Diocesan Mass to Commemorate the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Saturday, September 26 at 5PM
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church
Celebrant: Bishop Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn and Queens
On Thursday, September 24, 2026, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen — renowned televangelist, author, and former Auxiliary Bishop of New York — becomes the first American-born bishop to be beatified.
Beatification is the second-to-last step toward canonization as a saint.
Bishop Sheen visited Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in 1963 at the invitation of Bishop Joseph P. Denning, who was pastor at the time, to lead our parish in a six-week Lenten retreat. So many people attended that speakers were placed outside the church and audio was piped into the school auditorium so the crowds could hear his distinctive and memorable preaching. For several years while Bishop Denning was pastor, Bishop Sheen returned to recite the Three Hours’ Agony on Good Friday at our parish.
More than 60 years later, because of this history, Bishop Robert Brennan chose our church to host the diocesan Mass to commemorate this historic event. We invite all to attend.
We would also like to hear from anyone who remembers Sheen’s 1963 visit to OLQM. We do not have a photographic record in our church archives. If you have a photograph or personal recollection to share, please contact us.
