Newark, N.J., cathedral displaying items belonging to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen ahead of beatification

People in the Tri-State Area have the chance to get an up-close look at the relics of a saint.

Ahead of the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey, will be displaying items from his life and work.

"It's quite exciting for the church here in the U.S.," said Matthew Gonzalez, rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Sheen is most notably remembered for his pioneering work in using television to spread the word of God, dating back to the 1940s.

"He used that medium to reach hundreds of thousands of people by bringing the word of God, the treasuries of the church, to people at home," Gonzalez said.

Now, his chasuble, considered a second class-relic and one of the more divine items in the Catholic religion, opens the multi-day display in Newark.

The only thing more significant is a first-class relic, which is a physical body part of a saint.

"Now that Archbishop Sheen is being beatified, that vestment, the chasuble, is now considered a second-class relic for veneration," Gonzalez said.

Beatification is a major step toward sainthood in the Catholic Church, formally recognizing that someone is in Heaven, and garners the name "Blessed."

The high honor is linked to both Sheen's life's work for the church and a 2010 miracle when a stillborn infant with Sheen's namesake came to life 61 minutes after birth.

"To have Fulton Sheen here at the cathedral now, when people seem to be really looking for meaning and direction, I think it's a great blessing for those who might be visiting during these two weeks," Gonzalez said.

The display will run through Oct. 4. 

Though he was nationally known for his TV and radio shows, locally Sheen served as Auxiliary Bishop of New York and Bishop of Rochester during his lifetime.