John Henry Newman: A Saint for All Christians

On the evening of 9th October 2022 in the Catholic parish of St Alban, Elm Park, there was a presentation entitled ‘John Henry Newman: a Saint for all Christians’. Deacon Ken Carleton explained that the evening had been planned before the pandemic to celebrate this great English saint on his feast day, 9th October. The first speaker was the vicar of St Nicholas’ Church in Elm Park, Rev Dr Tom Keighley. He traced important events in the life of Newman: his evangelical conversion, his studies and teaching at Oxford, his participation in the Oxford Movement, and his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1845. He is considered a patron of ‘seekers’ after the truth. Monsignor Roderick Strange, rector of the Mater Ecclesiae College at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, spoke about the years after Newman’s conversion until his death in 1890. These were challenging times, with much sorrow. Despite this, Newman made outstanding contributions to the life of the Church, with his writings, preaching, and in various different roles. His ties with the Anglican Church were something he always treasured, and honest friendships with Anglican friends endured in different ways. His elevation to Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII put a new light on things. His profound insights about the Church, the development of doctrine and the role of the laity made a significant contribution to the work of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).