The video is finally up on Catholic TV, so here it is:
A particular highlight of Archbishop Dolan’s homily: he recalled being in St. Peter’s Square in 1973, watching Archbishop Sheen sign autographs for a crowd of international admirers. They asked him what he was doing in Rome, and he replied that he’d just had an audience with Pope Paul VI. “What did you talk about?” he was asked. Embarrassed, Sheen replied, “The Holy Father told me I’d have I very high place in heaven.” “And what did you say to that?” someone asked. Eyes twinkling, Sheen replied, “I asked him, ‘Holy Father, would you mind making that an infallible declaration?’”
A little correction: Archbishop Sheen’s cause was actually started in his home diocese of Peoria, Illinois in 2002; the Vatican phase was opened in 2008. Here’s a quite riveting video about Bishop Sheen and his cause from EWTN.
Today has been a bit frustrating; it was off to the library to finally convert Brad’s files from his camera’s format to something I can use. I needed iMovie on the Mac, but the library’s Macs don’t have the proper plugin. 2-3 hours of frustration. I did some more research, but really need to work on the documentary.
Back home to find that I’d missed Catholic TV’s broadcast of the Memorial Mass in New York for Bishop Fulton Sheen 30 years after his death. That was a shame, since while I was too young to have seen much of his show on TV, when it originally aired, I’ve read and admired his books. And of course, watched him on video. Last year, the cause for his canonization was opened. If he makes it, St. Clare will have herself some competition for the spot of patron saint of television!
I’m still waiting for the video-on-demand. In the meantime, here’s a nice retrospective, also from Catholic TV:
I’ll put the Mass here as son as it appears. And of course, there is always quite a bit of Bishop Sheen to watch on YouTube.
Update:
And here is an awesome funny video of Bishop Sheen’s appearance on What’s my Line? Particularly delightful is the way he tried to disguise his voice by speaking French.
And some classic stuff from early in his Life is Worth Living Series.
Spirituality, intellect, wit and humor — and could that man wear a cape well!
Pausing to look at all the sights on our way to Jerusalem. . . Mainly about faith, the Church, film, writing, famous Christian authors, and anything else I'm interested in at the moment.
The photo above was taken at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in March 2007.
Quote of the Month
"The history of the Catholic missions is by now a long road: at the beginning of that road is the Father of Mercy, who holds out his arms to all his children. All those who encounter the missionaries encounter the Father. And they also encounter the Son, the first missionary, who, obeying the Father, comes to earth, becomes flesh in human nature, is one of us, in solidarity with our misery (except for sin) and ends up dying for us in order to then return to heaven, carrying on his shoulders the human race his has won back.
Out of the same mold are the missionaries, who repeat, in some way, his journey. They too leave their fathers and families and depart to go among a foreign people. They too strip themselves of the refined culture they have acquired in their homelands; and of their native customs and habitat, of a hundred little comforts, in order to be in solidarity. With who? With a people who are on one hand naked and poor, and on the other rich in possibilities, which the missionaries intend to respect, value and elevate."
Albino Luciani (Pope John Paul I), to the people of his diocese of Vittorio Veneto, on his return from the diocesan missions in Africa in 1966
