Fr. Tomaszycki, editor of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s posthumous book, says late evangelist's wisdom needed more than ever
MOUNT CLEMENS — The Sept. 24 beatification of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis will be a national celebration for the country, witnessing the fifth American-born man to be beatified.
The beatification of the American “television evangelist” will be a blessed occasion for the estimated 75,000 people in attendance, but for one priest from the Archdiocese of Detroit, it will be an extra special one.
Fr. Dave Tomaszycki, who serves at St. Peter Parish in Mount Clemens, has been an admirer of the venerable archbishop since his time studying at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and in 2024, published a book, "On the Demonic," compiled from Archbishop Sheen's writings.
Fr. Tomaszycki was just getting settled into his new assignment at St. Peter when he got the news that one of his spiritual heroes was set to be beatified.
“I mean, it’s really cool,” Fr. Tomaszycki told Detroit Catholic. “Just being in Detroit, we have Blessed Solanus Casey, and in Europe, there are saints all over, but in America, there are not. We have a few American blesseds, especially for men, so to have one more is huge for the country.”
Archbishop Sheen, who served as an auxiliary bishop of New York from 1951-66 and later as bishop of Rochester from 1966-69, is well-known for his NBC radio program “The Catholic Hour” (1930-1950) and his television program “Life Is Worth Living” (1952-57), where he gained notoriety as one of the country's first televangelists.
At its peak, “Life is Worth Living” was the most watched television program in the country, an impact people today would have a hard time imagining, Fr. Tomaszycki said.
“I think we have a hard time understanding how big he was,” Fr. Tomaszycki said. “TV and just media in general wasn't what it is today. Decades ago there were only four channels, and now with podcasts and an infinite number of channels, it’s really hard for one show to capture all of America.”
Fr. Tomaszycki spent years organizing and reviewing Archbishop Sheen’s writings on the demonic for the book he compiled, “On The Demonic.” In going through his writings, Fr. Tomaszycki got a more complete picture of the famed preacher.
“A lot of people still know him from his TV show, and his TV show is really good, which made him very, very famous, but I think his writing is better,” Fr. Tomaszycki said. “His TV show was not specifically Catholic; it was a philosophy show, kind of like street philosophy. But when you actually read his writings, his spiritual writings, I think they’re actually at least a step better than his TV show. If you read his book, ‘Life of Christ,’ that is his best book. You’ll see how this man knew Jesus, and the book will help you know Jesus, too.”
Archbishop Sheen’s beatification is a chance to look into other aspects of his spirituality and religious practices, Fr. Tomaszycki said, particularly how much he valued Eucharistic adoration.
“His thing was the holy hour, praying a holy hour every single day, and if you can do that, it’s mission accomplished,” Fr. Tomaszycki said. “Fulton Sheen knew he wasn’t God; he knew people needed to get in touch with God, so when people went to him for advice or insight, he’d point them to the altar, point them toward Jesus and to pray in the presence of Jesus.”
God creates saints for the times in which they are needed, and Fr. Tomaszycki said in 2026, with much of the world consumed with an endless cycle of news and a barrage of social media, now is a perfect time for the Church to recognize a pioneer in media evangelization.
“Fulton Sheen was around for some wild times, with (Pope St. Paul VI's 1968 encyclical) Humanae Vitae coming out and all this confusion in the Church,” Fr. Tomaszycki said. “Fulton Sheen was able to navigate that marvelously and really stay with the Church."
Archbishop Sheen's message is still as relevant today as it was back then, Fr. Tomaszycki said.
“If you fast forward to today, much of what he said really hasn’t gone out of style. And by the 1990s, there was a resurgence in interest in what he said back in the '60s. A younger generation of priests came across his material and was inspired by him — I know I was,” Fr. Tomaszycki said.
Of the 68 books Archbishop Sheen wrote, Fr. Tomaszycki cites "Life of Christ" as essential reading, but he also recommends his autobiography, "Treasure in Clay," which was published the year he died.
Fr. Tomaszycki is set to join fellow admirers of Archbishop Sheen at the beatification on Sept. 24 in St. Louis. After being on hand in 2017 for the beatification of Blessed Solanus Casey at Ford Field, Fr. Tomaszycki knows how blessed an occasion it will be.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Fr. Tomaszycki said. “I feel I know Archbishop Sheen in a little more intimate way. I never met him, but I never met Fr. Solanus Casey, either. I've read the vast majority of his works, and I've wrestled with his works for years. I know his thoughts very, very well, so it'll be a little personal for me. Fulton Sheen played a huge part in my formation in seminary, so just to be there at the beatification will be a tremendous honor.”
