By Howard Packowitz
PEORIA – The remains of famed Archbishop Fulton Sheen of El Paso appear to be headed to Peoria, from his current resting place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
The Diocese of Peoria issued a news release Sunday celebrating a ruling from New York’s highest court, rejecting what appeared to be the Archdiocese of New York’s final appeal of earlier court decisions — all favoring the transfer of Sheen’s remains to Peoria’s St. Mary’s Cathedral.
The local diocese also welcomed reports that the Archdiocese is willing to end the three year legal battle.
An Archdiocese spokesperson told the Catholic News Agency that it was a “solemn obligation” to uphold Sheen’s last wishes, as directed in his Will, to be buried in New York.
The Archdiocese said Sheen’s niece and closest living relative, Joan Sheen Cunningham, had only recently changed her position and requested his remains be moved to a shrine at Peoria’s St. Mary’s Cathedral.
According to the report, Cunningham now believes her uncle would have wanted to be interred in Peoria if he knew it would help advance his cause for sainthood.
St. Mary’s in Peoria is where Sheen was ordained as a priest 100 years ago. He died in 1979.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
