Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is pictured in an undated file photo. (CNS)

A three-block section of N.E. Madison Avenue in Peoria from the Spalding Pastoral Center to St. Mary’s Cathedral will soon bear the honorary title of “Bishop Fulton Sheen Dr.”

The public is invited to a brief ceremony in front of the cathedral, 607 N.E. Madison, at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4, during which the new street signs will be blessed.

Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, and Coadjutor Bishop Louis Tylka are expected to be present, along with Msgr. Stanley Deptula, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation. Representing the City of Peoria will be Mayor Jim Ardis and Sid Ruckriegel, an at-large member of the City Council.

According to a Jan. 28 news release from the Diocese of Peoria, the honorary naming recognizes the impact of Venerable Archbishop Sheen both locally and around the world. Each year thousands of people visit his tomb in the cathedral.

Born in El Paso, Illinois, on May 8, 1895, Archbishop Sheen was raised in the neighborhood surrounding the cathedral and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria at St. Mary’s on Sept. 20, 1919. He would go on to worldwide prominence as he pioneered the use of communications technologies in service of the Gospel, including calls to care for the poor and those in mission lands.

His weekly television show, “Life is Worth Living, reached an audience of more than 30 million people.

Bishop Jenky opened his cause for canonization in 2002 and Archbishop Sheen was declared venerable in 2012 by Pope Benedict.

Four signs will be erected on Madison Avenue on the corners with Spalding, Bryon, Hancock and Green streets. The diocese expressed gratitude to the Peoria civic leaders who made the honorary recognition possible.

Those attending the dedication ceremony are asked to wear facemasks and follow social distancing protocols.