St. John Henry Newman came to a profound realization in his spiritual life: Jesus Christ is not distant or abstract, but truly near to us.
He discovered that Christ is present, closer than we often recognize, walking with us in our daily lives, aware of our struggles, and personally involved in our journey. This nearness is not symbolic, but real.
Newman’s insight invites us to shift our perspective: instead of searching for God as though He were far away, we are called to recognize that Jesus is already beside us.
In every moment—whether ordinary or difficult—we are not alone. Christ is close by.
St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Born in London, England, John Henry Newman was a priest and theologian in the Anglican Church.
He studied at Oxford’s Trinity College and was the vicar at the university’s church. He was a published author and prominent member of the Oxford movement, which paid tribute to the Church’s Fathers and challenged Relativism.
Newman’s research eventually led him to believe that the Roman Catholic Church was in the closest lineage to the Church founded by Jesus Christ. He was received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1845 and was ordained a Catholic priest in Rome two years later. He ultimately served for seven years as rector of the Catholic University of Ireland.
In addition to over forty books, he wrote an essay called “On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine” in 1859. Newman believed that the faithful played an important role in preserving and understanding Church Doctrine over time. It explored this very concept
as helpful during periods when the hierarchy is in error, as during the time of the Arian heresy controversy. During this period, the majority of bishops and even one pope actually sided with the heretics who were disputing the divinity of Jesus. Many lay people resisted, along with some clergy, until the Second Council of Constantinople ultimately repudiated the heresy.
He believed in papal infallibility and accepted Vatican I’s ruling on the matter. John Henry Newman was made a Cardinal in 1879, taking as his motto “Heart speaks to heart.” He believed that personal influence is the best way of spreading the Catholic faith. He was canonized in 2019 by Pope Francis.
