Blessed Fulton Sheen's Eastern Catholic Church Icon Displayed in Peoria

At the Sheen Museum in Peoria, Illinois, a special icon symbolizing Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's affinity for Eastern Catholic churches and his dual-ritual status has been enthroned in a ceremony.

Exhibition of the Icon at the Peoria Museum

A new icon in memory of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen has been introduced and put on display with a ceremony at the Sheen Museum in Peoria, Illinois.

This special artwork has taken its place in the museum as a testament to the archbishop's dual-ritual status and his deep interest in the people of the Eastern Catholic churches.

Design and Symbolic Meanings of the Icon

The prepared icon features both the episcopal mitre used in the Roman Church and the crown used by bishops in the Byzantine rite of the Catholic Church.

Among the striking elements in the work are also a blackboard symbolizing Sheen's television ministry and a depiction of him holding a piece of chalk.

Eastern Rite and Historical Connections

Archbishop Sheen's bond with the Byzantine rite stemmed from his desire to build solidarity with Christians living under the oppression of communist regimes.

Pope Pius XII had officially granted Archbishop Sheen permission to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in another rite.