Omahans celebrate beatification of close friend, Fulton J. Sheen

The story of an Omaha couple’s 23-year friendship with the newly beatified Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen began 70 years ago with an encounter in an elevator at a New York hospital.

That encounter, and the ensuing friendship, has had eternal repercussions ever since.

Lynn Watson, now a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha, had been raised as a Protestant and wanted to become Catholic before her marriage to her Catholic fiancé, Dr. Barrie Watson, an orthopedic surgeon.

On that fateful elevator ride at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, she asked the elevator operator if he knew of any Catholic priests who could instruct her in the faith. She had asked several, but they were too busy to help.

The elevator attendant didn’t have any suggestions for her by the time she reached her stop on the 11th floor, but he said he would keep her in mind. As it happened, the next person to enter the elevator was the then-auxiliary bishop of New York, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

Bishop Sheen, on his 9:30 p.m. elevator ride, said he was tired but agreed to stop and talk to the 11th-floor nurse.

He introduced himself, Lynn said, and told her to stop by his house on 38th Street the next night to begin instructions – and to bring along her fiancé.

The nurse had been scheduled to work but was able to get the night off. The bishop said that if she couldn’t make it, he would go to the hospital.

‘SPECIAL TIME’

For a year, the couple met with Bishop Sheen for instructions and would have dinner with him. A close friendship developed between them. Sometimes the couple would go with him to his television studio broadcasts.

“It was a super special time with him,” Lynn said in a recent telephone interview. “I can’t tell you how blessed we were to know him.”

Bishop Sheen told the Watsons that he wanted to officiate at their wedding. Lynn said “But Bishop, we’re going to be married in Canada.”

“He said ‘That’s OK. I’ll be in Rome the week before, but I’ll fly directly to Montreal to marry you.’”

Lynn and Dr. Barrie Watson mark a special occasion with Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, who officiated at their wedding. COURTESY PHOTO

“And for 23 years we were very close friends,” Lynn said. “He baptized all our children. He told me before we got married ‘You’re going to have six sons.’

“And I said ‘Really?’

“He said ‘Yes’ then named them Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul.”

And that’s exactly how the Watson family grew and how their six sons were named.

Blessed Fulton Sheen baptized all the boys and gave First Holy Communion to several of them.

‘HIGHLIGHT OF OUR LIVES’

Barrie and Lynn lived in New York City, then Armonk, New York. Nine years ago, they moved to Omaha to be near their youngest son, Dr. Paul Watson, and his family – who also are members of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish – and to be centrally located for their other sons who live elsewhere in the United States.

Barrie, now 97, and Lynn, 93, their six sons and their wives and several grandchildren worshiped together at the Sept. 24 beatification in St. Louis. The group of about 20 was seated on the floor of The Dome at America’s Center.

To see their friend beatified “was the highlight of our lives,” Lynn said. “It was absolutely magnificent.

“When you walked into that dome, you could just feel the Holy Spirit there with all those people, thousands of people. And then to see the 2,500 clergy marching in, all the nuns.”

People from nations around the world were there. “It was so beautiful to see,” Lynn said. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it was. I still think about it,” she said a week after the beatification.

“Whenever we were in his presence, we always felt that we were very close to God,” she said, reflecting on their friendship with Blessed Fulton Sheen. “He was very spiritual but also had a great sense of humor,” she said.

“He always had a joke to tell and had a very hearty laugh. He was larger than life.”

INTELLIGENT & INSPIRED

The Watsons kept in regular contact with their bishop friend over the years. He would visit and send letters, telegrams or gifts for special occasions, like their wedding anniversary.

At their home, he would sit on the floor with their young boys, teaching them and telling stories. Once, Lynn remembers, he taught them about elephants.

She asked him: “How do you know so much about elephants?”

He said he read about them when he was a child. Lynn said she was amazed that he could remember so much. His memory was sharp, she said, maybe even photographic.

“He was a very, very smart man,” Lynn said. “He was so intelligent.”

“I remember the first time I went to the broadcast with him. We walked to the broadcast from his house, and I said ‘How can you do this, give this whole hour talk without any notes or anything at all?’

“He said “It’s my Holy Hour (the time he spent every day before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament). God gives me all the words that I need.’”

LIKE FAMILY

The Watsons were there for significant moments in Archbishop Sheen’s life, too, including a celebration for his 50th jubilee as a priest. They also were there for his December 1979 funeral at St. Patrick Cathedral in New York City.

Bishop Edward T. O’Meara, a close friend of both the Watsons and Archbishop Sheen, served as the homilist at the funeral. He had asked the Watsons to carry the gifts to the altar during the funeral.

Barrie hesitated and asked if Fulton Sheen’s family should be given the honor. But Bishop O’Meara told the Watsons “You are his family,” an answer that deeply touched the couple, who had spent so much time with their friend, Archbishop Sheen.

Over the years, the Watsons collected memorabilia from their friendship and have donated it to the Fulton J. Sheen Museum in Peoria, Illinois, where he was ordained a priest.

Lynn made a book with copies of the letters, telegrams and photographs they had received from the famous prelate, broadcaster and evangelist.

She said she has “stories, wonderful stories” to share about Blessed Fulton Sheen.

“We were totally blessed to be a friend of his for 23 years,” Lynn said.

“He was such fun to be around,” Barrie added.

“He really was,” Lynn said. “He always had a joke, a hearty laugh and a big smile. And he was always glad to see us. It was just a wonderful relationship.”

“I think God’s going to enjoy having him there” in Heaven, Barrie said.