A saint for our time

On Oct. 13, Blessed John Henry Newman will become the first Englishman since the 1600s to be canonised.  Even though there are four others being raised to the altars with him — religious sisters from India, Brazil and Italy and a Third Order Franciscan from Switzerland — the focus of the Catholic world will be mainly on Newman because of his enormous impact on the Church during his lifetime and since, making him ‘a saint for our time’.

There are many, especially in the Catholic intellectual tradition, who have long had a deep devotion to Blessed Newman, who have found his poetry and prose among the most eloquent in the history of the English language, and his spiritual insight and depth the makings of a future doctor of the Church.

But I’ve also found that the former Oxford don is not as well-known to the Catholic masses as he should be.

Ten good reasons why Newman is a saint for our time  …

As a small attempt to remedy that situation, as we prepare for his feast and canonisation, I would like to share 10 reasons why I think Newman should be relatable, loved and invoked by all Catholics.

First, he was an extraordinarily courageous man who was willing to suffer for the truth and pay the price for becoming Catholic — something that led to the loss of prestigious positions and the alienation from several friends and family members.

Second, he is one of the greatest teachers and defenders of conscience in the history of the Church.

Third, he had a tremendous capacity for friendship and was a loyal friend to dozens, both men and women.

Fourth, he is a magnificent teacher who leads students to wisdom. There’s a reason why most Catholic chaplaincies at secular universities are called Newman centers.

Fifth, he is a profound tutor of prayer.

Sixth, he was a devoted pastor.

Seventh, he is an ardent promoter of the vocation to holiness of the laity.

Eighth, he was a superlative preacher who, despite all of his many other duties and brilliance, never shirked the preparation of his sermons and homilies.

Ninth, he is a model for ecumenism, insofar as he was a passionate truth seeker who would follow Jesus the Truth wherever he believed the Lord, whom he called his “kindly Light,” was leading.

And Tenth, he has proven an excellent intercessor, especially for Americans. The miracle for his beatification happened to Deacon Jack Sullivan of Marshfield, Massachusetts, who was healed of a spinal cord disorder in 2001.

“I would urge you to pray through his intercession to God for miracles big or small, especially on Oct. 9 and 13.

The canonisation of Blessed John Henry Newman is a celebration that is meant to echo not merely in Rome, or England and Ireland or scholarly circles or the English-speaking Catholic world, but throughout the Church and, hopefully, in every aspect of the Church, because John Henry Newman is one of the most influential Christians of modern times, whose life and writings continue to be a reflection of the kind Light that leads us, as he inscribed on his tombstone, from “shadows and images into the truth.”

Note:  This is an extract from a wonderful piece by Father Roger Landry is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts that appeared in ‘The National Catholic Register’ on Oct 1st 2019 See full article HERE

Thank you for the original sharing of this piece by  https://www.newmancanonisation.com

At a Consistory of cardinals on Monday 1st July 2019, Pope Francis formally approved Blessed John Henry Newman’s canonisation along with that four other persons:

• Sister Mariam Thresia of India is the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family.
• Italian Sister Giuseppina Vannini is the founder of the Daughters of Saint Camillus.
• Brazilian Sister Dulce Lopes Pontes of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God.
• Marguerite Bays of Switzerland, of the Third Order of Saint Francis of Assisi.

See link to find out more  HERE