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CV NEWS FEED // Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a beloved Catholic bishop and pioneering media evangelist, is among many prominent Catholics selected to be honored in the National Garden of American Heroes.
The garden was established by an executive order President Donald Trump signed in 2021, with the goal of creating a statuary park dedicated to honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to America’s history and culture. Although the initiative was halted by the Biden Administration, Trump reinstated the project following his reelection.
“We’re going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country,” Trump said about the project at the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast. “We’re not going to be tearing down, we’re going to be building up.”
The project was launched in response to what the President described as recent efforts to dismantle America’s history and national identity through the destruction of monuments dedicated to figures such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr.
The National Garden aims to counteract this trend by preserving and celebrating the legacies of individuals who helped shape the nation. The goal is to complete the project by July 4, 2026, in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Ven. Archbishop Sheen, whose influential radio and television programs brought Catholic teachings into American homes during the mid-20th century, is widely recognized for his role in making the Catholic faith accessible to millions.
The Archbishop is one of several Catholic religious figures set to be featured in the garden, including St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint and founder of the Catholic school system; St. Junípero Serra, the Spanish missionary who founded California’s missions; St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint; and Ven. Augustus Tolton, the first recognized African American Catholic priest in the United States.
Other figures include St. John Neumann, who expanded Catholic education in America; St. Katharine Drexel, who dedicated her life and fortune to serving marginalized communities; Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States; and Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.
“[E]ach individual has been chosen for embodying the American spirit of daring and defiance, excellence and adventure, courage and confidence, loyalty and love,” Trump said in his executive order. “Astounding the world by the sheer power of their example, each one of them has contributed indispensably to America’s noble history, the best chapters of which are still to come.”
Also set to be featured in the garden are John P. Washington, a Catholic priest known for his heroism during World War II, and Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and author whose works continue to influence contemporary spirituality.
The garden will also honor Catholics whose work shaped American society beyond the Church. Among them are John F. Kennedy, the nation’s first Catholic president; and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a champion of religious freedom.
Clare Boothe Luce, a playwright, congresswoman, and U.S. ambassador who became a prominent Catholic intellectual, will also be honored in the garden. Following the tragic death of her only child in 1944, Luce sought spiritual guidance from Ven. Archbishop Sheen, whose counsel on grief, faith, and the search for meaning ultimately led to her conversion to Catholicism in 1946.
The list of American heroes also includes pro-life advocate Nellie Gray, founder of the March for Life, and Christopher Columbus, whose voyages helped spread Catholicism to the Americas.
In the realm of sports, the garden will feature Catholic figures such as baseball legend Roberto Clemente, football coach Vince Lombardi, and NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. The garden also honors Frank Capra, the acclaimed Catholic film director behind “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
>> Why Isn’t Fulton Sheen a ‘Blessed’ Yet? <<
