On Oct. 6, 1969, Bishop Fulton Sheen made the surprising announcement that he had resigned as the bishop of Rochester, New York, after three difficult years as shepherd over an unruly flock in a post he never truly wanted. He was 74 at the time, a year shy of the traditional retirement age for bishops.
In recognition of the immensity of his achievements for the Church, Pope St. Paul VI named him to the honorific rank of archbishop of the titular see of Newport, Wales. The resignation seemed, to some observers, confirmation that Archbishop Sheen’s brilliant career as a communicator, preacher and cultural icon had entered an irretrievable decline.
Such may have been the opinion of the ecclesiastical smart set, but the rest of the Catholic world had a very different opinion.
With his customary wit, he declared at the time of his resignation, “I am not retiring, only retreading.” He proved the claim true, as in the next years he embraced a rigorous schedule of domestic and international travel, preaching, giving retreats for priests, writing and fundraising whenever he could and wherever he was welcome. One place that greeted him with almost rapturous joy was Hawaii.
Archbishop Sheen made
