https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-47228423 John Henry Newman: Second miracle approved as sainthood looms 3 hours ago Image copyright Getty Images Image caption John Henry Newman, who was born in 1801, was ordained as a priest in 1847 after converting to Catholicism Cardinal John Henry Newman is closer to being canonised after a second miracle in his name was confirmed by the Pope. Two authenticated miracles are required before sainthood and Newman, who was already attributed with curing a man's spinal disease, is now said to have healed a woman's unstoppable bleeding. The Birmingham Oratory announced Pope Francis' decree with "great joy". Newman, born in the city in 1801, would become the first English saint to have lived since the Reformation. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pope Benedict beatified John Henry Newman in Birmingham in 2010 The first miracle the Catholic convert is said by the Vatican to have performed was curing a deacon from Boston, Massachusetts, of a crippling spinal disease. Pope Francis has since decreed a second miracle, with Newman said to have healed a pregnant woman "suffering from unstoppable internal bleeding". How does someone become a saint? Cardinal Newman's 'miracle cure' Latest news and updates from the West Midlands Newman was beatified in 2010 by Pope Benedict before tens of thousands of people in his home city of Birmingham after the first miracle was recognised. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Newman founded the Birmingham Oratory in Edgbaston which is still in use today During his life, Newman was a respected religious scholar, who spent much of his time helping the poor and sick. The last English canonisations were in 1970 of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, a group of Catholics who were executed between 1535 and 1679 under laws enacted during the English Reformation. Four steps to sainthood: The process cannot begin until at least five years after the candidate's death and involves scrutinising evidence of his or her holiness and work. First, the individual is declared a "servant of God" He or she is then called "venerable" Beatification: an individual is declared blessed after a miracle is attributed to him or her Canonisation: The candidate becomes a saint after a further Vatican-authenticated miracle The UK's leading Catholic, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said Newman was "deeply admired", particularly by the people of Birmingham who "lined the streets" when he died. The former Archbishop of Birmingham added that the announcement of Newman's pending canonisation was "wonderful news". Birmingham Oratory, the community founded by Newman in 1849, said the confirmation of his "heroic sanctity will be welcomed by Catholics and Anglicans alike".
I am mentoring a 20 year old young man who is thinking about becoming catholic. He is interested in the saints. Who would be the best male saint for him to read about? And what book should I look for?
If it were me I would choose either St Francis of Assisi or St Padre Pio. If St Padre Pio I would choose this one https://www.amazon.com/Padre-Pio-C-Bernard-Ruffin/dp/0879736739 If st Francis of Assisi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174873.Saint_Francis_of_Assisi
I think it depends on the young man, his strengths and weaknesses. Saint Padre Pio is an excellent choice obviously. There are also men such as Venerable Solanus Casey. He has not been made a Saint yet but on hearing about him at a Parish Mission where a relic of his was present I was very deeply touched by his story and he hails from Wisconsin and spent many years in Detroit healing people. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/venerable-solanus-casey/
Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows is a powerful saint for the young. As far as I know he is the Patron Saint of young people.
I was just going to mention father Solanus .i have a book. The doorkeepers that covers both st padre Io and Ven solanus
I think St Paul is your best bet his life before his conversion although so so many years ago fits so well with young hearts and minds of this world
Thankyou all. My knowleged on the men of saints are very limited. All I know about St Pio is he was given the wounds of Jesus. I have watched a movie about St Francis in which didn't tell me much and obviously I heard about St Paul. As Paul is loved by protestants too, I will leave him for someone who us catholics made saints, but thanks Quis ut deus - sounds like something that I may enjoy. I have never heard of venerable Solanas so thankyou. St Gabriel patron of the young sounds interesting for someone young. So please help me again. After seeing all these suggestions who should I go with? Who will inspire the most? Remembering, a 20yr old man coming from protestant family. BTW. Last week I had him watch Song of Bernadette and this week Ive asked him to watch Our Lady of Fatima. I've been trying to give him some 'wow' moments. I need to keep him loving his learning and not have any long drawn out book. My gut feeling is St Pio, if that book will draw him in, but I would like one final suggestion. Sorry, I am just keen to get this right. Thankyou!
I was at the beatification in Birmingham. It was all grey skies and rain while we waited for Pope Benedict to arrive. His helicopter appeared, the sun came out and as we watched on the big screens, a rainbow appeared behind him as he stepped out. Then the ceremony and Mass in sunshine. Then the Pope took off in the helicopter again and in that instant the sun disappeared and it started to rain again. We all, of course, received a Papal blessing which was wonderful. The deacon who was the beneficiary of the first miracle gave a short talk before the Pope's arrival which was very inspiring. Blessed Cardinal Newman preached in my parish church several times in his lifetime which made our parish more than usually interested in the event. The American deacon who was healed had been invited to spend some of his stay in the UK with ex-prime minister Tony Blair ('convert') and his wife ('Catholic') and had, at first, accepted but when he heard that they were 'progressive' Catholics (as if such a thing is possible), he decided not to bother (obviously one of us!)
I was in Brmingham thatday as well and saw Pope Benedict at the Brompton Oratory where I had attedned mass that morning. A young Catholic policeman who had been on protection duty told me that only Catholic officers like himself had been chosen for the duty. I was Interested in the Pope's Bodyguard and was giving one of them a good stare when she noticed me , frowned and then gave me a big smile. I got the impression she was very good at her job. The abiding impression I get from John Henry was of a person who hung on the Cross , who experienced intense suffering in his life and indeed this is the case of all God's saints. The great the Cross the Greater the Crown. The more they suffered the holier they became. We should never forget this. Suffering is not a bolt on extra, it is our ladder to heaven. It is at the centre of all. But there is a story told by an Anglican clergyman, a fromer friend of the saint's who one day was visiting Littlemore, John Henry's former Anglican community when he sw Newman standing there alone tears streaming down his face. It broke John Henry's heart having to leave Anglicanism and Littlemore. In an age of false Eumenism and Religious Indifferentism we should never forget the Supreme Sacrifice these people pay and still pay to become Catholics.
I was working tonight about an hour ago when I sensed the sprit of my dead Mother right beside me, watching and smiling. This happens from time to time. How touching. Those who go before us never stop loving, never stop caring, never cease to take an interest. We truly are surrounded, as St PAul tells us by a great crowd on every side urging us on.
I love St Therese. Her life appears so simple but it was so profound. It was all any grace. I think her story epitomises the a life of grace. Some of the nuns in her convent wondered what they could say about her on her death as she didn't seem to have done very much. This tells me that our external works are not the key. It's our cooperation with grace.
Our Blessed Lady is the great example of the power of hiddeness. Her great gift was simply to be there for others. She raised them up by who and what she was. Many, many saints have the finger placed on them bythe wonderful deeds theydid, saints like St Francis of Assisi; but the best example being St Jospeh himself. ...at the end of the day it is not the deeds but the love that counts. The deeds are only the sparks of love, it is the flame of love itself that counts. A flame that is hidden still burns.
I think sometimes God seems to keep certain souls hugged close to his chest as though He wanted to keep them all to Himself. I heard a story one time about a famous Bishop and evangelist in Belgium who had converted many, many thousand sof people visited a Cnvent there and in an old shed at the back there met a dishevlled nun who only took care of the livestock. But in the course of the nun's confession he discovered that this nun had been asked by God to offer her life for just one soul. As she descirbed this soul the Bishop suddenly realised it was himself, though she never knew this. Because of this saintly nuns prayers the Bishop had been converted and through this coversion tens of thousands found God.
