The Fathers and Brothers of the Brisbane Oratory in Formation rejoice with our confreres around the world at the news that Blessed John Henry Newman will be canonized by Pope Francis on Sunday 13 October 2019. Newman was ordained a priest in the Church of England and became a leader of the Oxford Movement. He converted to Catholicism in 1845. He established the first Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England at Birmingham in 1849, thus bringing Saint Philip’s Oratory to the English-speaking world. Cardinal Newman is widely considered to be one of the most significant figures of the 19thcentury.
At his Beatification in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said: “The definite service to which Blessed John Henry was called involved applying his keen intellect and his prolific pen to many of the most pressing ‘subjects of the day’. His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilised society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance for Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world.” When he died at the age of 89, more than 15,000 people lined the streets of Birmingham for his funeral.
Cardinal Newman’s path to canonization was cleared by the recognition of a second miracle attributed to his intercession, consisting in the medically inexplicable healing of a pregnant woman with life-threatening complications due to her pregnancy. The cure took place in Chicago, U.S.A., in May 2013.
Information about Cardinal Newman including details of his life, of the miracle and the process of canonisation, links to his writings as well as photos and videos can be found at www.newmancanonisation.com