In a letter from 1863 to his sister Jemima, John Henry Newman remarked that "a man's life lies in his letters." Equally revealing, perhaps—at least in Newman's case—are the prayers that he composed and recited.
The news finally arrived today. Ever since it was announced in February that Newman would be canonized, we've been waiting eagerly to learn the details of when and how the ceremony would take place.
One of the great challenges in Newman scholarship today has to do with making Newman's work more applicable for members of the younger generations, many of whom have never been exposed to his thought and writings.
A bit of a confession: there may have been some dancing in the offices of the National Institute for Newman Studies (NINS) this morning. This is not a common occurrence at the Institute, but today was a special day, as news reached us from Rome that Pope Francis has approved the canonization of John Henry Newman.
There is something stirring about seeing two greats from different generations together in the same place. In the world of sports, for instance, some memorable photo-ops have come about this way—say, with a young Lebron James standing next to Bill Russell or with Derek Jeter warming up on the same baseball diamond as Cal Ripken Jr.
As news is now reaching us that the Vatican has reportedly approved a second miracle toward the canonization of John Henry Newman, it's worth reflecting on the process that brought us to this point.
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