James Fulton: First Alleged Miracle Toward the Beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen

7/3/2012

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members, and friends. People in Alaska, New York, Mexico, Peru, Germany, Ireland, and Canada prayed for my son, asking for Sheen's intercession. Atheists asked their believing friends to pray for him. Classrooms of children in Catholic schools throughout Illinois recited the Sheen prayer every day. Little children adopted him as their main prayer intention. My dad began attending Mass again on a regular basis.

And God answered the prayers. Jesus Christ healed my son. The Holy Spirit filled the hearts His faithful. And Sheen continued to evangelize through his namesake and my son. By the time he was a few days old his kidneys, liver, and colon were all working. His leg was healing.

By a week he was breathing without any assistance. His blood pressure was good. He began eating by bottle. He was taken off pain meds and started to interact with me, his visitors, nurses, and doctors. At seven weeks he came home from the hospital.

A follow-up MRI showed no more brain damage. The precautionary g-tube was removed when he was six months old. Now he rolls over, crawls, cruises, and will walk soon. He eats Cheerios, picking them up with his thumb and pointer finger. He squeals with laughter, plays with blocks, steals toys from his older siblings, and has scored in the normal / age appropriate range by his developmental and physical therapist.

My family and I believe that God brought James back from the dead and healed his body. We believe that He did this through the intercession of Archbishop Sheen. We believe that God did this for the same reason that he allowed Lazarus to die: "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

Today my son is one year old. Thank you, Jesus, and Happy Birthday, James Fulton!

-----

Bonnie Engstrom is a cradle Catholic and stay-at-home mom. She married her dashing husband in 2006 and they now have four children: one in Heaven and three wandering around their house, probably eating pretzels found under the couch. Bonnie lives in central Illinois and gets excited about baking, music, film adaptations of Jane Austen books, and the Chicago Bears. She is the Assistant Director for Behold: A Catholic Conference on the Dignity and Vocation of Women and she blogs at Learning to be a Newlywed.

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1 - 10 of 15 Comments

Judy Claar
10 months ago
It's about time! How I love this man. How we need him today more than ever! He would know how to speak in a child's language or college language or anywhere in between! I remember after he spoke in a theater, he wrote in one of his books: ( A man came up to me and said,
"Illuminating Father, Simply Illuminating", to which he replied: "What did I say, pray tell?" The man, dumbfounded by his question, could not come up with a syllable. Fulton Sheen, then took his hand in his and said, "The reason I asked you that question, is so I could prove to myself how much God is trying to humble me. Don't you see? If I had used words that were not so much above your head, you would have been able to answer me". Sighs of relief, and color of peaceful comfort returned to the man whom Fulton Sheen had questioned.) This of course is my memory, and it has always served me well. I thought I'd share a bit of his style of writing if you haven't read him. I too was a little girl who's family always had the black and white T.V. going in the front room. Fulton Sheen knew that WE are all Called to be Saints. Prayerful Blessings
Eleanor and Elaine Bersano
10 months ago
All followers of the wise Bishop Sheen should pray for his beatification and more.
This story about Little James is truly heart-warming! God bless him, his parents, and all who strived to save James and trusted in prayer and believed a miracle was possible!
This up-lifting, life-affirming story is the best news we have read about in a thousand days..
God bless, Praise the Lord Jesus,
Sisters: Eleanor and Elaine Bersano
Robert Burford
10 months ago
As a child in the 50's I remember the good bishops weekly TV show. He had an "angel" cleaning the blackboard. Isn't amazing that an entire nation could be revited by his teaching. Hopefully this little angel will grow up to be another teacher of God's word.
Zill
10 months ago
I am a great fan of Bishop Fulton Sheen and listen to his talks every Sunday evening on EWTN and have read some of his books. While thanking God for this wonderful miracle of James Fulton, it should encourage Americans as well as Catholics all over the world to pray for Bishop Sheen's intercession for the American people at this particular time to attain freedom of conscience and freedom to practice their religion which is in serious jeopardy.
terry
10 months ago
Glory Be To God.very touching story, made me cry.The power of Jesus thro' the saints is real.keep up the faith.ad may the Little James Grow up to Glorify The name of God and walk in the steps of the Arc.bishop.blessings
mikem
10 months ago
thanks so much for this. Now another miracle ! I think extending the prayer list to include so many other people is a very important part of the story. I would like the Deacon here to think about how real needs can be addressed by real people praying....how this site can help.?
Jerzy Gawor
10 months ago
Wonderful news!

We need Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be Canonized - truely a Saint for our times!

'God Bless you all!!!!'
kathy
10 months ago
Aw, what a wonderful article. God bless them all!
jh
10 months ago
I have always loved Archbishop Sheen, and by chance, was thinking of him this afternoon. He had mentioned in one of his talks, for the purpose of correction, the song, "I've Got to be Me." He said, "No,...we've got to be His."
Michael D. Mann
10 months ago
Maybe the Bishop is working overtime in heaven. Thank you God.

Last Friday, June 29,2012, I wrote a letter to our Archbishop here in Oregon, saying I thought to turn America's secular culture around we needed more American saints. Sunday I heard of Bishop Sheen's cause, it gave me a great sense of joy and hope, I wouldn't say a miracle but I would say a true blessing. So, thank Bishop Sheen for your intercessions! Please, continue to help us turn America's secular culture around and make America the kind of nation you envisioned and worked to build.

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