The Vatican announced on July 1, 2019, that Cardinal John Henry Newman and four others will be canonized on Sunday, October 13, 2019. The announcement came in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, during the celebration of Terce, when the Pope Francis held an Ordinary Public Consistory for the Canonization of the Blesseds.
In addition to Cardinal Newman, those to become Saints in October are:
– Giuseppina Vannini (born Giuditta Adelaide Agata), founder of the Daughters of Saint Camillus;
– Maria Teresa Chiramel Mankidiyan, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family;
– Dulce Lopes Pontes (born Maria Rita), of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God;
– Margarita Bays, virgin, of the Third Order of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Cardinal John Henry Newman
Cardinal Newman was born in London (England) on February 21, 1801, and died in Edgbaston (England) on August 11, 1890. He founded the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in the English city of Birmingham in 1848 and was rector of the Catholic University of Dublin (1851-1858). Some consider him a «father of the Church» for the next century.
Newman was beatified in the United Kingdom by Benedict XVI on September 19, 2010, setting his holiday for October 9, the date of his conversion.
The second miracle that allowed the canonization of this English cardinal was the healing of Melissa Villalobos, an American mother of 5 children who suffered a serious hemorrhage in her fifth pregnancy. This miracle was approved by Pope Francis on February 13, 2019.
Learning of the news, the British Ambassador to the Holy See, Sally Axworthy, said:
“I am delighted that Pope Francis announced the canonization of Cardinal John Henry Newman this morning.
“Cardinal Newman had a major impact on Catholic theology and on education worldwide, making him a truly global Briton. I enjoyed learning about his life and teachings during my recent visits to the London, Birmingham and Oxford Oratories. He brought his experience from the Anglican Church to his work as a Catholic, bridging the two traditions.
“The canonization will be an important moment for Britain, and for UK-Holy See relations. I very much look forward to the celebrations.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said:
“This is a moment of great pride. On Friday it was the feast of the Sacred Heart and we held a mass for the priests of England and Wales. Foremost in our minds was the declaration of a saint who was a priest here. John Henry Newman is known for many great qualities, but we remember him particularly for the kindness and compassion of his ministry to the people of Birmingham. At his death, they turned out in their thousands to salute a much-loved priest on his funeral procession through the streets of Birmingham.”
Fr Ignatius Harrison, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory which was founded by Newman in 1849, said:
“Newman’s lifelong success in bringing others to Christ shows us that the apostolate of Christian friendship achieves much more by attracting people to the Lord than by aggressive polemic. Newman’s long and incremental spiritual pilgrimage shows us that God leads us to Himself step by step, in ways that He customizes to our individual needs, and in His own good time.”
