Pope Francis canonized Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman on October 13, 2019. Cardinal Newman was a priest for the Church of England; however, he converted to Catholicism in 1845 and was made a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1849. Because of the rift between Anglicanism and Catholicism, Cardinal Newman was shunned by his fellow English, including his own sister. Despite resistance and persecution, Cardinal Newman founded the Oratory of St. Philip Neri and two schools for boys. He also wrote many important modern Church documents. Cardinal Newman died in 1890 at the age of 89 due to complications with pneumonia. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in September of 2010. Now, according to the Catholic News Agency, this canonization made him “Britain’s first new saint since the canonization of St. John Ogilvie in 1976.” Two miracles have been attributed to Cardinal Newman. The first miracle involves a deacon who was inexplicably healed of a disabling spinal condition. The second miracles concerns the healing of a pregnant woman with a life-threatening diagnosis which left doctors perplexed. October 13th shall be a momentous day for our school for we bear his pious name.