2026 Vocations Awareness Supplement
Seminarians look to Blessed Fulton J. Sheen as a role model in faith, ministry
By Sean Gallagher
Seminarian Josh Russell had his doubts before going to the beatification Mass of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
It was going to be a long day for him and the other 38 seminarians from several dioceses in formation at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis. They left for St. Louis early on Sept. 24 and were to return late that night.
But once Russell entered the stadium for the liturgy, he was glad he came.
“It was a rallying experience,” said Russell, a member of Holy Family Parish in New Albany. “While we processed in, I took a glance around at the 50,000 people all gathered to celebrate the life of a great man within the Church and couldn’t help getting happily overwhelmed.”
Seminarian Randy Schneider, who is in his third year of formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology at St. Meinrad, was impressed by seeing Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle read the decree of beatification on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
“It was an awe-inspiring moment to see the Church at work, officially raising one of her own to the rank of ‘blessed,’ ” said Schneider, a member of All Saints Parish in Dearborn County. “It felt at the same time ancient and new—venerable and exciting.”
Seminarian Casey Deal, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bloomington who is also in formation at Saint Meinrad, was glad to see so many Catholics from across the country at the beatification Mass.
“Walking to the stadium that day, you saw nuns, priests, seminarians and lay Catholics everywhere,” Deal said. “It was neat to see.”
Seminarian Sam McFee, a member of All Saints Parish in Dearborn County in his first year of formation at Bishop Bruté, was excited by the vitality and growth in the Church in the U.S. on display at the beatification Mass.
“The growth of the Catholic Church locally and nationwide specifically has been very encouraging and exciting for me to witness and be a part of,” he said. “More Catholics demands a response, and an appropriate response would be more priests.”
Russell sees Blessed Fulton as a role model for all Catholics. He looks to him in particular as someone to emulate in his priestly formation.
“I admire Sheen’s passion not just for the Catholic faith, but for the way of life which the faith leads us toward: of radical conversion of life, love of God and of neighbor,” Russell said. “It’s an extension of this desire to love God, seeking the conversion of sinners, ourselves included. I came into seminary with this mentality.”
Blessed Fulton is the first American-born bishop to be declared blessed. In 2017, Blessed Stanley Rother became the first American-born priest to be beatified.
Schneider sees them both as “incredible role models” as he looks forward to being ordained a transitional deacon in the fall of 2027.
“These two holy members of the Church in the U.S. are certainly encouraging to me, as they prove that God continues raising up saints in our own time and in our own country,” Schneider said. “I am honored to be a member of the Church and of the country that formed and produced these blesseds, and I am confident that the Holy Spirit will guide all of us to faithfully carry out the mission they so faithfully took part in.” †