Sixty-one years after the opening of his sainthood cause in 1958, Saint John Henry Newman was canonised on 13 October at St Peter’s Square, Vatican.
Representing the only Australian college named after St John Henry were Newman College Principal John Finneran, Director of Finance and Administration Steve Halley-Wright, General House Director of General Archives Br Colin Chalmers, and Marist Brothers Community Leader Br John Furlong.
During his speech at Newman College Year 12 Graduation Ceremony on 24 October, Mr Finneran spoke about the canonisation he witnessed to his graduating students.
“Becoming a saint put simply means your life was one full of heroic deeds, it made a difference to many,” Mr Finneran said.
“Thousands of people from schools, universities and churches from countries across Europe and North America were there to honour him, I too had the privilege to be in attendance at this incredible event representing the only named Newman College in Australia.”
Mr Finneran also commented how St John Henry, being a theologian, poet, and priest in the 19th century, was reserved in “his pursuit of academic excellence as a writer and critical thinker”.
“His prolific writing focussed on the search for truth and the freedom of conscience. Newman’s writings fostered community and prioritised education,” he explained.
“He sought to inspire people to do the same in a time of great division and inequality between social classes, men and women, countries and more specifically between Catholics and Protestants.”
Mr Finneran said the Saint’s works “promoted inclusion, underpinned by the notion of human dignity” and emphasised that St John Henry has invited everyone “to live our life to be one of humble service and affection to each other”.
“If this can underpin our intent and be the foundation for lives, our future, no matter what challenges we face, will be assured,” he added.
Born in 1801, St John Henry Newman was first made an Anglican clergyman in 1825 then Vicar of the Oxford University Church in 1828, prior to becoming a Cardinal within the Roman Catholic Church in 1879.
His faith-conversion journey started in 1841 to 1845 when he spoke the Church of England, with a hope that it could be renewed in the Apostolic Faith, which he then learnt his hope was lost.
During his retreat to Littlemore from 1842 to 1845, he was convinced that “the Faith of the Apostles and Fathers was the Faith of Roman Catholicism and realised that “the Church of Christ was the Church of Rome”.
Blessed Dominic Barberi received St John Henry Newman at Littlemore on 9 October 1845.
Upon his return to England after being ordained in Rome as a Catholic priest in 1847, St John Henry Newman founded Oratories of St Philip Neri in Birmingham in 1848-which became his place of living until his death on 11 August 1890, Catholic university in Dublin (1851) and school in Birmingham (1859).
His writings and published works include his religious autobiography the Apologia (1864), the Grammar of Assent on the origins of Christian Faith (1870) and the Idea of the University (1873).
St John Henry Newman passed was canonised along with Italian Sr Giuseppina Vannini from Italy, Indian Sr Mariam Thresia, Brazilian Sr Dolce Lopes Pontes and Margurite Bay of Switzerland.
In his homily for the canonisation Mass, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel of Luke, which accounts for the lepers and how their actions showed the three steps of faith: to cry out, to walk and to give thanks.
“Even though their condition kept them apart, the Gospel tells us that they “called out” (v. 13) and pleaded with Jesus,” Pope Francis said.
“They did not let themselves be paralyzed because they were shunned by society; they cried out to God, who excludes no one.”
Mirrored in the acts of the lepers, Pope Francis explained that the second stage of faith, ‘to walk’ meant “faith calls for journey, a “going out” from ourselves, and it can work wonders if we abandon our comforting certainties, if we leave our safe harbours and our cosy nests”.
“Faith increases by giving and grows by taking risks. Faith advances when we make our way equipped with trust in God. Faith advances with humble and practical steps, like the steps of the lepers or those of Naaman who, as we heard in the first reading (cf. 2 Kings 5:14-17), went down to bathe in the River Jordan,” he said.
“The same is true for us. We advance in faith by showing humble and practical love, exercising patience each day, and praying constantly to Jesus as we keep pressing forward on our way.”
Explaining the last step, Pope Francis pointed out that “only to the one who thanks him did Jesus say: “Your faith has saved you” (v. 19)”.
“It made you both safe, and sound. We see from this the ultimate goal is not health or wellness, but the encounter with Jesus,” he explained.
“To give thanks is not a question of good manners or etiquette; it is a question of faith.”
Concluding his homily, Pope Francis invited the congregation to be grateful to the Lord for the new Saints as “they walked by faith and now we invoke their intercession”.
“Such is the holiness of daily life, which St John Henry Newman described in these words: ‘The Christian has a deep, silent, hidden peace, which the world sees not…The Christian is cheerful, easy, kind, gentle, courteous, candid, unassuming; has no pretence…with so little that is unusual or striking in his bearing, that he may easily be taken at first sight for an ordinary man’.
“Let us ask to be like that, “kindly lights” amid the encircling gloom. Jesus, “stay with me, and then I shall begin to shine as Thou shiniest; so to shine as to be a light to others” (Meditations on Christian Doctrine, VII, 3). Amen”, Pope Francis added.
