EL PASO/PEORIA, Ill. – The church where Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s religious journey began is keeping an eye on their native son’s path to sainthood.
The beatification of Sheen is taking place in St. Louis on Thursday afternoon. But that path started when he was baptized at St. Mary’s Church in El Paso, the Woodford County city where he was born.
The day started with a church service, followed by a watch party for Sheen’s beatification service.
Beth Miller was the religious education at St. Mary’s. She admits that the celebration has been a bit low-key, but notes there’s a lot of hometown pride for Sheen.
“I just feel like he’s a part of us here,” Miller said. “You go by the building where his family lived and the rock outside. You just feel like a part of it.”
Miller says her own daughter was baptized in front of a statue of Mary that Sheen’s mother took him to.
Miller says the day is “special” for her. She says in the journey to learn more about Sheen, the thing that stood out was his kindness and wanting to share his joy.
Miller, as well as Allen Drake of the El Paso Knights of Columbus, say they are seeing visitors from across the country come into the church where Sheen was baptized.
“We had a few yesterday on their way to St. Louis,” Drake said. “I talked to a couple from California. They started out in Chicago, visited a shrine there, and they came here, and they’re on their way to St. Louis.”
Drake says the community is excited and full of joy that the day has arrived for Sheen’s beatification.
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