England prepares to celebrate new feast day

Blessed Henry Newman

This Saturday, 9 October parishes in England will have the opportunity to celebrate for the first time the feast day of Blessed John Henry Newman. This is being seen as one of the tangible first fruits of the Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK; one which will have a lasting impact on the Church in this country.

His Grace, Archbishop Vincent Nichols will be celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Papal Visit which will coincide with the first Feast Day:

At the Mass of Beatification in Birmingham on 19 September 2010 Pope Benedict XVI said: "The definite service to which Blessed John Henry was called involved applying his keen intellect and his prolific pen to many of the most pressing 'subjects of the day'. His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilized society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance for Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world."

For a report on the Beatification Mass and Pope Benedict's homily see: www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=16753

For liturgical materials please see: www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/National/Newman.shtml

General resources to support prayer, catechesis and home mission are available from: www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/2010-Visit/Papal-Visit-Resources/Parish-Resources

Additional materials will be made available on a monthly basis starting in mid-October.

Source: Liturgy Office