Archbishop Dolan on "Fulton J. Sheen: Catholic Evangelizer" March 21, 2007

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The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and his success in using the media to communicate Catholic teachings will be discussed by Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan at the Peter Favre Forum Wednesday, March 21 at The University Club, 924 E. Wells St.

The presentation, "Fulton J. Sheen: Catholic Evangelizer" will begin at 7:30 a.m. Cost of the Forum program, which includes breakfast, is $25. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (414) 747-6443, or by email. Archbishop Dolan will explore Archbishop Sheen's contributions to increase the visibility and discussion of Catholicism to a historically suspicious American culture.

Archbishop Sheen, born in El Paso, Ill., authored more than 90 books during his lifetime and is considered the first American television preacher of note. In 1930 he began a Sunday night radio broadcast, "The Catholic Hour," which aired well into the 1950s, attracting a weekly audience of four million people. During the 1950s Archbishop Sheen conducted the first religious service broadcast on the new medium of television, putting in motion a new avenue for his religious pursuits. While serving as Auxiliary Bishop of New York from 1951 to 1965, he started the television program, "Life is Worth Living," which aired Tuesday nights. The program featured Archbishop Sheen simply speaking in front of a live audience on the theology of current topics. The show, which ran until 1957, attracted nearly 30 million people weekly. He won an Emmy Award for the show in 1952.

From 1961 to 1968 Archbishop Sheen hosted the nationally-syndicated series, "The Fulton Sheen Program," a series following the format of his earlier show. Reruns of his programs currently air on the Eternal World Television Network.