Pittsburgh institute gearing up for impending sainthood of Cardinal Newman
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A Pittsburgh-based institute devoted to the study of Cardinal John Henry Newman expects to be very busy in the coming months.
The Vatican announced Monday that Newman’s canonization will take place Oct. 13. Members of the National Institute for Newman Studies, a private research library affiliated with Duquesne University, plan to attend the ceremony in Rome.
“What he was able to accomplish during the period of his life as a Catholic, and even after his death through the power of prayer, is simply awe-inspiring. We’re proud to be a part of keeping his spirit alive,” said the Rev. Drew Morgan, NINS co-founder.
As interest in Newman’s sainthood builds, the Oakland institute hopes to capitalize on the canonization by launching the NINS Digital Collection — expected to be the most comprehensive digital archive of Newman-related works in the country.
In total, the NINS Digital Collection will house more than 200,000 digitized images of Newman’s handwritten papers, his published books and articles, and never-before-seen manuscripts from the Birmingham Oratory archive.
On Oct. 24-25, less than two weeks after the ceremony, NINS will host the “Newman and Holiness” conference to reflect on Newman’s legacy in light of his canonization.
An Anglican clergyman, Newman (1801-1890) was a founder of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England. He converted to Catholicism in 1845 and was later made a cardinal. Among his most famous works are “Apologia pro Vita Sua,” “Grammar of Assent” and “Idea of a University.”
Newman is the inspiration for the hundreds of Newman Centers found at non-Catholic universities throughout the United States, England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The cause for Newman’s sainthood dates back to 1958. He was declared venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1991 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He will be the first Briton to be canonized since 1976.