Parish Talks
Friday, September 25
Join us for an inspiring series of parish talks exploring the life, wisdom, and enduring legacy of Fulton Sheen. Led by knowledgeable speakers and Sheen experts, these presentations will help you deepen your faith and discover why his message continues to resonate with Catholics today.
No tickets are required for these talks but we ask that you RSVP to help us with planning.
St. Jude
10811 Knoxville Ave, Peoria, IL 61615
9:30 AM
Blessed Fulton Sheen on Scripture and Spiritual Warfare – Dr. John Bergsma & Fr. Dave Tomaszycki
12:30 PM
Blessed Fulton Sheen on Scripture and Spiritual Warfare – Dr. John Bergsma & Fr. Dave Tomaszycki
St. Philomena
1000 W Albany Ave, Peoria, IL 61604
11:00 AM
61 Minutes to a Miracle: The Story Behind Fulton Sheen’s Miracle –
Bonnie Engstrom
St. Thomas the Apostle
904 E Lake Ave, Peoria Heights, IL 61616
12:30 PM
Fulton Sheen and the American Century: Fully Catholic and Fully American – Dr. Seth Smith
2:30 PM
The Legacy of Fulton Sheen in the American Catholic Community in the Age of AI – Dr. Richard Howick
OUR SPEAKERS
Seth R. Smith, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor of History and Vice Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Catholic University of America.
Richard K. Howick, Ph.D, M.A., MEd., M.Div.
Director of the Fulton J. Sheen Excellence in Preaching Initiative at Catholic University of America in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Doctor Howick earned his doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of California Riverside, where he also received his Master of Arts degree. His Master of Education was from GCU, and his Master of Divinity earned at the Graduate Theological Union.
Fr. Dave Tomaszycki
Fr. Tomaszycki is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit. While studying at Ave Maria University and discerning the priesthood, he became a huge fan of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in 2009 through reading Sheen’s Life of Christ. From that point onward, Fr. Tomaszycki couldn’t get enough of Sheen. In 2016, Fr. Tomaszycki was ordained a priest. He has served at a number of parishes within the Archdiocese of Detroit, he has served as the secretary to the Archbishop of Detroit, and he currently serves as the pastor of St. Peter’s in Mount Clemens, Michigan.
Dr. John Bergsma
Dr. John Bergsma is the Vice President of Mission at the St. Paul Center and a Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He holds the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Theology (Th.M.) degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001. Dr. Bergsma went on to earn his doctorate (Ph.D) in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, with specialization in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004.
Bonnie Engstrom
Bonnie L. Engstrom lives with her eight children and husband in central Illinois. A former contributor to Blessed Is She, Bonnie likes to bake, garden, and volunteer at her parish. Her book, 61 Minutes to a Miracle, tells the story of her son's miracle at birth, which was investigated by the Vatican and confirmed for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Published by OSV, it has been translated into Polish, Italian, and Slovak. Her children's book, Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week, is the retelling of true stories from Archbishop Sheen's childhood and is beautifully illustrated by artist Mariam Khoury Briggs. It is published by Emmaus Road Publishing.
