Tonight: Candlelight Mass at St. Paul's Chapel at WSU: Memorial of Saint John Henry Newman

I am so happy to be able to attend a Mass for the memorial of Saint John Henry Newman in St. Paul's University Parish at WSU, my alma mater, tonight--a candlelight Mass, no less! The Mass is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central time.

In case you, dear reader, are in the USA and not a member of, nor have access to a parish in the Anglican Ordinariate here, the prayers and readings are available from the Website of the Liturgy Office of the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales.

Last November, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops joined the bishops in England and Wales to ask Pope Francis to declare Saint John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church, by a vote of 240 to two (no details on why two voted against). The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales had asked them to support this cause, as they had the bishops' conferences in Scotland and Ireland, who also complied.

I hope I live to see it announced and then to see his feast day added as a Memorial (not an optional memorial) on the USCCB's liturgical calendar. In England and Wales October 9 is celebrated as a Feast now (with the Gloria recited or sung at Mass). There were already three optional memorials on October 9 (St. Denis and Companions, St. John Leonardi, and St. Paulinus of York, an English saint) before his canonization in 2019, meaning that either the Weekday of Ordinary Time, or the memorial of one of those three saints, could be celebrated. The English Bishops moved those three optional memorials to October 10 to make room for Newman's Feast on October 9. (You might recall that Newman died on August 11, 1890, which was already the Memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi, so his feast was scheduled on the date of his reception into the Catholic Church in 1845.)

I'm not going to be greedy enough to propose his feast as a Feast in the USA, but as the Memorial, thus the only feast to be celebrated on October 9--and that St. Denis and St. John Leonardi be moved as optional memorials on October 10.

I propose that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops do something similar to make room for Newman on our Liturgical Calendar and offer four reasons, in ascending order of importance. 

First:

Newman as a Model for Conversion: Especially thinking of the many American converts, especially from the Episcopalian church, who have been influenced by Saint John Henry Newman. Like the late Thomas Howard, Holly Ordway, Father Dwight Longenecker, Deacon Scott Carson, Monsignor Jeffrey Stinson, etc., etc., many have attested to Newman's influence on them. Just peruse the stories collected on the Coming Home Network website and you'll see what he has meant to converts in the 20th and 21st centuries in the United States.

Second: 

Newman and the New Evangelization: After teaching a graduate class on Newman and the New Evangelization for our local Newman University during two of three past two summers (and I might do so again in 2025), I'm convinced that he is an excellent patron saint for this project, which includes the Eucharistic Revival, to renew the faith of Catholics, particularly the laity. 

Newman offers many insights into how to revive and re-enforce Catholics' belief in what they believe and what the Church teaches, and to integrate it more firmly in their lives. He encouraged both growth of knowledge of the truths of the Catholic Faith and the actions that demonstrated that knowledge and belief. 

Third: 

The Newman Centers at secular universities in the USA: Since the first Newman Club was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1893--just three years after his death!--Newman Centers at secular universities have provided students with Holy Mass and the other Sacraments, continuing religious education, social activities, a place a study, etc.

So Saint John Henry Newman has had an influence in the USA since the late 19th century through these campus centers for Catholics, even though not all of them still use his name. I attended the Newman Center at Wichita State University and learned about Saint John Henry Newman there (it now does not use his name, but that's still the way I think of it!).

Fourth: 

Newman's Miracles

Both the miracle accepted for his Beatification in 2010, and the miracle accepted for his Canonization in 2019 occurred in the United States of America, and both of them through the influence of EWTN! Deacon Jack Sullivan and Melissa Villalobos prayed for Newman's intercession in their needs because they'd watched a program about Newman with the late Father Ian Ker as the featured guest!

Finally, I do have a very personal reason for this proposal: after studying the works of Saint John Henry Newman since I first learned about him as a college sophomore, writing about him, teaching about him, growing more devoted to him along with my late husband Mark, and praying for his intercession, I'd like to attend a daily Mass on his feast day on October 9--when it doesn't conflict with Sunday's Solemnity of course--on a regular basis.

Saint John Henry Newman, pray for us!

Image Credit (Public Domain): Photo of John Henry Newman by Herbert Rose Barraud (1845-1896)

Nostalgia at the Newman Center

Last Friday (April 26) I attended Adoration and Mass at St. Paul's University Parish at Wichita State University, my alma mater. When I was an undergraduate and graduate student, it was known as St. Paul Parish-Newman Center. And on Friday, when I looked at the bulletin, I was reminded even more than I usually am when I'm there of one of the decisive events of my life: The Newman School of Catholic Thought (NSCT) I attended in January 1979.

The reminder last week was that today's 11:45 a.m. Mass is being celebrated for the repose of the soul of Reverend Stephen Almagno, OFM, who was one of the speakers during that great week. I am attending that Mass today, to pray for him in gratitude for his great influence from those five days so many years ago. 

Here is one obituary from Providence, RI where he was born, and one from his conference of the Orders of Friars Minor.

His topic at the January 1979 NSCT was "Newman's Spirituality": I still have my notes from those lectures:

On Tuesday, January 2, his first lecture introduced major themes in his topic, primarily Newman as a champion of forgotten truths, with a sense "that God is and has revealed himself", a sympathetic pastoral sense to help his congregations follow the Faith and live it.

On Wednesday, January 3, Father Almagno spoke on themes like "holiness is wholeness", holiness is the "result of a moral struggle and intellectual understanding", and Newman's spirituality as striving "to come closer to God" while seeking truth in our hearts and our minds, concluding that doctrine and submission to God's revelation were essential.

On Thursday, January 4, he started speaking about Newman and the Fathers of the Church and what he learned from them about handing on the Faith and the truth.

On Friday, January 5, Father Almagno talked more about Newman's conversion and becoming a Catholic, what it cost him but how it was part of his spiritual journey to be closer to God and obedient to the Truth; and Newman's concern for the formation and education of the laity.

Then in his last lecture on Saturday, January 6, he talked about Newman's later years: his efforts to found an Oratory at Oxford for Catholic men to help maintain their Catholic faith; his reactions to the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and Papal Infallibility; his Grammar of Assent; the late recognition of his efforts: the Honorary Fellowship at Trinity College and the Cardinal's Hat. Father Almagno summed up Newman's spiritual life--in a seeming paradox since we acclaim his scholarship and his influence so highly-- as "being ordinary carried to perfection", especially in those later years as he led the Oratory in Birmingham.

It's interesting that neither of Father Almagno's obituaries mention his interest in St. John Henry Newman, instead highlighting his study of Father Teilhard de Chardin, but memorials are to be sent to National Institute for Newman Studies!

Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord, and may the perpetual light shine upon him. May Father Almagno's soul and the souls of the all the faithful departed rest in peace. May Father Almagno rest in peace. Amen.

Saint John Henry Newman, pray for us!