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October 9: Memorial wey no be must to celebrate for St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church
1801–1890
Patron Saint of Newman Centers
Pope Francis declare am Saint on October 13, 2019
Liturgical Colour: White
Version: Full – Short
Podcast channels:
Apple – Spotify – iHeart – Audible
Quote:
God create me make I do one particular service for Am. E don give me some work wey E no give another person. I get my own mission. I fit never know am for this life, but dem go tell me for the life wey dey come. I be one link for chain, something wey join people together. E no create me for nothing. I go do good; I go do His work. I go be angel of peace, person wey dey preach truth for my own place, even without planning am, if only I keep His commandments. So, I go trust Am; no matter wetin I be, dem no fit ever throw me away. If I dey sick, my sickness fit serve Am; if I dey confused, my confusion fit serve Am. If I dey sorrow, my sorrow fit serve Am. E no dey do anything for nothing. E know wetin E dey do. E fit take my friends away. E fit put me among strangers. E fit make me feel say I dey all alone, make my spirit low, hide my future from me. Still, E know wetin E dey do. ~Saint John Henry Newman
Reflection: John Henry Newman, wey dem born for London, England, na the eldest of three boys, and e get three sisters. His papa na banker, and his mama family na people wey dey carve designs and make paper. Na his Anglican mama, wey come from the line of French Calvinist Huguenots, first teach am. As pikin, e come sabi Bible well, although wetin e believe about religion never stand firm. When e dey seven years, dem send am go Great Ealing School, boarding school wey people consider as the best private school for England that time. John na serious student wey love to read; e dey read everything wey e see, from Arabian stories to books about philosophy and theology. E especially love stories wey make am imagine plenty things.
When John Henry dey fifteen, for his final year for Ealing, e experience deep conversion. Later, e write about that conversion say, “One clear creed begin influence me, and the truths of dogma enter my mind deeply; through God’s mercy, dem never wipe away or become unclear” (Apologia #3). His conversion come through the Evangelical books wey e read, wey make am personally sure about eternal glory. That year, e continue to read, and e begin know the writings of Saint Augustine and other Church Fathers, although most of wetin e read na Evangelical theology. Wetin e read even make am conclude say the “Pope na the Antichrist wey Daniel, St. Paul, and St. John predict.” Finally, e sense say the mission for his life go require am to remain celibate, maybe so e fit be missionary or for some other reason.
After his personal conversion, John Henry continue his studies for Trinity College, Oxford. Because his studies hard for am, e graduate without distinction. As e want continue to pursue knowledge, e begin work as private tutor and prepare for fellowship for Oriel College, Oxford, wey e receive for 1822 when e dey twenty-one years. For 1824, dem ordain am as Anglican deacon, and e become priest for 1825. After his Anglican ordination, e become curate for Saint Clement’s Church, Oxford. As curate, e help the parish priest with different pastoral duties, and this give am time to reflect on his ideas about theology as dem relate to real life with real people. The time wey e serve as curate make people respect am well, and for 1828, dem appoint am Vicar of the University Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Oxford. E remain for this position until 1843.
For the early 1830s, some leaders for the Church of England begin worry more and more about wetin look like lack of seriousness for faith among the Anglican community, and about how government dey interfere for the Anglican Church. On July 14, 1833, one Anglican priest wey im name na John Keble preach one sermon for the University of Oxford wey draw the attention of some Anglican leaders, including John Henry Newman. This sermon start wetin people later know as the Oxford Movement. For the next several years, John Henry and others begin write and publish “Tracts for the Times.” These tracts na series of small booklets wey defend Anglican apostolic succession and argue say make dem return to liturgical traditions and renew their interest for the Church Fathers. But small small, his writings begin sound more like Catholic teaching than Anglican teaching. Although this cause argument, John Henry continue to develop the beliefs wey e hold firmly about doctrine.
Na di way Newman study and explain di teachings of di Church Fathers make di biggest impact for im life. For 1842, e leave di positions wey e hold for Oxford and withdraw go Littlemore, where e spend di next few years dey live almost like monk, dey pray, study and write. After e study di Church Fathers well and how di doctrines wey e deeply believe develop, e come dey sure say na di Roman Catholic Church be di Church wey Christ establish. Even though this one shock di people wey close to am and dem no support am, for October 9, 1845, Blessed Dominic Barberi receive am into di Catholic Church for one small ceremony for Littlemore. After that, e travel go Rome to study more, dem ordain am Catholic priest for 1847, and e return to Birmingham, England, to establish di Birmingham Oratory of St. Philip Neri for 1848.
For di years wey follow, Father Newman help establish di Catholic University of Ireland and publish Apologia Pro Vita Sua, one work wey use theology defend im personal conversion. E still publish plenty other works, including Di Idea of One University, where e explain especially wetin be di purpose of university. E argue say university no suppose only teach knowledge wey person fit use do something, but e suppose train di mind as e dey seek knowledge, until e finally reach “one great and strong belief say Truth get di highest authority.” Na because of this dem dey call Catholic chaplaincies for colleges Newman Centers.
Before Father Newman die, e receive two important honours. For 1877, dem give am honorary fellowship for Trinity College as one way to reconcile am with Oxford and di people wey e work with before. One honour wey even greater come for 1879 when Pope Leo XIII make am cardinal, even though e no be bishop.
Saint John Henry Newman fit don live comfortable life as Anglican priest and scholar. But e choose to follow di strong convictions of faith wey God plant for im mind and heart.
As we dey honour Saint John Henry Newman, reflect on how e gradually discover di truth and go through conversion. All of us need conversion and transformation wey dey continue. Allow di courage of Saint John Henry Newman inspire you to always seek di fullness of di truth and go anywhere wey e lead you.
Prayer: Saint John Henry Newman, you first go through conversion when you young, but that conversion na only step wey prepare you for di conversion wey come later. Abeg, pray for me, and especially for college students, make we no ever draw back from di Truth, but make we always seek am and get courage to follow where God dey lead us. Saint John Henry Newman, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Dem take dis reflection from:
Saint Dem and Feast Dem for di Liturgical Year
Volume One–Four
Read More:
Catholic Saint Dem & Feast Dem
Information About Catholic Saints (with plenty resources)
All di Saint Dem for di Liturgical Year
(Short Version)
October 9: Saint John Henry Newman (Memorial for England and Wales)
1801–1890
Patron Saint of Newman Centers
Pope Francis declare am Saint for October 13, 2019
John Henry Newman, wey dem born for London, England, na di eldest of six children. As small pikin, e come sabi Bible well, but e no hold any strong religious belief. When e reach seven years, dem send am go Great Ealing School, one boarding school wey people regard as di best private school for England. John Henry na serious student wey read plenty different things with strong interest, from Arabian stories to works about philosophy and theology.
When e reach fifteen, during im final year for Ealing, John Henry go through deep conversion as e dey read Evangelical books. As e read more, e come know about Saint Augustine and other Church Fathers. E even conclude say di “Pope na di Antichrist wey Daniel, St. Paul and St. John predict.” E sense say di mission of im life go require am to remain celibate, perhaps so e fit be missionary.
After im conversion, John Henry continue im studies for Oxford. Dem ordain am Anglican deacon for 1824, and e become priest for 1825. After that, e become assistant parish priest for Saint Clement’s Church, Oxford. As e dey help di parish priest care for di people spiritually, e fit reflect on ideas about theology through real-life experience with real people. People respect am well, and dem appoint am Vicar of di University Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Oxford for 1828.
For di early 1830s, some leaders of di Church of England begin worry about how Anglicans dey take their faith lightly and how government dey interfere for di Anglican Church. For July 14, 1833, di Anglican priest John Keble preach one sermon for di University of Oxford wey start wetin people later know as di Oxford Movement. For di next several years, Newman and others write and publish “Tracts for di Times,” one series of pamphlets wey defend Anglican apostolic succession and argue say dem suppose return to di traditions of di liturgy, with fresh interest for di Church Fathers. But small by small, wetin Newman dey write begin sound more like Catholic teaching than Anglican teaching.
Di way e study and explain di teachings of di Fathers of di Church get big effect on Newman. For 1842, e leave di positions wey e hold for Oxford and withdraw go Littlemore. For di next few years, e live life wey resemble monks own, with prayer, study and writing. After e study di Fathers of di Church well-well and how di doctrines develop, e come dey sure say na di Roman Catholic Church be di Church wey Christ establish. Even though this one shock other people and dem no approve am, dem receive am into di Catholic Church on October 9, 1845, for one small ceremony for Littlemore. After e study more for Rome, dem ordain am as Catholic priest for 1847, and e return to England to establish di Birmingham Oratory of St. Philip Neri for 1848.
For di years wey follow, Father Newman help establish di Catholic University of Ireland and publish Apologia Pro Vita Sua, one book wey use theology defend why e enter di Catholic Church. For im book Wetin University Suppose Be, e write say university suppose train di mind as e dey seek knowledge, until e reach “one strong belief wey stand firm say Truth get authority over everything.” Na so dem dey call Catholic chaplaincies for colleges Newman Centers.
For 1877, dem give am honorary fellowship for Trinity College to bring reconciliation between am, Oxford and di people wey e don work with before. For 1879, Pope Leo XIII make am cardinal, even though e no be bishop.
Saint John Henry Newman, di conversion wey you get when you dey young become stepping stone to di conversion wey you get later. Abeg, pray for me, and especially for college students, make we no ever turn away from di Truth, but make we always seek am and get courage to follow wherever God dey lead us. Saint John Henry Newman, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.