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This hard-bound Collector's Edition includes fine details such as raised, gold- embossed lettering on the cover and pages of inspiring photographs of both Saint Thérèse and Archbishop Sheen - a unique book that will surely be a special addition to your spiritual library.
JM+JF My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ. May the Lord give you His peace! I have wonderful news to share with you today! As you probably know, for the past several years I have had the blessing of being involved with the canonization cause for the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I was ordained a priest by him when he was Bishop of Rochester, New York. On March 16th, 2007, I had the great joy of celebrating the 40th anniversary of my ordination to the Priesthood. I give praise and thanks to Our Lord for the gift of my vocation as well as for the gift of being ordained by such a holy man of God. Little did I know on the day of my Ordination that many years later I would have the great privilege to be actively involved in the process of canonization for Archbishop Sheen. As Vice-Postulator of the cause I have witnessed many blessings from this work. The cause for canonization was officially opened on September 14, 2002, when Bishop Daniel Jenky, C.S.C. of the Diocese of Peoria (IL) requested this opening from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. This was a special blessing since the Archbishop was born in the small town of El Paso, IL, near Peoria and was later ordained a priest for that diocese. On the day the cause was opened, Bishop Jenky said: “The Church canonizes saints to help us grow in holiness by their example.” How true these words are in the case of Archbishop Sheen. He certainly led a life of exemplary zeal for the Gospel of Christ and has left us with a virtual treasure trove of books, tapes and teachings as his legacy. I often think of that memorable moment in 1979, when, a few months before the Archbishop died, Pope John Paul II visited Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. On that occasion he warmly embraced the ailing Archbishop and spoke these memorable words to him: “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church!” It is my sincere belief that, if God so wills, the canonization of Archbishop Sheen will be a great blessing for the Church in many ways. This is one of the reasons why I am very pleased to inform you that the cause is moving forward. Recently, the Diocese of Peoria announced that the process of investigation into two alleged miracles believed to be through the intercession of Archbishop Sheen has been completed. As Vice-Postulator it was my privilege to be present at the closing ceremonies in July, 2006, for both of these investigations. The documents concerning these two alleged miracles were sent to Rome and will now be studied by committees made up of medical experts, theologians, and cardinals of the Church. Now for some additional Good News that I would like to share with you today! As I mentioned earlier, I have received many blessings from my work with the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation and one of these was the privilege to make the acquaintance of Father J. Linus Ryan, O. Carm. He is a Carmelite priest living in Dublin, Ireland. He is also the Director of the Saint Thérèse of Lisieux National Office in Ireland as well as a strong devotee of the late Archbishop Sheen. Father Ryan has a deep love for Saint Thérèse, and promotes her life and works through a very active ministry. Through discussions with him, I learned that in 1973 he invited Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to Ireland to preach on the life of the Little Flower in celebration of the 100th anniversary of her birth. Archbishop Sheen, who also had a special love for Saint Thérèse, responded with a magnificent retreat consisting of eleven talks on her life. Providentially, Father Ryan recorded this amazing series of talks and has now given permission to the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation for these talks to be published in book form! “St. Thérèse of Lisieux is the greatest saint of modern times,” remarked St. Pius X back in 1914. Years later, in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Thérèse a Doctor of the Church, citing the timeliness of her doctrine and the wisdom and practicality with which she grasped the Gospel message. Now, for the first time, we are privileged to have the powerful words of Archbishop Sheen giving witness to this great Saint and explaining why St. Thérèse is so universally loved, invoked and imitated by people from all walks of life in nearly every country of the world. Working in conjunction with the Catholic publishing house Basilica Press, the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation has prepared these talks for publication in book form in a very special Collector’s Edition. The book includes fine details such as raised, gold-embossed lettering on the cover and pages of inspiring photographs of both Saint Thérèse and Archbishop Sheen inside. I believe this beautiful hardcover book, entitled Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s St. Thérèse: A Treasured Love Story will be something you and your loved ones will treasure for a long time. “I will spend my Heaven doing good upon the earth,” St. Thérèse said toward the end of her life. As death drew closer, she further stated, “I believe that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making God loved as I love Him....” Time has proven these words to be so prophetic. Today St. Thérèse is no doubt one of the most popular saints in the Church and in the world! Even readers familiar with St. Thérèse’s life will find their eyes opened to many new insights into her life given by Archbishop Sheen. Saint Thérèse had said, “After my death I will let fall a shower of roses,” and she has kept her word. There have been a multitude of heavenly favors received through St. Thérèse’s intercession. I believe even this book is one of those blessings. Working for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s canonization, I have begun to see many blessings that could come if God permits him to be declared a saint. We must keep alive the rich legacy that he has left to the Church in his personal life and extraordinary ministry of evangelization. For example, we must heed his call for the renewal needed in the Priesthood today, something that the recent clergy scandals in the Church have only made more urgent. We must also spread his special devotion to Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, namely, the daily Eucharistic Holy Hour which he himself practiced faithfully for over sixty years and encouraged priests, religious and laity to do as well. Furthermore, we must take up his wonderful, challenging example by using modern mass media as he did to proclaim the Gospel message clearly and powerfully. It is my dream that these examples might be brought together someday at an Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center where his personal memorabilia as well as artifacts from his extraordinary life could be displayed for all to see. I think such a Center would serve as an excellent testimony to the life of this Servant of God, providing a source of inspiration to both clergy and laity alike. It is my hope and prayer that the money raised from this beautiful book of Archbishop’s Sheen’s reflections on St. Thérèse can help us towards the creation of this extraordinary project. To achieve our goals of canonization and the establishment of an Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center, we are making Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s St. Thérèse: A Treasured Love Story available for a $20 donation (shipping and handling included). As we have proceeded with the process of canonization, our expenses have increased. This is why we are asking for your special support with this appeal letter. I firmly believe that this book will prove to be a source of great joy to you. Be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones.
Yours in Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
P.S. The Collector’s Edition is a special offer which will be available as long as the demand for such a beautiful book continues. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A DONATION, CONTACT: THE ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN FOUNDATION The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation is a tax exempt institution as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3). Tax I.D. 371-411-870 |
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