A first-class relic of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen has been entrusted to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, giving Catholics a new place to venerate one of the most influential American Catholic evangelists of the modern era.
The relic, a bone from Sheen’s right hand, arrived at the cathedral Thursday, one week after his beatification in St. Louis.
According to LifeSiteNews, through The Good Newsroom, Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria presented the relic to Archbishop Ronald Hicks and the Archdiocese of New York. Peoria, Sheen’s home diocese, has led the cause for his canonization.
The relic arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 2 p.m., followed by midday prayer and an opportunity for public veneration. Archbishop Hicks later celebrated a 5 p.m. Mass, with Bishop Tylka preaching, according to The Good Newsroom.
For the Archdiocese of New York, the arrival carried particular significance because of Sheen’s deep connection to the city and his years of ministry there.
According to LifeSiteNews, through The Tablet, Archbishop Hicks described the occasion as a homecoming.
“I’d like to add today, as we’re gathered here in New York, he’s also a son of New York,” Archbishop Hicks said. “He spent a lot of time here. He evangelized here. He called this home, and he was an auxiliary bishop here. So today this is a homecoming for us.”
Sheen served as an auxiliary bishop of New York and became one of the most recognizable Catholic voices in America through his preaching and pioneering work in radio and television.
Archbishop Hicks thanked Bishop Tylka for the gift and said the relic would remain at the cathedral permanently.
Sheen “will be venerated here at St. Patrick’s forever,” Archbishop Hicks said, describing the relic as a “symbol of unity.”
A Relic From the Hand That Helped Evangelize Millions
The relic itself carries an especially meaningful connection to Sheen’s famous ministry.
Bishop Tylka explained that it is a bone from Sheen’s right hand — the same hand associated with his memorable teaching and evangelization.
“The purpose of my visit was to present the relic of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, a bone from his right hand, the hand that he used to write on the chalkboard, ‘J.M.J.,’ and so many other insightful, prophetic, and loving words about our faith,” Bishop Tylka said.
Sheen famously placed the initials “J.M.J.” — representing Jesus, Mary and Joseph — on his chalkboard during his television ministry.
Bishop Tylka said the relic also points Catholics toward the deeper meaning of the Church’s tradition of venerating relics.
“Relics are a reminder of the closeness that we share with the saints,” he said. “They’re treasures to remind us of our communion, (and) of their prayers for us.”
The bishop also emphasized the close relationship between Sheen and the Church in New York.
The Archdiocese of New York “played a very significant role in the life and the ministry of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen,” Bishop Tylka said. “He lived in this local church. He served this local church. He loved this local church, just as he loved his native diocese of Peoria.”
A Permanent Place of Veneration
According to The Tablet, the relic was placed near the cathedral’s main altar for public veneration during Thursday’s events.
Members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem accompanied the relic during the procession and served as an honor guard. Sheen joined the order in 1951.
After Mass, the relic was carried in procession to its permanent home at the Altar of the Holy Face inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The relic will not immediately remain there continuously, however. According to The Tablet, it is scheduled to accompany Archbishop Hicks as he visits deaneries throughout the Archdiocese of New York through Thanksgiving, giving Catholics across the archdiocese opportunities to venerate it.
Its eventual permanent presence at St. Patrick’s brings Sheen’s story back to a city where he spent years proclaiming the Catholic faith.
For Catholics who grew up watching or listening to Sheen — and for younger generations discovering his preaching today — the relic provides a tangible connection to the newly beatified American evangelist and to the enduring Catholic belief in the communion of saints.
As Bishop Tylka explained, relics are not merely historical objects. They remind the faithful of the bond between the Church on earth and those who have gone before them in faith.
Now, a relic from the very hand Blessed Fulton Sheen used in his extraordinary ministry of evangelization has found a permanent home in the heart of New York City.
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