ST. LOUIS — As their whirlwind pilgrimage comes to a close, seminarians from Sacred Heart Major Seminary are reflecting on the beatification of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen as they make the 11-hour bus ride back to Detroit today.

More photos: See more photos from the seminarians' pilgrimage

Two buses with 83 seminarians and seven priests from Sacred Heart departed early Wednesday morning for the beatification Mass in St. Louis. The seminarians represent the Archdiocese of Detroit, the dioceses of Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gary, Saginaw and Gaylord, the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle, and the religious communities of the Companions of the Cross, the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), and Pro Ecclesia Sancta. 

On the way, the group stopped in Peoria, Illinois, to pray at the tomb of Blessed Sheen, who spent most of his childhood there and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria in 1919. 

“There was a huge line of people at the cathedral to visit his tomb, and you could just see their devotion to him and their excitement that he was being beatified,” said Brendan Tabone, a seminarian from St. Genevieve-St. Maurice Parish in Livonia in formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit. “Being there, it was clear he impacted so many people.”

The seminarians also visited a museum dedicated to Blessed Sheen’s life at the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria before continuing their journey to St. Louis.

For the beatification Mass on Thursday, all seminarians in attendance — more than 800 in number from across the country — were invited to be part of the procession at the Dome at America’s Center.

“It was surreal to be on the floor in the dome and see so many seminarians and priests all in one place, and Mass with tens of thousands of people,” Tabone told Detroit Catholic. 

Being among so many pilgrims also made an impression on fellow Detroit seminarian Christian Pulido. Like Tabone, he was unable to attend Blessed Solanus Casey’s beatification Mass in Detroit in 2017 and felt blessed by the opportunity to attend Blessed Sheen’s beatification.

“It’s amazing to see the Church in America growing and to see so much hope in the Lord,” said Pulido, from St. Francis d'Assisi-St. Hedwig Parish in Detroit. “It was extraordinary to be part of that and to think of the grace that the Lord gave us yesterday, reminding us that sainthood is the way.”

Tabone was moved by the beatification rite during the Mass. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect in the Holy See's Dicastery for Evangelization, celebrated the Mass, with a first-class relic of Archbishop Sheen — a piece of his jawbone — displayed in a reliquary.

“The actual beatification moment during the Mass was very special. I got chills when they unveiled (Blessed Sheen’s) image after they declared him Blessed,” Tabone said. “I found that moment to be extremely powerful. It just felt glorious.”

In his homily, Cardinal Tagle shared Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter declaring Archbishop Sheen blessed, in which the pope called the 20th century evangelizer "a tireless preacher of the Gospel through the modern means of communication, and a diligent shepherd animated by missionary zeal."

Pulido was inspired by a story Cardinal Tagle shared about being hesitant to touch a leper when he was serving in Uganda, and then realizing he was called to serve the poor without personal barriers.

“I found that story to be a powerful reminder that, if I’m a priest one day, the words I preach should be reflected in my actions,” Pulido said. “That’s what it means to be a saint. That’s what Jesus calls us to do, to see His wounds in the poor.”

While working in accounting before entering the seminary, Tabone read Blessed Sheen’s book, "A Priest Is Not His Own," and learned of Blessed Sheen’s commitment to a daily holy hour. Tabone began going to adoration more regularly, eventually making it a daily habit. 

“That holy hour was a huge part of my discernment to enter seminary,” Tabone said. “And so if I’m a priest one day, I’ll always be faithful to the holy hour, and everything I do will flow from that relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.” 

Pulido looks to Blessed Sheen’s example as well, particularly his willingness to speak boldly about the love and truth Jesus Christ reveals. 

“He was courageous in his words, and I want to imitate that if I’m a priest, God willing. You don’t believe something because it feels good; you believe it because it’s true,” Pulido said. “And like him, I want to preach on our call to greatness, our call to holiness. Our life is worth living because we can be holy and we can be with God one day eternally. That brings joy to the heart.”

Both seminarians say they will always remember this special time together with their brother seminarians, and the unique experience of attending the beatification Mass of an American archbishop during their formation. During their bus ride, they prayed and reflected together on Blessed Sheen’s life and on his love of the priesthood. 

“Spending this time with them was very fraternal, very edifying,” Tabone said. “You need each other in this life of seminary, and to have brothers who have the same vision and example is a great blessing.”

Of the many insights he has gained and will continue to draw from the pilgrimage, Pulido takes heart in the realization that “we’re all pilgrims heading toward heaven wherever we are,” be it in our diocese or as missionaries. He is grateful to Blessed Sheen for bringing the Body of Christ together.

“For me, it’s been formative in that I have this great model in everything I do,” Pulido said. “We’ve all gained a great model of holiness.”