Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman
The Newman Fellowship takes its name from the great nineteenth century churchman and scholar, John Henry Cardinal Newman. After Ordination to the Anglican priesthood, Newman was a major figure in what has come to be known as the “Oxford Movement” in England, an attempt to recover certain elements of the Christian tradition which had been lost in the Protestant Reformation. After twenty years of service as an Anglican priest, Newman converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845 and was subsequently ordained a Catholic priest. After establishing the Oratory at Birmingham, a community of priests founded by Saint Philip Neri, he established a grammar school for young Catholic laymen. Newman also proved to be a distinguished theologian and apologist. Among his more famous works are An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine and his Apologia Pro Vita Sua, which was written to defend his move to the Catholic Church against those who opposed his conversion. Pope Leo XIII rewarded his contributions to the Church in 1879 by creating Newman a Cardinal at the age of 78. Cardinal Newman went home to his eternal reward on August 11, 1890. In 1991, Newman’s cause for canonization was opened and he was declared “Venerable.” Cardinal Newman’s motto, “Cor ad cor loquitur” (“Heart speaks to heart”) captures perfectly the essence of our mission as a fellowship.
Pope Benedict will travel to Birmingham, England, on September 19th, 2010 to beatify Cardinal Newman. He will afterward be known as “Blessed John Henry Newman.” As of September 19th, he will be one step closer to sainthood.
Prayer for the Canonization of the Venerable John Henry Newman
Eternal Father, You led John Henry Newman to follow the kindly light of Truth, and he obediently responded to your heavenly calls at any cost. As writer, preacher, counsellor and educator, as pastor, Oratorian, and servant of the poor he laboured to build up your Kingdom. Grant that through your Vicar on Earth we may hear the words, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the company of the canonized saints.’ May you manifest your Servant’s power of intercession by even extraordinary answers to the prayers of the faithful throughout the world. We pray particularly for our intentions in his name and in the name of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
To find out more about John Henry Newman and his beautification read this article, John Henry Newman: Heart Speaks to Heart at Patheos.com
One of Cardinal Newman’s Own Prayers
- Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
- Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.
- Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
- that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
- Shine through me and be so in me
- that every soul I come in contact with may
- feel Your presence in my soul.
- Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus!
- Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
- so to shine as to be a light to others.
- The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine.
- It will be You, shining on others through me.
- Let me thus praise You in the way which You love best, by shining on those around me.
- Let me preach You without preaching,
- not by my words but by my example,
- by the catching force,
- the sympathetic influence of what I do,
- the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You.
- Amen.
