Blessed Fulton Sheen: an Intercessor for Babies and an Inspiration for Influencers
Blessed Fulton Sheen’s prayers and prayer have saved the life of more than one baby
The miracle that has led to Venerable Fulton Sheen become Beatified as Blessed Fulton Sheen involved saving the life of a newborn baby – born without a heartbeat and having no pulse for an hour after his birth.
You can read about this miracle in the book his mother wrote titled 61 Minutes to a Miracle.
I read it and enjoyed it. Bonne Engstrom shares how she first came to know about Fulton Sheen and her first impression made me giggle.
But I want you to know that Blessed Fulton Sheen has interceded and aided in the saving of MANY babies lives, not just one.
Blessed Fulton Sheen wrote and promoted the Spiritual Adoption Prayer
In 1973, after the Supreme Court Legalized Abortion, Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote the Spiritual Adoption Prayer and encouraged Catholics to pray this prayer for 9 months.
I first encountered this prayer in high school. Years later, I found it again. My family prayed it for a little girl – and by the grace of God, we witnessed how efficacious and powerful this little prayer is . . . (I share about that in this blog post).
Because we were completely delighted and amazed at what this little prayer did, we continued to pray it. One September, we decide to pray for boy/girl twins. Seven months later God pulled back the curtain and allowed my husband and I to not only see the power of God and the potential of this short prayer – he also answered our plea for more children.
This time the children we spiritually adopted, we actually – adopted!
Our story is only one of many. I once posted on social media about this prayer and tons of comments followed. One I vividly remember was teacher who would let her children pick the names of the babies they would spiritually adopt – and how very unique these names would be. One name Cloud, may have perplexed her . . . but then, years later, in walked a student by the name of, you guessed it, Cloud!
These cases of seeing the prayer work are not usual. The reality is most people who pray this prayer will never meet the child they prayed for in this life. Still, that does not discredit the power of prayer!
Thank you Blessed Fulton Sheen for giving us this prayer! Your love of God, encouragement of prayer and faith has saved so many babies and through this Spiritual Adoption Prayer, continues to today.
You can download this free printable prayer here for FREE!
How Fulton Sheen’s Faith Continues to Inspire Catholic Parents, Advocates, and Influencers
One way Blessed Fulton Sheen’s timing of beatification is significant is that he was a man of great media influence.
Bonnie Engstrom is a respected content creator on Instagram.
Personally, I myself did not experience or witness these miracles until I started sharing about my Catholic faith publicly through a blog and on various social media platforms.
Saints Alive uses this “influencer” stage to set his story on a 3 part series which I and my children have listened to time and time again through the Hallow App (try it for free here).
Hallow has a number of resources on Blessed Fulton Sheen in addition to the excellent work of Saints Alive. You can even pray with Fulton Sheen through the app that has recording of him praying The Lord’s Prayer and more.
Blessed Fulton Sheen was a man of great media influence
I asked some other Catholic influencers to share their thoughts of Blessed Fulton Sheen, here is what they said:
Kylie Hein, podcaster, said she has been reading his book, The Life of Christ, it is SO good!
“I have been reading The Life of Christ it is SO good! One thing that has stood out to me is the reminder he gives that Christ was weary in his work, not of it. And that that the two greatest converts of his time came when he was tired and seemed the most unfit. I feel this so deeply in this season. He references St. Paul in saying “The willing heart always creates its own opportunities.”
–Kylie Hein, Persistence in Prayer with Kylie Hein podcast
Rose Folsom, Substack Writer and convert says this:
“My mother tells me that as a 4-yr-old, I would drag my little chair in front of the television and sit enthralled whenever Bishop Sheen was on. I have a feeling he had something to do with my conversion thirty years later.”
And another member of the Catholics Online community, Jennifer Sinclair, also mentions Fulton Sheen impact on a 4 year old!
“He’s been a powerful intercessor for our family for at least 20 years. When our son was about 4, he started suffering terribly with night terrors and it went on for years. It wasn’t until he started asking Fulton Sheen to intercede for him that those awful nightmares stopped, praise God. Those were some really hard times for both of us, and I’ll always be grateful to this Venerable bishop for his love and prayers for my little boy. (Who’s now grown and has his own family)”
-Jennifer Sinclair, Novena Rose Company
Tina Jost, Catholic Speaker and Writer, shared this:
“I recently spoke to our parish youth group about Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the Holy Hour, and the importance of praying for priests.
The connection is extraordinary:
Fulton Sheen was a priest for 60 years.
He spent 60 minutes, one full hour, before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every day of his priesthood.
He died during Adoration, in the presence of Our Lord!
The miracle approved for his beatification involved little James Fulton Engstrom, who was born without a pulse and did not breathe for 61 minutes. His father baptized him while his mother continually invoked Fulton Sheen’s intercession. Just after the doctors stopped trying to revive him, his heart began to beat!”
60 years as a priest.
60 minutes with Jesus each day.
A miracle after 60 minutes!
Ven. Fulton Sheen, pray for us!”
-Tina Jost, Catholic Speaker and Author
Molly Olsen, owner of Sacred Anchor Artisans, has been working tirelessly to help with the hometown celebrations happening during the week of Fulton Sheens Beatification.
Sacred Anchor Artisans has dedicated the front page of their website to businesses with Blessed Fulton Sheen products, apparel and gifts – including members of Catholics Online Rosemary Terrell’s ties and headbands!
Grab your Blessed Fulton Sheen ties, headbands and more here (Mama’s Little Loves Shop on Etsy)!!!
Social Media Influencer and Business owner, Holly Klock, shared this message on her Instagram account today:
Why should we pray? Why breathe? We have to take in fresh air and get rid of bad air.”
—Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
Prayer was at the heart of everything he did. Before every page, every broadcast and every beginning, he wrote JMJ—Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
This new collection features his handwritten JMJ—a little piece of his devotion we can carry with us every day. May their holy names be written on our hearts, too
And finally, Stephanie Quesnelle (Created Not Coded) shares her thoughts in her newest post:
Formed before they broadcast: What Fulton Sheen and three other Catholics understood about using media
If you are a Catholic Influencer or aspire to be, ask Blessed Fulton Sheen for his prayers and intercession
As Catholic influencers, we have the ability and obligation to move hearts and minds, to bring truth to light and to share the Truth, Jesus Christ Our Lord, with the world.
An important calling is to help our culture embrace life at all stages. To celebrate the gift of life and to never underestimate the power of prayer.
We are called to pray first and foremost.
Blessed Fulton Sheen left us with the example of praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour before doing anything else during the day.
He left us with a short but life-saving prayer that does not address him but Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us!
Want to read more about Blessed Fulton Sheen?
Check out this book suggested by Brianna Jennings, member of Catholics Online and Catholic bookstore owner:
Think Right, LIVE WELL: Reflections with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Love shopping Catholic gifts? Check out our shop page here!!
How has Blessed Fulton Sheen inspired (or interceded) for you?
