John Henry Newman

Newman says that he had no formed religious convictions until he was fifteen, in the autumn of 1816, and that in 1828 he became vicar of St Mary’s at Oxford (Newman, Apologia ch. 1, pp. 1, 4, 16). He returned from a journey to the Mediterranean in July 1833, a few days before John Keble’s assize sermon, and he dated the movement from that day (Newman, Apologia ch. 1, pp. 32–35). He began the Tracts for the Times on his own initiative and was their editor and main author (Newman, Apologia ch. 2, pp. 40–41). The last of them, Tract 90, argued that the Thirty-nine Articles could be signed by those who aimed at being “catholic in heart and doctrine” (Tracts for the Times Tract 90, introduction). See the Oxford Movement.

On 8 October 1845 he wrote from Littlemore that he was expecting the Passionist priest Dominic that night and meant to ask him for admission into “the One Fold of Christ” (Newman, Apologia ch. 4, pp. 234–235). On 12 May 1879 he received in Rome the notice that Pope Leo XIII had made him a cardinal (Newman, Biglietto Speech report of 12 May 1879 and addresses). Pope Francis canonized him on 13 October 2019 (Francis, Homily of 13 October 2019 heading).