My wife and I were blessed to join an estimated 50,000 pilgrims at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis to witness the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

We arrived over two hours early and enjoyed a program consisting of clips from Blessed Fulton Sheen’s TV days, presentations about his life, interviews in a setting re-creating his office, presentations from guest bishops from St. Louis and Peoria, Illinois, and Archbishop Emeritus of New York, Cardinal

Timothy Dolan, as well as a variety of church music.

Earlier in the day, many priests heard confessions.

The opening procession lasted almost 40 minutes as over 2,100 priests, deacons, religious, and seminarians filled the floor.

The priests’ chasubles were white with “JMJ” on the back. Another 88 bishops followed. Indeed, this was the most spectacular Church event and Eucharistic celebration in my lifetime.

Cardinal Luis Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who presided over the beatification, read the official decree in Latin, which I thought added extra class to the ceremony.

After it was read in English, the crowd erupted in applause. The distribution of Communion was handled with remarkable efficiency.

We were part of a 206 Tours pilgrimage group, with a priest and tour guide who made our journey super pleasant, easy, and meaningful.

It was a joy to meet people from all over the country and a special joy to see the large number of young families attending — an assurance that Blessed Fulton Sheen’s legacy will continue for generations.

The beatification ceremony was especially meaningful to me today as I recalled many happy memories of when I worked at the Society for the Propagation of the Faith office and met Bishop Sheen. My fondest memory was when Bishop Sheen and Mother Teresa were together at our office during an afternoon break (1966). I sensed then that I was in the presence of two saints.

When Blessed Fulton Sheen’s cause for sainthood was opened, I prayed that I would live to see his beatification one day.

I thank God I got to witness his beatification.