sheen to be permanently buried beneath the high altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral with the understandable desire of the Diocese of Peoria to have his earthly remains present in their diocese for the celebration of his long hoped-for beatification."

For the record, there is NO record that Archbishop Sheen wanted to be permanently buried at St. Patrick's. In fact, five days before he died he had a new will made that stated he wanted to be buried in a plot he had purchased in a Catholic cemetery in Queens. Where their misunderstanding came from I don't know.

The same newspaper article, from the New York Daily News, then quotes Mrs. Cunningham's lawyer Steven Cohen. He said Mrs. Cunningham and her siblings "'are not in favor of nor did they consent to the shuffle plan. I have no idea where the Archdiocese got that idea but it's not correct.'"

Everyone in Peoria was shocked with the news and Sheen's niece, Mrs. Cunningham, eventually did the only thing left: she filed papers against the Archdiocese and the Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral so she could move her uncle's remains. You can read through the court papers here if you want, but what matters most is that, in the end, the judge ruled in favor of Mrs. Cunningham:

"the Court finds that the petitioner has provided a good and substantial reason for moving the remains of the decedent, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (Archbishop Sheen), to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria, Illinois, and that respondents failed to supply a sufficient reason to reject the instant application.”

She then ordered that Mrs. Cunningham be granted the right to transfer her uncle to St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria. You can read the judge's ruling here.

And so, since it has been proven that the Archdiocese was not doing what Sheen wanted, what his surviving family wanted, or what state law required of course they should be graciously  working with the Diocese of Peoria and the Sheen family to transfer the remains. But they're not:

“The Trustees of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, who operate the archdiocesan cemeteries, including Calvary Cemetery and the crypt beneath the high altar of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, will need to review today’s decision with their lawyers and determine what next steps they wish to take.” (italics mine)

The next step they decided to take: appealing the decision. 

I believe that Dolan is doing what he thinks is best for his archdiocese and flock. I believe that overall he has done well for the Church. But I believe that his actions here are misguided and are causing great scandal. I believe justice and mercy both call for him to relent. Personally, I'd love to see Cardinal Dolan and his team focusing all their time, effort, and money on the cause for Dorothy Day instead of throwing away more time and money with their appeal.

At my home we are still praying, and in the end I think this is the bottom line. We need to pray and hold firm to the promise that "all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28) My family, friends, and I look forward to the day that all this is behind us and Archbishop Sheen is being canonized in Rome for the glory of God and the good of the Church. +

One More Novena for Sheen

September 20th is the 97th anniversary of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's ordination.

It is also the day when a New York judge will make a decision regarding the court case between Sheen's next of kin and the Archdiocese of New York. We are hopeful but we are also incredibly sad that it has all come to this.

The Sheen Foundation has invited everyone to join them in praying a novena beginning Monday, September 12 and ending on Tuesday, September 20. Any novena prayers are appreciated. My family will be joining the Sheen Foundation in the Archbishop Sheen novena, which is copied in whole below. I will also share each prayer each day on the A Knotted Life Facebook page.

Day 1
“How God will judge my life I know not, but I trust he will see me with mercy and compassion. I am only certain there will be three surprises in Heaven. First of all, I will see some people whom I never expected to see. Second, there will be a number whom I expected who will not be there. And - even relying on God’s mercy - the biggest surprise of all may be that I will be there. When the record of any human life is set down, there are three pairs of eyes who see it in a different light. 1. As I see it. 2. As others see it. 3. As God sees it.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, help us to focus on You as Fulton Sheen did so that we may be humble when looking upon ourselves, so that others will see You when they look upon us, and so we can see our lives as You see it.

Prayer of Canonization: Father, source of all holiness, You raise up within the Church in every age men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of Your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people. If it be according to your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask You to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen, 

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Day 2
“Protestants, Jews and Catholics have God, morality, and religion in common. In the name of God, let us - Jews, Protestants, and Catholics - do two things: 1. Realize that an attack upon one is an attack upon all, since we are all one in God; it is not tolerance we need, but charity; not forbearance but love. 2. Begin doing something about religion, and the least we can do is say our prayers; to implore God’s blessings upon the world and our country; to thank Him for his blessings; and to become illumined in the fullness of His truth. There is entirely too much talk about religion and not enough action.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen reached out to people of every religion. Help us to see others as You see them and to focus on what we have in common instead of our differences.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Day 3
“In every friendship hearts grow and entwine themselves together, so that the two hearts seem to make only one heart with only a common thought. That is why separation is so painful; it is not so much two hearts separating, but one being torn asunder.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, help me to see you in others like Fulton Sheen did so I can become one with them as we will all be one in heaven. Help me to realize that separation from You means an empty heart for me.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Day 4
“The great tragedy of life is not so much what men have suffered, but what they have missed. And what greater tragedy is there than to miss the peace of sin forgiven? There is not a man living who, if he willed it, could not enjoy the spiritual food and drink which God serves to all who ask.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen led so many to peace of soul by introducing them to your forgiveness. Help us to share your gift of peace to others by introducing them to Your true loving forgiveness and gift of confession.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be　


Day 5
“All love on this earth involves choice. When, for example, a young man expresses his love to a young woman and asks her to become his wife, he is not just making an affirmation of love; he is also negating his love for anyone else. In that one act by which he chooses her, he rejects all that is not her. There is no other real way in which to prove we love a thing than by choosing it in preference to something else. Word and signs of love may be, and often are, expressions of egotism or passion; but deeds are proofs of love. We can prove we love our Lord only by choosing Him in preference to anything else.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen loved you above all things. Help us to choose to put you first in our lives so that we may learn what true love is.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Day 6
“Burning the candle at both ends for God’s sake may be foolishness to the world, but it is a profitable Christian exercise for so much better the light! Only one thing in life matters: Being found worthy of the Light of the World in the hour of His visitation. We need have no undue fear for our health if we work hard for the Kingdom of God; God will take care of our health if we take care of His cause. In any case, it is better to burn out than to rust out.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, even when tired and sick, Fulton Sheen worked unceasingly for your cause. Help us to learn how to tirelessly work for You through Fulton Sheen. Help us to know that there is no rest unless it is in You.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Day 7
“Mary is not only mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but she is also our mother, and this is not by a title of courtesy, not by legal fiction, not by a mere figure of speech, but by the right of bringing us forth in sorrow at the foot of the cross....Mary, by sacrifice and obedience, regained for us the title, Mother of the living. What a destiny to have the Mother of God as my Mother and Jesus as my brother.” Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen learned obedience at the school of Mary. He had such a great relationship with her; he knew that when he went before the judgment seat of Christ You would say ‘I heard my Mother speak of you.’ Help us to better know Mary so we may gain insight into such great obedience, love, faith and hope.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Day 8
“If we followed the same rules for health that we do about religion, we would all be bedridden. It is not enough to talk about the necessity of health; we must do something practical about it - for example, eat, exercise, and rest. So it is with religion. We must nourish ourselves with the truths of God, exercise our spiritual muscles in prayer, mortify ourselves of those things which are harmful to the soul, and be just as scrupulous in avoiding moral evil as we are in avoiding physical evil.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen did not ask others to go to confession or visit our Lord an hour a day without doing it himself. He practiced what he preached. Guard us from hypocrisy and help us to lead others to you through our actions.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be　


Day 9
“The better we become, the less conscious we are of our goodness. If anyone admits to being a saint, he is close to being a devil. Jean Jacques Rousseau believed that of all men, he was the most perfect, but he had so many cracks in his soul that he abandoned his children after their birth. The more saintly we become, the less conscious we are of being holy. A child is cute so long as he does not know that he is cute. As soon as he thinks he is, he turns into a brat. True goodness is unconscious.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen always thought of himself as an unworthy servant and never thought himself a saint. Help us to be humble in our service and to realize as Fulton Sheen realized that all good works come from You.

Prayer of Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots and Fulton Sheen

Friends, I learned that August 19th is next court date for the case that directly effects Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's cause being reopened. Beginning tomorrow my family and I will be praying the Mary, Undoer of Knots novena for the entire situation and all of us involved in the matter. I invite all of you to join me in these prayers.

Holy men and women are declared saints for the glory of God and the edification of the faithful. It is time for Bishop Sheen's cause and all of us involved in the cause and this dispute to make sure that's what's happening. If God is not being glorified then shame on us.

You can pray with us on the AKL Facebook page where each day's novena prayer will be posted or you can sign up for the novena to come to you via email from the great website Pray More Novenas. I am wording the intention this way:  Fulton Sheen's cause, the court case, and the hearts of all involved.
Thank you for your prayers. 

Sheen Family Petitions NY Court to Move Sheen to Peoria

YOU GUYS!!!!!

After almost two years of Sheen's cause being at a complete standstill they are finally able to take a step towards re-opening the cause!

Reading the press release from the Diocese of Peoria, it seems that Venerable Sheen's family became tired of waiting for New York and decided to take matters into their own hands - by petitioning the state's courts for access to their uncle's remains!

Since Joan Sheen Cunningham is Venerable Sheen's oldest living relative and she and her siblings were very close to their uncle it seems very likely that the New York courts will see her as obvious next-of-kin and will grant this request.

As a refresher, the cause was closed when Cardinal Dolan refused to allow the Sheen Foundation access to Fulton Sheen's body. The Sheen Foundation had reached the point in the canonization process where examining the remains and respectfully gathering relics was appropriate and the canonical norm. Without cooperation from the Archdiocese of New York and without special permission from the Vatican to bypass the canonical norms the cause could go no further.

Further, before the "Pause in the Cause" we were half way through the four-step process of having the alleged miraculous healing of my son, JF, through the intercession of Venerable Sheen declared an official miracle. Here's a little about the advising medical experts and advising theologians unanimously approving the alleged miracle. The next steps would be - God willing! - for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and then Pope Francis to approve it. If and when that happens Fulton Sheen will be beatified for the greater glory of God and the good of the Church.

Here's the press release from the Diocese:

For more about our family's connection with Fulton Sheen and his cause for canonization go here.
To see the news from the Sheen Foundation go here.
To read about it from the National Catholic Register go here.

Let's officially celebrate the unofficial feast day of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

Today we will celebrate with french fries for James (his favorite) and a special coffee drink for me.

Dinner will consist of a hearty Midwestern meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Delish.

For some more fun ideas on how to celebrate you can check out these former posts:
A Sheen-azing Feast Day
Fulton Sheen Family Day

Plus the recorded broadcast of me sharing my son's story of his alleged miraculous healing through the intercession of Fulton Sheen.

And if you have a sec, maybe you can say the prayer for his canonization:

Father, source of all holiness, You raise up within the Church in every age men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of Your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people.

If it be according to your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask You to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen


Happy Feast Day, all you Sheen lovers!

Answered questions and the Fulton Sheen / Alleged Miracle talk - just in case you missed the broadcast

You guys! Wow!

Thank you so much to everyone who showed up for last night's broadcast. I was happy so many were able to show up and I apologize for the bad lighting and for not always knowing what I was doing with the Google Hangout. But we made it through and all-in-all I thought it went rather well.

I also apologize because there were several questions people had submitted but I didn't see until the broadcast was done. I'll definitely be answering those in this post!

In case you missed it last night, you can watch it right here or on my YouTube channel. I spend the first two minutes doing an introduction and figuring things out, about 35 minutes doing the actual presentation, and about 15 minutes answering questions. If you watch it and have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask!

But now for all those questions I missed. There were some really good ones so I wanted to respond publicly. Here we go;

From Kendra: Bonnie, if the cause is reopened, if he is beatified, what will be James' role?
Usually at the beatification Mass the recipient of the miracle carries the first class relics and presents them to the main celebrant (sometimes the pope, usually a cardinal from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints). So James would have that role at the Mass but that would be it. We'd get nice seats for the Mass, and likely for the canonization Mass, too, which is a nice bonus.


From Kaylan: Hi Bonnie! My husband has a question - have any of the doctors ever tried to offer you any medical explanation as to how James could have gone an hour without a heartbeat and then be completely normal?
Yes, but honestly the answer is pretty lame and even other medical professionals have told me that. It usually goes something like this:
Doctor: You said sixty-one minutes, I think you mean sixty-one seconds.
Me: No, James didn't have a pulse for sixty-one minutes, over an hour.
Doctor: Well, he must have had a pulse and you just didn't know since it was a homebirth.
Me: For about forty minutes he was hooked up to a heart monitor, in the ambulance and in the ED, and that whole time he was P.E.A. on the monitor.
Doctor: Well, he must have gotten very good CPR.
Me: I didn't know a person without a pulse could receive CPR for over an hour, come back to life once all resuscitating tactics had ceased, and go on to live a normal, healthy life. Has that happened before?
Doctor: -------  No. --------  But then he must have been receiving oxygen through the umbilical cord.
Me: The medical records state that there was a "tightly tied true knot" in his umbilical cord. It cut off all his oxygen supply. It's the reason he was a stillborn.
Doctor: Well, he wasn't really a stillborn.
Me: He was a zero on the APGAR scale at 1, 5, 10, 30, and 60 minutes. I thought that's what a stillborn is.
Doctor: --------
Me: It's all in his medical records. Everything was documented.

Those are all snippets of actual conversations I've had with a handful of doctors. There always comes a point where the conversation ends because they have no more ideas but they also don't want to call it a miracle. One doctor made a list of "if/than" statements. "Well, if this happened, and then this happened, and if this was what was going on but we didn't know, than that would explain why James is healthy today." But there's so many conditions to their theory it's just ridiculous, and I've seen other medical experts reference the medical records and point out a flaw in the theory. And so the conversation usually just ends.

Our family doctor told me one day, "It's not a miracle that James is alive. It's a miracle he's doing as well as he is."


From Sheena: Question! Have you kept in contact with his doctors? I'm sure the whole situation was life-changing to some or all!
We have gone back and visited the NICU several times over the years, and due to James' severe allergies we've also been back to the emergency room more than once, so we've bumped into quite a few doctors and nurses who cared for James.

In particular, there is one NICU nurse practitioner who has since become a friend - when James was about a year old we ended up in the same Bible study. She has been wonderful at helping me understand all the medical jargon and explaining what everyone at the hospital was thinking and feeling while we were there. I don't know if it changed her life, but she is a wonderful nurse, mom, wife, and friend and I'm so happy to know her. :)



And that's it! Thank you again to everyone who watched. Oh! And if you would like to bring me in to speak at your parish, moms' group, conference, youth group, etc. please check out my speaking tab. I currently have openings for August - October and will be doing resuming local-ish speaking gigs in April 2016.

Details for Tuesday Night's Broadcast of "Fulton Sheen & the Boy Who Lived"

Here's the details for Tuesday night's event, folks!

As previously stated, sometimes I travel around the country sharing the story of my son's life, death, raising from the dead, and current perfect health. I share about Fulton Sheen, his cause, and how canonizations happen. I answer questions about it all and I basically get to have a lot of fun meeting wonderful people and sharing our incredible story.

I can come to your parish, group event, or conference, too (I even have other talks I can give!) but if you'd like you can put your comfy jammies on, pop some popcorn, pour some wine, get online and watch my talk for free, from the comfort of your own home.  Tomorrow night I'll be broadcasting, via Google Hangouts, the 30 minute version of my talk on James' alleged miracle through the intercession of Fulton Sheen. You should come!

I'll be starting at 8:30pm Central time and once the talk is done I'll answer some questions... so if you've got a question now about the James' birth, NICU stay, our devotion to Fulton Sheen, Sheen's cause, or any part of our son being dead for an our and then inexplicably coming back to life - well you can leave a comment here, on Facebook, or at the broadcast event.

Finally, for the broadcast I will be "passing around a tip jar." My speaking engagement stipends are super helpful to my family - they've purchased Christmas presents, paid school tuition, and have even helped us with the grocery budget  at times. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the presentation and Q&A for free, but if you would like to give and are able, we would definitely appreciate a donation.

Thanks very much, everyone! I hope you'll join my husband and I tomorrow night! (Here's the link for the show one last time, just in case!)

A chance for *you* to hear my talk about James Fulton, the alleged miracle, and Archbishop Sheen

 I have the great honor and joy to travel the country, sharing the story of when our son James was stillborn and dead for over an hour only to amazingly come back to life, and miraculously be alive and 100% healthy today, almost five years later. I am able to share with people the reasons why my family, our friends, and many others - including medical and theological experts at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints - believe that this alleged miracle happened through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.

It's awesome. I get to travel to new places and meet or re-connect with all kinds of wonderful people.

 I even get to wear cute clothes and use a powerpoint to illustrate the difference between the "bump bump" and the "jigga jigga," because I use just enough medical jargon so the doctors, nurses, and paramedics in the audience believe what I'm saying. The rest of what I say is said in a way so even I could understand it if I was an audience member.

The speaking gigs are a really great thing for us. We are happy to be able to spread the message of Fulton Sheen and the alleged miracle that was submitted for his cause. And on a much more practical level, the stipends pay my kids' parochial school tuition. Win-win.

But I know that not all the awesome people who have followed along with James' story are able to fly me to their home and pay me to share the story with them. So I'm offering something special and I'm really excited about it.

Next week. on Tuesday, July 28th at 8:30pm CST I will be hosting a Google Hangout where I share the 30 minute version of my talk. I would love it if you'd come!

Afterward I'll field questions - they can be about the talk, Fulton Sheen, the cause, or even about the blog.

All of this is being offered for free, though through the encouragement of some of my readers I will be sharing my PayPal link if anyone wants to donate a few dollars to the tip jar.

I will have more info on Monday so please stay tuned! I hope you can make it!

Fulton Sheen Family Day - making our faith fun and interesting through Venerable Sheen

The second annual Fulton Sheen Family Day was held this past weekend in El Paso, Illinois. 

Why El Paso? Well, while New York is where Sheen is currently entombed, D.C. is where he spent the majority of his life, and Peoria is where he was raised and first served as a priest, it was in the small town of El Paso where Fulton Sheen was born, baptized, and spent his earliest years. 

St. Mary's Parish and Fr. Don hosted the event and while numbers were low it was a really wonderful day. 

At registration kids grabbed a bag, filled it with a Sheen holy card, coloring book, and comic book. We ask for a $1 per person donation, which helps us offset the cost of supplies but also keeps the event family (and budget) friendly. Everyone was also able to enter for a one of our door prizes.

Ignatius Press, Sophia Press Institute, the Sheen Foundation, and musician Matt Faley all made donations for the door prizes.  

We also gave away Sheen's World Mission Rosaries, dvd's, holy cards, and more.

The sisters who run the Sheen Museum in Peoria (a really great visit if you ever get the chance!) brought some relics and other interesting items to display.

We even got a picture of St. Mary's priest, Fr. Don, wearing Sheen's chasibule. 

The sisters also brought this great timeline of Sheen's life. 

Here's one of my favorite facts:

Fr. Don brought a collection of photographs from all the times Bishop Sheen returned to El Paso. He came back several times throughout the years to preside at the wedding of family members and to be present for other special events.

There were four activity stations and each one had a simple version for younger kids and a more detailed version for older kids. All the stations taught about the faith but also related to Fulton Sheen's life. There were adults and teens at every station to explain the craft and how it related to Sheen. Our hope is that children and parents alike will find the Sheen Family Day to be a fun, interesting mini pilgrimage. We hope they will walk away having learned something new that will lead them to know and love Christ more, and having enjoyed being Catholic.

Miraculous Medals:

Spiritual Adoption of Unborn Babies & Fetal Models:

A priest is not his own:

(The kids colored and tape up the altar, then colored the stand-up. One side was a priest, the other Christ.)

World Mission Rosary:

Snacks! Because the day began at 2, followed by a kid-friendly holy hour at 4, with the invitation for the Sheen Family Day attendees to stay for the 5pm Mass, we wanted to make sure there were snacks to help keeps kiddos happy and tummies content until dinner time.

Katie's mom made the cookie cakes with the Sheen chalkboard frosting.

Lots of fruits and veggies, too!

And cute plates and napkins.

The extra tables had coloring sheets so families could snack and color, or even grab some of these and take them home in their goody bags.

Following the activity and snack time, we headed over to St. Mary's Church for a holy hour. If you ever get to St. Mary's make sure you check out the Baptismal register, where Sheen signed his name at his entry during one of the visits

Fr. Don sat on the steps and talked to the kids about Christ in the Eucharist and led the kids in prayers. As runaway toddlers brisked past him, he didn't bat an eye, and a musician led songs throughout the hour, too.

Katie even created a special booklet for kids to use while they prayed.  L told me it was the best holy hour she'd ever been to.

The whole day afternoon was really wonderful, and it wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of the following:


The Sheen Foundation, for their donation of various books, printed materials, and for bringing special relics and Sheen Museum items.

Sophia Press Institute, for their donation of God's World and Our Place in It, Wartime Prayer Book, and Angel in the Waters

Ignatius Press, for their donation of Remade for Happiness

Matt Faley, for the donation of his album The Only Light

Katie Bogner, who put a great deal of time, talent, and treasure into developing the day, recruiting volunteers, planning and preparing for the crafts.

Sr. Lea, Sr. Anne, Fr. Don, and all the folks who volunteered - this really couldn't have happened without them.


Next year we plan on being back in Peoria. I hope to see you then and there!

Answer Me This!

I think Kendra's Answer Me This link-ups are always a lot of fun. I mean look at her blog! It's a carnival! How can it not be fun over there?

And with Kendra bringing back the Answer Me This link-up for the summer, well how could I stay away? She's got some good questions, so let's get going.


1. Any big plans for the summer?
Sleeping in, napping, eating lots of fruit, hitting up the farmers' market - those are the little things but they actually are big plans for me because I look forward to them every summer. There won't be any trips further than the Chicagoland area, but we are looking forward to a friend's baby shower, my sister-in-law's bridal shower, the big family gathering that happens every 4th of July with Travis' family, and the upcoming Sheen Family Day.

2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
There were three sassafrass trees that grew up from the same spot so that the bottoms of their trunks grew into one another. At one point my dad cut off another sapling that was growing up from the trunk base, creating a flat spot, right next to a small knot / whole in one of the trunks. There was also a little dip in the gathered trunks. All together it looked like the entrance to a fairy's home with a well right outside the door. I believed a fairy did live there and drank that water, and I would leave her flowers and whatnot.

Turns out some young boys - who shall not be named - would pee in the "well" making it most definitely not suitable for habitation or magical fairy water.

ahem.


3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)
Growing up I always loved riding The Scrambler at our town's Old Settler Days fair. Any more, though, my motion sickness won't let me tolerate any such rides, though I think I would probably like bumper cars.


4. What's on your summer reading list?
This summer I'll be reading the Little House Rocky Ridge books and Pioneer Girl. That should keep me pretty busy, but when I'm done I'd like to read Bossy Pants by Tina Fey after a friend recommended it.


5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?
Do airplanes count? Because I've fallen asleep multiple times on airplanes. Also at adoration. Once at a theater.


6. What is your favorite smell?
Fresh baked bread is probably my favorite, but any freshly baked item - pie, cake, cookies, rolls, muffins - all smell fabulous.

Happy 120th Birthday!

Today is Fulton Sheen's birthday.

Don't know Venerable Fulton Sheen or why I like him so? Well, here's a little glimpse:





I was really blessed to be able to attend Mass at my kids' school today, and thanks to my friends Jim and Sonyia, Father was able to celebrate Mass with the chalice from Venerable Sheen's traveling Mass kit. (You can see pictures of the Mass kit here.)

Then I was able to head over to my friend's classroom so Jim and Sonyia could share the relic with her students  and I could share James' story with them. The kids, 5th graders at a local Catholic school, all have a huge devotion to Sheen and were thrilled to hold his stole, patent, chalice, and cincture.

There will, of course, be dessert to night and a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday."

We thank God for Bishop Sheen and pray that he will one day be named a saint for the honor and glory of Christ Jesus. +

Quotes, books, Sheen, and the great Northwest

Two things I love: a good quote and a good book. 

(This post has affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites.)

Recently I was given a review copy of Ignatius Press' new edition of Fulton Sheen's Remade for Happiness. Folks, this book is amazing. Every page has stars, brackets, exclamation points, and underlines. It is incredibly easy to read while still being incredibly profound. The quote above is from the book, as are the following:

This last one stings a little bit.

The whole  book is like this - filled with gems and phrases that will stay with you. If you're looking for a good introduction to Venerable Fulton Sheen, and you're wondering why I love him so much, well, Remade for Happiness is a great place to start. Bonus: The cover art is attractive and well done, and Jennifer Fulwiler writes a nice introduction.

 Now, maybe you're looking for something a little more heady. In that case, I suggest The Mystical Body of Christ which was recently re-released by Ave Maria Press. The insights in this book are also amazing, though I find this book to be a slower read  because there's so much to think through. Theologians and people who aren't intimidated by a good book will love this one. Bonus: Brandon Vogt, another Sheen lover, wrote the Introduction to this book.

And my favorite quote from it: 

Made over a little prettier: 

Now if you're not looking for a book, well then maybe you'll be interested in this:
Recently I was given a sneak peak at the new film The Art of Preaching, which features never before seen footage of Venerable Sheen preaching. The short film was released by the Dominican Friars of St. Joseph through their ministry, Black Friar Media, and pairs Sheen's preaching on preaching with original footage and new, beautiful imagery. Priests, deacons, seminarians, and anyone who loves Fulton Sheen will be interested in what one of the greatest preachers in Church history believes is necessary for a good homily. 



Finally, come see me, Northwesterners! I'll be sharing about Venerable Sheen, my son's alleged miracle, and the power of prayer at the Women's Lenten Retreat in Vancouver, Washington on Saturday, March 14th. The ladies planning the day have put a lot of thought and care into it and have crafted something that is more retreat than conference, with the opportunity for prayer and the Sacraments.

There will be two other speakers, Angela Rosson and Sterling Jacquith, and a light breakfast and a yummy lunch are included in the day. The best part: the cost of the whole day is only $10!

If any of you live in the great northwest I hope you can make it. (And hey! Will any of you be there? Write a comment or drop me a line and let me know.)

To register or get more information you can go to the parish website or the Facebook page.


PS - Please feel free to download and print off any of the quotes. Share them on social media, set them as your wall paper, slap them in a frame and give them as a gift!

PPS - the links are Amazon affiliate links which means I get pennies if you buy anything through my links, at no extra cost to you.