Sheen was born in El Paso and lived in the Peoria, Ill.-area before receiving ordination as a priest and moving East for additional education and a clerical career. But apparently he also loved trains.
The Pantagraph newspaper reports that the caboose came from a local, private, collection and that the caboose is meant to evoke Sheen’s fondness for railroads.
The only heritage given for the caboose is that it dates from 1953. It appears to be painted white and has a standard cupola. The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Spiritual Center plans to use the caboose as a multi-purpose room.
Sheen was born in 1895 and died in 1979. After becoming a priest, he was later ordained a bishop in New York City, and served as bishop of Rochester, N.Y. He won an Emmy Award in 1953 for Most Outstanding Personality. Officials in Illinois and New York have been promoting Sheen to be declared a saint.
I wonder if there’s any footage, film or video, out there of Archbishop Sheen doing the railfan thing? Might be interesting to see.
Curtis – All correct. Good post. Unfortunately I was too young in 1953 to know what was happening or who the Archbishop was.
Fulton Sheen was the Roman church’s riposte to the Protestant church’s dominance of the airwaves, a telegenic, charismatic, “high collar” clergyman with classic Irish features. Winning an “Emmy” in 1953 marked both early television and glorious train travel.
Not to be confused with another Irishman from El Paso who asked a cow to wax his caboose.
Daniel – We here in our Archdiocese would gladly load our retired archbishop into a caboose and send him off. But no one else will take him. We are stuck with him.
Roman Catholic clergyman and a caboose? Sounds about right.
Charles, I only remember Archbishop Sheen from one occasion. I was eight, maybe nine years old and he was making an appearance on the “Jackie Gleason Show.” He spoke for about five minutes. I don’t remember what he said, I probably didn’t understand what he was talking about anyway, but after he was finished and was getting a roaring ovation from the audience Gleason came out with tears in his eyes and hugged him. It seemed like Jackie didn’t want to let go either!
I’ve never forgotten that. Like I said, a remarkable man.
Wayne, I was too young to appreciate Archbishop Sheen at the time but I’ve found out about him later.
I had no idea he was from El Paso or that he loved trains.
I know who Archbishop Sheen was, but had only a vague memory, so I went looking for him on You Tube. Found him too.
What a remarkable man. I’ll say no more. Go looking for him yourselves.