PEORIA, Ill. (AP) -- The Diocese of Peoria is seeking sainthood for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who pioneered religion on television with his 1950s broadcasts of ``Life Is Worth Living.''
Sheen died in 1979 at age 84.
The campaign to canonize Sheen began Monday when papers were delivered to the Vatican, Bishop Daniel Jenky said. The Vatican will study all of Sheen's writings, including 60 books, and examine any miraculous healings attributed to him.
If the campaign succeeds, Sheen could become the first American male saint.
Sheen hosted ``Life Is Worth Living'' from 1952 to 1957, speaking on a variety of theological and social issues. He also had a popular radio show and wrote a newspaper column.
Sheen was ordained in Peoria in 1919. He became bishop of Rochester, N.Y., in the 1960s and was elevated to archbishop before retiring in 1969.
He is buried beneath the high altar in the crypt of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.