The day after the beatification of Blessed Fulton Sheen, hundreds gathered in Peoria, Illinois, for the first-ever Sheen Awards Gala, hosted by the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation. Bishop Robert Barron received the inaugural Evangelization Impact Award for his willingness to proclaim Christ in the culture. As Jonathan Roumie put it, “That willingness to enter the rooms where people are already listening is evangelization in the spirit of Fulton Sheen.”
Evangelization is the central work of the Church. Great evangelists—from St. Paul to Blessed Fulton Sheen—have understood and embodied this mission, using every tool at their disposal. The Sheen Awards honored leaders across seven media and ministry categories:
- Evangelization Impact Award: Bishop Robert Barron
- Radio and Podcast Impact Award: Katie McGrady
- Television and Streaming Impact Award: Jonathan Roumie
- Innovation Impact Award: Hallow
- Digital Creator Impact Award: Paul J. Kim
- Mission and Humanitarian Impact Award: Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States
- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Lifetime Achievement Award: Mother Angelica
Blessed Sheen inspired much of the mission of Word on Fire.