As the Church prepares for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24, 2026, at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Catholics across the country are reflecting on the life and legacy of one of the most influential Catholic communicators of the 20th century.
The Diocese of Raleigh has its own connection to Archbishop Sheen.
On Dec. 8, 1974, he served as homilist for the Diocese of Raleigh’s 50th Anniversary Mass. The celebration, held at Dorton Arena because Sacred Heart [then] Cathedral was too small to accommodate the expected crowd, had been planned as a joyful golden jubilee observance for the diocese.
Just days before the event, however, tragedy struck. On Dec. 3, Bishop Vincent S. Waters, who had led the diocese since 1945, died suddenly of a heart attack. His funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 7, and the anniversary celebration proceeded as scheduled the following day, transforming what had been planned as a festive milestone into a moment of both remembrance and hope.
In the video below, Archbishop Sheen's homily captures that historic moment in the life of the Diocese of Raleigh. As the Church prepares to recognize him as Blessed Fulton Sheen, this recording offers a unique glimpse of his ministry and preserves a memorable connection between the future blessed and the faithful of eastern North Carolina.