The Third Anniversary of Newman's Canonization

Father Juan Velez, author of several books--and one to be published soon by Catholic University of America Press--on Saint John Henry Newman, posts this reminder on his Newman website:

October 13, 2022, will mark three years since John Henry Newman’s canonization in 2019. We recall the wonderful Mass of canonization at St. Peter’s Square and the joy of the faithful during the celebration as well as the days before and after. The official recognition of Newman’s holiness has helped many people to become acquainted with this wise and holy priest and thinker.

Since the canonization, various groups and Oratories have promoted devotion to St. John Henry Newman. For instance, the St. Paul Catholic Newman Center in Fresno, California, has had a novena to Newman preceding October 9 which would normally be St. John Henry Newman’s liturgical memorial but this year falls on a Sunday.

People who have been introduced to Newman now pray to him for his intercession and ask others to pray to him for their needs, and God grants favors in response to their prayers.

The canonization has likely been the inspiration for conferences and events, and has encouraged authors to continue writing both popular and academic works on Newman and his vast literary output. . . .

Please read the rest there.

Father Velez suggests three ways of developing greater devotion to St. John Henry Newman:

1. Working more to spread the study and devotion of Newman at University Newman Centers.
2. Fostering devotion to Newman through Newman prayer groups and discussion groups, and
3. Praying that Newman’s feast day be made a memorial in the general liturgical calendar of the Church.

I would add one more:

4. Praying that Newman be named a Doctor of the Church!

On Sunday, October 16, I'll be participating in a Newman discussion group as I do every month, our local "Lovers of Newman" group, meeting at the IHM Convent in Colwich, Kansas. We will read aloud and discuss this Parochial and Plain sermon, "The Use of Saints' Days"!

Saint John Henry Newman, pray for us!

Newman and the Four Women to be Canonized

Yesterday I mentioned that four women will be canonized with Newman tomorrow at St. Peter's Basilica--or that Newman will be canonized with four women--and The Catholic Herald, in the midst of its celebration of Newman, does offer background on these saints, three religious and one laywoman:

Pope Francis will canonize four women alongside John Henry Newman this Sunday. These women – a stigmatist, a mystic, a Roman orphan, and Nobel Peace prize nominee – also proclaimed Christ through their lives and their miracles in a unique way.

In its profile of Mother Mariam Thresia of India, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family , the Herald offers this quotation:

“Our main charisma is family apostolate. We have schools, hospitals and counseling centers etc. But our main focus is the family apostolate. Making the families like a Holy Family of Nazareth,” Sister Dr. Vinaya of the Congregation of the Holy Family said.

Having just read Newman's homily on the Feast of the Holy Rosary and its connection with the Holy Family, I can see how he and Mother Mariam have this in common.

The Swiss Marguerite Bays was a laywoman serving her parish community and handing on the faith--Newman would praise her for that:

This 19th century Swiss laywoman and stigmatist, who dedicated her life to prayer and service to her parish community without marrying or entering a religious community. As a Third Order Franciscan, she lived a simple life as a dressmaker and carried out a lay apostolate as a catechist.

Newman would have similarly lauded both Mother Giuseppina Vannini and Sister Dulce Lopes for their service to the poor and suffering.

But what connections would the women have found with Newman and his life and works? Since two of the sisters founded religious orders, they would have shared the common concerns involved in that process. Newman's own service to the poor in Littlemore and Birmingham is a common bond. His support for the Catholic laity and his desire that we know our faith certainly connects Marguerite Bays's good works in her parish.

Of course, what the five share is their love for God and their love for their neighbor, fulfilling Jesus's greatest commandments.

Novena to Prepare for Newman's Canonization

As the date of Newman's canonization nears, I wanted to make sure you knew about the Novena beginning this Friday, October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in preparation for the great event on Sunday, October 13 in Rome.

The Catholic Herald posted the entire nine days of prayer here.

If you want to receive daily email reminders, sign up here on the official website for the canonization, set up by the Oratories in England:

All over the world, people are preparing to celebrate the canonisation of Blessed John Henry Newman on Sunday 13th October.

This is a time of special grace for us to join together and form links in a great chain of prayer, where we call upon the soon-to-be-Saint to crown our prayers with his intercession in heaven.

We encourage you to form links in that chain by joining in our Novena with Newman - nine days of prayerful preparation for the canonisation, starting on Friday 4th October and finishing on Saturday 12th October on the eve of the canonisation.