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Views from the Choir Loft

Bishop Sheen Speaks

Fr. David Friel · September 7, 2014

LONG WITH MANY OTHER devotees of the good Archbishop Sheen, I am disheartened by the events of this past week. Not only am I disappointed that work on the cause for his canonization has been stalled, but I am further embarrassed by the inter-diocesan squabbling that has the public appearance of pettiness. I have no desire to enter the fray that has ensued; instead, I would like to commandeer the occasion to share some great thoughts on preaching from the man whose canonization I still hope to attend someday.

Sheen was, without a doubt, one of the greatest evangelists of the twentieth century. His incomparable blend of superior academic prowess and spellbinding preaching style makes him well worthy of study. One day in 1979—the last year of his remarkable life—Sheen gave a collection of off-the-cuff reflections about public speaking to a religious sister at a restaurant in New York City. The following is drawn from notes that the sister frantically scrawled as she listened to him:

1. Voice tone: Plato recalls tone three or four days after hearing a talk. It’s the tonal quality that strikes an audience.

2. When listening to a speaker, count the words on each breath. Indicate each word by a dash, and each pause by a stroke. If it’s – / – /, it’s dull, flat and stale.

3. Avoid a pulpit voice. Be natural. As Disraeli said, “There’s no index of character as sure as voice.”

4. Learn the value of pauses. Never for their own sake, but for emphasis or to allow the thought to sink into the audience. They need time for digestion.

5. A whisper can have more value than a shout. Macaulay said of Pitt, “Even a whisper of his was heard in the remotest corner of the House of Commons.”

6. If there’s a commotion, disturbance, or latecomers, do not raise the voice; lower it and the audience will try to catch the whisper.

7. The audience is infallible in judging if a voice is artificial or natural.

8. Let a first sentence be interesting. Do not state the obvious, e.g. “Today we celebrate a 25th anniversary.”

9. Only nervous speakers need water.

10. If brevity is the soul of wit, the secret of oratory is “know when to quit.”

11. Before beginning, pause a few moments. As a mother cannot forget the child of her womb, we can’t forget the child of our brain.

12. Start with a low voice.

13. Audience needs a come-on; feel superior, not timid or obsequious.

14. To begin with, have a story where you came out second best.

Summary
1. Talk naturally.
2. Plead vehemently.
3. Whisper confidently.
4. Appeal plaintively.
5. Proclaim distinctly.
6. Pray constantly.

(Taken from Thomas C. Reeves, America’s Bishop: The Life and Times of Fulton J. Sheen (San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2001), pp. 381-382.

My love for Bishop Sheen stretches back to high school, when I first read his book, Calvary and the Mass. It is no exaggeration to say that this book changed my life. Later, listening to his cassette tapes in my car led to my adult acceptance of the faith in which I had been routinely raised. I consider him a friend, a teacher, and an intercessor. I shall continue to pray for his beatification & canonization.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Bishop Fulton J Sheen, Evangelization Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Many declare that Vatican Council II brought about a true springtime in the Church. Nevertheless, a growing number of Church leaders see this “springtime” as a rejection, a renunciation of her centuries-old heritage, or even as a radical questioning of her past and Tradition. Political Europe is rebuked for abandoning or denying its Christian roots; but the first to have abandoned her Christian roots and past is indisputably the post-conciliar Catholic Church.

— ‘Pope Francis’ Chief Liturgist (31 March 2017)’

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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