American radio and television personality and Roman Catholic priest Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) was beatified on September 24, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri. A miracle that was attributed to his intercession was approved by Pope Francis in 2019. However, his beatification ceremony was postponed because of allegations of his having mishandled a sexual abuse accusation against another priest and a dispute over his remains. Investigations by church and New York state authorities cleared him of wrongdoing, and his beatification was approved for 2026.
Beatification essentially declares the person “Blessed” and is the second step toward canonization as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Sheen is the first American-born bishop to be beatified.