Celebrating the Canonisation

Celebrating the Canonisation

By Barry Riley

On Sunday, October 13th, St John Henry Newman, patron of the Newman Association, was canonised in Rome. A number of members of the Association were present at the ceremony in St Peter's Square and several have kindly submitted their impressions of the occasion. Also, here in the UK, various local Circles have organised their own events and some of these are also reported here.

Because of St John Henry's historical links with Birmingham there has been a special interest in the canonisation in the Midlands area. Peter Hambley, past chairman of the Association's North Staffs Circle, joined the Birmingham Oratory's pilgrimage in Rome.

He writes that although the service commenced at 10am in St Peter's Square it was necessary to arrive at 8am. to be sure of one of the 20,000 seats. St John Henry was one of five candidates that day for canonisation. The other four were: the Indian mystic Mother Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankifyan, who founded the Congregation of the Holy Family; the Swiss laywoman and Third Order Franciscan Margaret Bays who dedicated her life to prayer and the service of her parish community; the Italian Sister Giuseppina Vannini who founded the Congregation of the Daughters of St Camillus, dedicated to serving the sick and suffering; and the Brazilian Sister Dulce Lopes Pontes, a Missionary Sister of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God.

During his address Pope Francis made several comments on Newman. He referred to him as a cardinal, writer, theologian and poet, urging believers to step beyond their comfort zones. "Let us ask to be like 'kindly lights' amid the circling gloom," he said. He quoted from a Newman sermon "to be cheerful, easy, kind, gentle, courteous, candid and unassuming". The Pope said that Christian Faith demands that believers should be willing to walk uphill and undergo a purification: "Faith calls for a journey, a going out from ourselves".

Later the Oratorians held their own celebration in the Chiesa Nuova, the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, founded by St Philip Neri. Many readings were given by Oratorians from all over the world. There was an address in thanksgiving for a new Oratorian Saint by the Very Rev Ignatius Harrison of Birmingham Oratory.

There were other celebrations. On the Saturday evening Peter Hambley had gone to the Basilica of St Maria Maggiore where a vigil of prayer was held, with the participation of the choir of the London Oratory School. The service featured the Newman hymns Praise to the Holiest in the Height and Lead Kindly Light. Bernard Longley, the Archbishop of Birmingham, was there, as was Dr Ian Ker, the celebrated biographer of St John Henry, and also Melissa Villalobis, who experienced a miraculous cure after praying to St John Henry.

On Monday the 14th another celebration was held at the Papal Basilica of St John Lateran. The Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. The final hymn was Firmly I believe and truly.

Also present in Rome that day for the canonisation of the five was Winifred Flanagan, President of the Newman Association and also a Birmingham resident. "The atmosphere was electric, friendly and expectant," she reports. "How many devout prayers had been said for all these holy people, in their own land, for many years?"

"People assembled early, from every part of the planet. We even saw visitors from the Amazon region in their feathered headdresses walking along, to queue up humbly with the rest of us! The liturgy was deeply humbling: His Holiness has a gentle voice and gives the impression of being a true father to his people. The magnificence of the ceremony touched one's heart and mind. To hear the Credo professed by so many thousands of pilgrims was amazing."

She noted that representatives of the Church of England were watching the ceremony, and that Prince Charles represented the Queen. So the event "not only spoke of the journey in holiness of St John Henry Newman but embraced brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion".

The long campaign

Winifred, with her knowledge of the long history of the campaign in Birmingham, has also contributed some comments on the background to the cause for the canonisation. It began, she says, in the 1950s under the auspices of the Oratorian Fathers in Birmingham, who led the endeavour, aided by the Diocese. Early supporters included Mgr Davies of Oscott College. Winifred adds that "the towering figure of Fr Gregory Winterton, who founded The Friends of Cardinal Newman with the aim of encouraging funding for the cause, and the spreading of knowledge of his work worldwide, should be celebrated for his many years of work."

Winifred also has something to say about the relevance of the canonisation to the Newman Association. "We can celebrate our seventy-seven years since being founded on the inspiration of St John Henry's desire for 'an educated laity' and we are proud of the many years of lay effort and resolve which have enabled us to remain faithful to that aim".

She concludes: "We hope too that his Pilgrim journey to fulfil God's will, now shown in his Sainthood, should be a guide to many; it will comfort the comfortless and give glory to God".

Some Circle events around the UK

Birmingham, September 14th: "Holiness in the world", A reflection on the life of John Henry Newman, by David McLaughlin

Worcester, September 19th: Newman – A Journey to Sainthood by Rev Douglas Lamb

Coventry, October 9th: Morning Prayer at the Chapel of Unity, Coventry Cathedral, to celebrate the feast of Blessed John Henry Newman

Hertfordshire, October 11th: Mass and Lunch to celebrate the Canonisation of John Henry Newman

Tyneside, October 12th: Newman: a Saint for our Time? by Fr. Andrew Downie, Professor Terry Wright and Dr Sheridan Gilley

N. Merseyside, October 27th: Lunch to celebrate the canonisation of Blessed John Henry Newman with speaker Rev Dr Canon Rod Gardiner

Ealing, December 12th: Ecumenical service and reception to celebrate the Canonisation of St John Henry Newman

At St Albans the Hertfordshire Circle gathered to celebrate Catholic Mass in the Lady Chapel of the Anglican St Albans Cathedral. Afterwards members transferred to the Cathedral's restaurant for an excellent lunch. It being a Friday there was a choice of a very tasty fish pie or a vegetarian dish. Shortly afterwards this was supplemented by slices of a special canonisation cake featuring a picture of the Saint himself.

In Ealing the Circle organised an ecumenical service in the Newman Chapel of the Abbey Church of St Benedict. Prayers and readings were supplemented by a musical recording of the closing section of The Dream of Gerontius, the Newman poem set to music by Edward Elgar. There was also a reading from an article by Prince Charles published on October 12th in the l'Osservatore Romano newspaper, in which he spoke of Newman's lasting legacy. Afterwards members watched a short video of part of the ceremony in Rome.

Barry Riley