An Illinois bishop is one step closer to being named a saint.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was declared by the Vatican Thursday to have lived a life of heroic virtues and thus should be considered venerable, according to the Catholic News Service.
The El Paso native turned down a graduate school scholarship and enrolled at St. Paul's Seminary in Minnesota, according to The Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation out of Peoria. He was also a radio and television personality who hosted the television show "Life is Worth Living," the foundation said.
"This announcement marks the culmination of ten years of hard work, generous donations, and mostly lots of prayers," said Msgr. Stanley Deptula, executive director of the foundation in a blog post.
Sheen's beatification and canonization now hinges on the confirmation by the Vatican of two alleged miracles for beatification and canonization. The first one, still awaiting confirmation involves a now-1-year-old child, named after the late bishop, whose heart started beating 61 minutes after being delivered stillborn, according to the Catholic News Agency.
