On a glass shelf in a small cabinet in the little Fulton Sheen museum, a few blocks from the cathedral in Peoria, Illinois, there sits a small blue medallion on a chain.
It’s the Patronal Medal, awarded by The Catholic University of America.
A placard says the medal was given to Blessed Fulton Sheen in 1975, “a yearly Catholic honor awarded for excellence in broadcasting.”
That’s not quite true, it turns out. And the medal actually has a more interesting story than what the placard suggests.
Credit: Pillar Media.The Patronal Medal was created in 1974 by The Catholic University of America. It later became a joint honor from the university and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which sits adjacent to it.
The medal – which bears a simple blue and white design – acknowledges efforts to further theology or devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is awarded at Mass at the basilica on or around December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
In 1975, CUA President Dr. Clarence Walton wrote about the creation of the award, “Ever since coming to The Catholic University of America six
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