Faith

Soon-to-be-Blessed Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen prayed often for more priests to be ordained in the missions.

Propagation of the Faith

Honoring Fulton Sheen by Ordaining Priests in the Missions

Friday, July 24, 2026Faith

How can they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] Good News!" (Rom 10:14-15)

This September, a great 'Friend of the Missions' will take a step closer to sainthood. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who was National Director of what was then called the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies -- now The Pontifical Mission Societies -- will be beatified in St. Louis, Missouri.

Many of us have been inspired by Sheen's writing, speeches, preaching, and the holiness of his life. What the Archbishop himself would turn your attention to, though, is what he called "the greatest love story of all time," -- the Eucharist.

According to Sheen, all his accomplishments, including his call to the priesthood and his love for the missions, were rooted in "a tiny white Host." From the time spent in his daily Holy Hour before Jesus in the Eucharist, Sheen realized that in order to bring the Sacrament to the world, a local clergy must be ordained in places where the Church is rapidly growing -- the missions.

Last year, with your help, we honored Sheen's legacy by educating two of every five priests in the world through The Society of St. Peter the Apostle, a brother Society to the Propagation of the Faith. In Nigeria, you'll find several seminaries and convents that Sheen helped to build. One of them, the Bigard Seminary, named for Jeanne Bigard, the foundress of The Society of St. Peter the Apostle, is now the largest in the world. Currently, 712 men study for the priesthood within its walls. Some of them come to the United States "on loan" to serve in our parishes, helping with our shortage of priests!

Even with numbers like that, good, qualified men are being turned away from Bigard and other seminaries across the missions because of a lack of funds, not a lack of faith. Facilities are crumbling, technology (where it exists) is outdated, and teachers go without pay.

Help us honor the legacy of Archbishop Fulton Sheen as he is beatified -- send more priests into the world so that the Eucharist can feed more souls, as it does yours!

Pray and give generously to seminarians in the missions today by going to www.propfaithboston.org and choosing The Society of St. Peter the Apostle.
As soon-to-be-Blessed Archbishop Sheen would say, God Love You!

- Maureen Crowley Heil is Director of Programs and Development for the Pontifical Mission Societies, Boston.