A Baby Born Without a Pulse. Sixty-One Minutes. A Family That Prayed.
The miracle approved for Fulton Sheen's beatification is the recovery of James Fulton Engstrom, a boy born stillborn in September 2010 near Peoria, Illinois. He had no detectable pulse for 61 minutes. His parents, Bonnie and Travis Engstrom, prayed for the intercession of Fulton Sheen. The boy lived, with no lasting physical or mental impairment. In July 2019, Pope Francis approved the recovery as a miracle through Sheen's intercession.
| The Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Child's name | James Fulton Engstrom |
| Parents | Bonnie and Travis Engstrom |
| Date of birth | September 2010, near Peoria, Illinois |
| Hospital | OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois |
| Time without pulse | 61 minutes, with no detectable heartbeat |
| Intercessor invoked | Venerable Fulton Sheen, to whom the family had a devotion |
| Outcome | Full recovery; no lasting physical or mental impairment |
| Miracle approved | July 2019, by Pope Francis |
| What it cleared | Sheen's beatification — the step required before canonization |
When a Birth Became an Emergency
In September 2010, Bonnie Engstrom delivered her son James at home near Peoria, Illinois. He was born without a pulse and was not breathing. Emergency responders rushed him to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, the same city where Sheen had been ordained almost a century before.
At the hospital, the medical team worked to revive him. Minute after minute went by with no heartbeat. By every ordinary measure, it was over. The staff began preparing to declare him stillborn.
Sixty-One Minutes
As the doctors worked, the family and those around them prayed, asking for the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen. The Engstroms had a devotion to him. They had even given their son his name.
For 61 minutes, James had no detectable pulse. Then, with no medical explanation, his heart started beating. The team had not expected it. They had been moments from stopping.
Sixty-one minutes. The number alone says what the rest of the investigation would confirm.
The Boy Who Lived
A child with no pulse for that long would normally suffer severe, permanent damage. James did not. He grew into a healthy boy, with no physical or mental impairment tied to the event.
That is the part the Church examines so closely. It is not enough for something good to happen. The recovery has to be medically unexplainable and theologically tied to the intercession that was actually asked for. James Engstrom's case cleared both bars.
How the Church Investigated It
A tribunal of inquiry was sworn in to investigate the healing. Medical experts went through the records to determine whether any natural cause could explain the recovery. Theologians examined whether the prayers offered were specifically directed to Sheen's intercession.
The documentation was sealed and sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican. After years of review, in July 2019, Pope Francis approved the miracle. That approval is what cleared Sheen for beatification.
| Stage of Investigation | Who Conducted It | What Was Examined |
|---|---|---|
| Local tribunal | Diocese of Peoria | Medical records, witness testimony, nature of the prayers offered |
| Medical review | Expert physicians | Whether any natural explanation existed for the recovery |
| Theological review | Vatican theologians | Whether the recovery was tied to Sheen's intercession specifically |
| Final approval | Pope Francis, July 2019 | Recognition of the event as a verified miracle through Sheen's intercession |
Why This Story Stays With People
The Engstrom miracle puts a human face on a cause that had spent years advancing through the Church's careful process of review. A family prayed in the worst hour of their lives, asked a holy bishop to intercede, and watched their son come back.
It also tells you what kind of intercessor Sheen is believed to be. He spent his earthly life pulling souls toward Christ. The Church believes he is still doing that work from Heaven, and the recovery of James Fulton Engstrom is the sign she has accepted as proof.
Honor the Man Behind the Miracle
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<img src="IMAGE_CDN_URL" alt="Bishop Fulton Sheen Beatification Rosary — official rosary made with the Diocese of Peoria by The Catholic Woodworker" />
<figcaption>The Official Bishop Fulton Sheen Beatification Rosary, handcrafted by The Catholic Woodworker</figcaption>
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Sheen's intercession is credited with bringing a stillborn boy back to life. A rosary is a fitting way to honor him and to ask his prayers in your own life. We made the official rosary for his beatification with the Diocese of Peoria, numbered, with a certificate of authenticity. Pre-orders open June 15, 2026.
Final Thoughts
The Engstrom family named their son after Fulton Sheen and prayed to him on the night James had no pulse. The Church spent years examining what happened next. In July 2019, the answer was formal and clear. The recovery of James Fulton Engstrom is the miracle that will bring Sheen to beatification. He spent his life leading souls to Christ. The Church believes he has not stopped.
Content produced for The Catholic Woodworker · catholicwoodworker.com
