Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cardinal made UK’S 1st saint in 43years
Anglican turned Catholic John Henry Newman canonised
wanted to reintroduce some Catholic beliefs and rituals. It developed into Anglo-catholicism.
Despite the steps he had taken, Newman’s switch to Catholicism in 1845 was still a shock – so controversial that one of his sisters is reputed to have never spoken to him again.
Newman later moved from Oxford to Birmingham where he spent 30 years looking after the poor and sick. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1847, and founded the Birmingham Oratory, a school in the city, and a university that was the precursor of University College Dublin.
He was made a cardinal in 1879. His written works include The Dream of Gerontius, later set to music by Elgar. Newman died in 1890 aged 89.
Carol Parkinson, of the Friends of Newman, who travelled to Rome from Birmingham for yesterday’s ceremony, said: “His integrity, friendship,
THE last person from the UK to be made a saint was John Ogilvie, a 17th century Scottish martyr, canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1976.
The patron saint of Wales, St
David, is the only one of the
British and Irish patron saints loyalty and hard work set a very good example to everyone. When we heard he was [being] made a saint, many people were in tears and so excited.
“The work the cardinal did here continues. He worked in prisons, his group of Oratorians worked in hospitals, in schools. He was a friend to everybody... the poor, the rich, the famous, the unknown.”
The Vatican must authenticate two miracles to declare someone a saint.
thought to have been born in the same country where they are celebrated. Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick, was born in Wales. England’s St George came from what is now modern-day Turkey and Scottish patron saint Andrew was born in Galilee. In death, Newman was credited with curing a man’s spinal disease and a woman’s potentially fatal bleeding.
After praying to him for help in 2013, Melissa Villalobos, of Chicago, recovered from a torn placenta that threatened her and her unborn baby’s life. The mum, 42, hailed Newman for the “enormity of his loving heart”.
In 2000, Jack Sullivan, of Boston, Massachusetts, was struck by crippling back pain as he studied to become a deacon. He said he prayed to Cardinal Newman to help him “walk so that I can return to classes and be ordained”. He added the pain had gone by the next day.
Jack and Melissa joined the congregation at the Vatican yesterday.