Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the renowned American evangelist and broadcaster, is set to be beatified on September 24, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri. The beatification Mass will take place at The Dome at America’s Center and will be presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on behalf of Pope Leo XIV. vaticannews.va
The miracle officially attributed to Sheen’s intercession — and the one that cleared the path for his beatification — is the medically inexplicable recovery of a baby named James Fulton Engstrom.
What Happened on September 16, 2010
In Peoria, Illinois, Bonnie and Travis Engstrom welcomed their son James at home. During delivery, the umbilical cord became knotted, cutting off oxygen and blood flow. James was born stillborn: no pulse, no breathing, blue, and completely limp. He was clinically dead. osvnews.com
Paramedics and doctors performed CPR for a total of 61 minutes. As the medical team was preparing to declare him dead, his parents, family, and friends prayed fervently, asking for the intercession of Fulton Sheen.
Suddenly, James’s heart began beating perfectly — at a normal rate of 148 beats per minute. There was no gradual recovery; it was instantaneous.
Against All Medical Odds
Doctors expected severe outcomes: brain damage, cerebral palsy, blindness, organ failure, or death. Yet James showed no long-term effects whatsoever. He developed into a completely healthy child and is now a vibrant 15-year-old teenager with a keen interest in meteorology. ncregister.com
The case underwent rigorous investigation:
- A panel of medical experts in 2014 declared it scientifically inexplicable.
- Theologians attributed the healing to Sheen’s intercession.
- Pope Francis formally approved the miracle on July 6, 2019.
A Powerful Witness
James Fulton Engstrom’s story is not just about physical healing — it’s a powerful testimony to the power of prayer and the enduring legacy of Fulton Sheen, whose television and radio broadcasts brought the Catholic faith to millions.
As the Engstrom family prepares for the beatification, they describe it as “a little piece of heaven.” James himself has embraced his role as the “miracle baby,” feeling a special connection to the man who helped save his life. osvnews.com
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, Ill., and Msgr. Stanley Deptula, then-executive director of the Archbishop Sheen Foundation, seal a box containing medical records and testimony regarding the miraculous healing of James Fulton Engstrom during a Dec. 11, 2011, Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. The Illinois boy was without a pulse for an hour after his birth. The evidence was gathered over three months by an investigative tribunal including Msgr. Jason Gray, left, episcopal delegate.