Sheen family trying to bring archbishop's remains to Peoria

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - Relatives of Illinois-born Archbishop Fulton Sheen have taken a step they say is key in re-launching an effort to have him canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Peoria Diocese announced this week Sheen's family agreed to file paperwork in New York to move his remains from St. Patrick's Cathedral to Peoria's St. Mary's Cathedral.

The Journal Star in Peoria reports (http://bit.ly/1USojca ) Joan Sheen Cunningham, Sheen's 88-year-old niece, filed the petition, which also has the support of her siblings.

In 2014, the refusal of the Archdiocese of New York to permit the transfer of Sheen's remains led the Peoria Diocese to suspend its push for Sheen's sainthood.

The New York archdiocese now says Sheen's remains could go to Peoria for any beatification ceremony and then be returned to New York.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com