An image of Saint John Henry Newman on display during the Mass on Sunday. St John Henry Newman, patron saint of Newman Centres at secular universities and students, is celebrated on October 9, marking the day of his conversion from the Anglican to the Catholic Church. Newman University Church in Dublin recently commemorated his feast day on October 6 with two Masses. The first, at 11am, was led by Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin, and the second, at 6:15pm, by Bishop Paul Dempsey, with both featuring music from the University Church Singers and Vocare Ensemble. Refreshments followed each ceremony.
In his homily, Bishop Dempsey reflected on the inscription of a chalice he received 27 years ago, ‘Heart speaks unto heart’, a phrase used by Newman when he was named Cardinal in 1879. He noted how Pope Benedict XVI highlighted this at Newman’s beatification in 2010, taking the words as an invitation to a Christian life of holiness, which seeks communion with God’s heart.
The saint encouraged students to seek a truly Catholic education that shapes the mind and soul, rather than merely providing job training. He emphasised that knowledge of God is the foundation of all disciplines, without which education is incomplete and risks misleading students’ development as fully human beings. His intellect was rooted by prayer and meditation.
When Newman arrived in Dublin to establish the Catholic University of Ireland, he recognised the need for a large space for worship and lectures, purchasing 87 St Stephen’s Green. Today, the Notre Dame-Newman Centre for Faith and Reason, established in 2017 at the invitation of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, continues Newman’s legacy by inspiring dialogue between faith and intellectual analysis, deepening our understanding of God and the modern world, inspired by John Henry Newman.
