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John Henry Newman
English cleric and cardinal (1801–1890)
Feast: 9 October (current Roman calendar) · not in the 1962 Missal
The Vatican record
- 12 February 2019 — Miracle through their intercession approved (decree list, 2019)
Who they were
John Henry Newman was born in London in 1801 and became one of the leading minds of the Church of England, serving as an Anglican priest at Oxford. Studying the early Fathers of the Church slowly drew him towards Catholicism, and in 1845 he was received into the Catholic Church, writing that it felt like coming into port after a rough sea. His Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine appeared the same year.
Ordained a Catholic priest in 1847, he founded the Oratory of St Philip Neri in England, at Birmingham. Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal in 1879, and his motto was Cor ad cor loquitur, heart speaks to heart. He died on 11 August 1890. On 1 November 2025 Pope Leo XIV proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church, and co-patron with St Thomas Aquinas of the Church's work in education.
The miracles
Deacon Jack Sullivan — Marshfield, near Boston, USA — August 2001
An American deacon had surgery for severe spinal stenosis, and complications followed when the protective lining of his spinal cord was torn. He asked for Newman's intercession, and on the Feast of the Assumption, 15 August 2001, he was healed.
Melissa Villalobos — near Chicago, USA — 15 May 2013
In her fifth pregnancy, a Chicago lawyer suffered severe internal bleeding from a partial placental abruption, putting her own life and her unborn daughter's at serious risk. She prayed, 'Please, Cardinal Newman, make the bleeding stop.' The bleeding stopped at once, and both she and her daughter, Gemma, were saved.
Why that counted as sanctity
On January 1991 the Church declared that this life showed the Christian virtues to a heroic degree, and gave the title Venerable. The case of Deacon Jack Sullivan was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle on 3 July 2009, opening the way to beatification. Beatification followed on 19 September 2010 by Benedict XVI. The case of Melissa Villalobos was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle on 12 February 2019, opening the way to canonisation. Canonisation followed on 13 October 2019 by Francis.
Connected on this site
- Philip Neri Saint“Ordained a Catholic priest in 1847, he founded the Oratory of St Philip Neri in England, at Birmingham.” — this site's research
- Thomas Aquinas Saint“He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV in 2025 and was also named co-patron of Catholic education, joining Saint Thomas Aquinas.” — Wikipedia
- Dominic Barberi Blessed“Dominic Barberi, CP (22 June 1792 – 27 August 1849) was an Italian Passionist priest who was prominent in spreading Catholicism in England in the 19th century, including to John Henry Newman and many other Anglicans.” — Wikipedia
- Isaac Thomas Hecker Servant of God“Cardinal John Henry Newman likened Hecker's work to his own.” — Wikipedia
- The Birmingham Oratory - the Cause of St John Henry Newman
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - decree of 12 Feb 2019
- Vatican News, July 2025 - St John Henry Newman set to become newest Doctor of the Church
- Holy See - proclamation as Doctor of the Church, 1 Nov 2025
- EWTN News / CNA - the lifesaving miracle that led to Newman's canonisation
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints — promulgated decrees (causesanti.va), summarised in our own words
- Wikidata Q44490 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — John Henry Newman (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.