Saint John Henry Newman

John Henry Newman was an important figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century. Originally an Oxford academic, he was ordained priest in the Church of England in 1824 and became a leader in the Oxford Movement along side others like Edward Bouverie Pusey and John Keeble.

This influential grouping of Anglicans wished to return the Church of England, and indeed the Anglican Communion in general, back to its Catholic beliefs and forms of worship. The Oxford Movement had a strong influence in Scotland and on the Scottish Episcopal Church as it emerged from the years of oppression it suffered under the Penal Laws.

It inspired men like Bishop Forbes in Brechin and Bishop Eden in the Highlands as well as, in 1862, Fr John Comper at St Margaret's in the Gallowgate in Abderdeen in 1862 to bring a group of Religious Sisters up from Dr John Mason Neale's pioneering community at East Grinstead, to establish the Community of St Margaret of Scotland, to work amongst the poor of Aberdeen.

Newman left the Church of England in 1845 and converted to Roman Catholicism. During his time of study for the priesthood in Rome, Newman visited the Oratory of St Philip Neri. This gave him the idea of reviving plans to found an Oratory in England as a community of secular priests living under a rule, but not vows, to combine pastoral and educational work. Newman was, in 1848, confirmed as the superior of the Birmingham Oratory.

Newman worked tirelessly for the faith and was made a Cardinal by the new Pope, Leo XIII, in 1879. From the later part of 1886 Newman's health began to fail, and he celebrated Mass for the last time on Christmas Day 1889. On 11th August 1890 he died of pneumonia at the Birmingham Oratory. At his funeral, the pall over the coffin bore his Cardinal's motto Cor ad cor loquitur - Heart speaks to heart.

During Newman's lifetime there were many who regarden him as a saint. However, the Birminham Oratory, bearing in mind the words of St Philip Neri, to love to be unknown, that was so dear to Newman himself, refused to push his cause. The first mention of this came in 1941 from an American Dominican. Newman was eventually declared Venerable in 1991 by Pope John Paul II and his beatification was officially proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI on 19th September 2010 at the Sunday Mass in Birmingham during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Nearly two centuries ago, John Henry Newman was England’s most well-known Anglican priest, until he risked everything to become a Catholic. Now he has become a Saint. Pope Francis declared Cardinal John Henry Newman a Saint on Sunday 11th October 2020 in St Peter’s Square. In his homily Pope Francis told the thousands in St Peter's Square that "the ultimate goal is not health or wellness, but the encounter with Jesus ... He alone frees us from evil and heals our hearts. Only an encounter with him can save, can make life full and beautiful." Pope Francis officially recognised John Henry Newman, Mariam Thresia, Marguerite Bays, Giuseppina Vannini, and Dulce Lopes as Saints. The canonization was attended by Prince Charles along with the Ordinaries and members of the three Ordinariates, and in particular priests, deacons and laity from Scotland, England and Wales. Delegates from the Church of England were also present.

Pope Francis said, "Today we give thanks to the Lord for our new Saints. They walked by faith and now we invoke their intercession." He concluded his homily by quoting Saint John Henry Newman who described the holiness of daily life in these words: "The Christian has a deep, silent, hidden peace, which the world sees not... The Christian is cheerful, easy, kind, gentle, courteous, candid, unassuming; has no pretence... with so little that is unusual or striking in his bearing, that he may easily be taken at first sight for an ordinary man."

Pope Leo XIV made St John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church on All Saints' Day 2025, a title awarded to Saints whose teachings significantly contribute to the understanding of the faith. Newman is the 38th person to receive this honour and the first British individual in the last 1,000 years. The title "Doctor of the Church" signifies a profound impact on theology and spirituality. Newman's writings cover various aspects of faith, making him a pivotal figure in both Catholic and Anglican traditions. His teachings continue to resonate today, addressing contemporary issues of faith and reason.

Let us ask God to be like that, said Pope Francis, "'kindly lights' amid the encircling gloom".

Saint John Henry Newman is Patron of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.