Fulton Sheen’s Secret to Evangelization

Today I’m over at Ignitum Today revealing Venerable Fulton Sheen’s secret to evangelization:
 

“Who was the greatest Catholic evangelist of the twentieth century? To me it’s no contest: Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. Some might argue for Pope John Paul II, who had a bigger impact on the world. Others might claim Mother Teresa, whose smile and sari were certainly more recognizable. But in terms of evangelization, I don’t think anyone drew more people into the Church than Sheen.
 
His success was due in large part to his mastery of new media. In his day that meant radio and television. In 1930, Sheen launched his “Catholic Hour” radio show. It broadcast globally on over 100 stations and reached more than 7 million listeners. In 1951, he moved to television, where his popular “Life Is Worth Living” show drew in over 30 million people each week.
 
The show also generated more than 20,000 personal letters written daily to Sheen, many of which he answered himself. Through his mail correspondence and personal instruction, he helped thousands of people enter the Church and countless others further into it. In fact, my own spiritual director is one of them. He’s an 89-year-old, self-described “Sheen-fiend” who credits Sheen with inspiring him to become a priest.
 
What made Sheen so successful? He of course had charisma, wit, and intelligence, but what strategies did he use to draw people to Christ?”

Read the rest here.