The Holy See has announced that St John Henry Newman, Patron of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, is to be declared a Doctor of the Church, becoming the 38th person to receive this title and only the second Englishman after St Bede. The formal proclamation will take place later this year.Newman’s life was marked by a deep search for truth. Born in London in 1801, he served as an Anglican priest before entering into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1845. He went on to become a cardinal, a theologian of lasting influence, and a poet. Canonised in 2019, he is known for his writings on the development of doctrine, the primacy of conscience, and the role of education in the life of faith.The title of Doctor of the Church is granted to saints whose teaching is considered of particular importance for the whole Church. Newman’s insights into faith and reason, the call to holiness, and the witness of the laity continue to inspire Christians around the world.

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‍Collect for the Feast of St John Henry Newman
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‍O GOD,
who didst bestow upon thy Priest Saint John Henry Newman,
the grace to follow thy kindly light and find peace in thy Church:
graciously grant that, through his intercession and example,
we may be led out of shadows and images
into the fulness of thy truth;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
ever one God, world without end. Amen.