St John Henry Newman who founded University College Dublin is to be made a Doctor of the Church. Born in 1801, he had already been an Anglican priest for 8 years and was widely
recognized as one of the most brilliant minds in his church—a man who captivated with both spoken and written word. The 1832 trip to Italy deepened his inner search.Newman carried within him a thirst to know the depths of God, His “kindly Light,” which for him was also the light of Truth—truth about Christ, the true nature of the Church, and the tradition of the early centuries, when the Church Fathers spoke to a still undivided Church. Oxford—epicentre of his faith and the place where the future saint lived and worked—became the road along which his convictions gradually shifted toward Catholicism. In 1846, he returned to Italy to enter, the Seminary. “It is so wonderful to be here,” he wrote. “It is like a dream, and yet so calm, so secure, so happy, as if it were the fulfilment of a long hope, and the beginning of a new life.” On May 30, 1847, the circle of his vocation was completed with his ordination to the priesthood.Pope Pius IX encouraged him to return to England and Newman went on to found an Oratory there, dedicated to the saint with whom he shared a joyful disposition — St. Philip Neri. That good humour remained intact even through the many challenges he faced in establishing Catholic institutions in his homeland, many of which seemed at first to falter. Still, his mind continued to produce brilliant writings in defence and support of Catholicism—even under fierce attack. In 1879, Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal. Upon hearing the news, Newman wept with joy: “The cloud is lifted forever.” He continued his apostolic work with undiminished intensity until his death on August 11, 1890. Newman was canonized in 2019 by PopeFrancis. Pope Francis noted, beyond any dialectical argument, the Lord saves us by speaking from His heart to ours: “This realization led him, the distinguished intellectual, to recognize that his deepest encounter with himself and with the Lord came not from his reading or reflection, but from his prayerful dialogue, heart to heart, with Christ, alive and present. It was in the Eucharist that Newman encountered the living heart of Jesus, capable of setting us free, giving meaning to each moment of  our lives, and bestowing true peace.”A Prayer by Saint John Henry Newman May the Lord support us all the day long, Till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging, and holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.