St. John Henry Newman is added to the General Roman Calendar: What does it mean?

St. John Henry Newman, proclaimed a doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV in November 2025, has been added to the General Roman Calendar, establishing his optional memorial on Oct. 9.

Since Pope Francis canonized Newman in 2019, the English saint — a convert and a pivotal figure in Catholic thought — has been honored each year on Oct. 9. With his inclusion in the universal calendar, however, his memorial is now proposed for celebration throughout the entire Church worldwide.

Until now, Newman’s liturgical celebration was largely limited to local contexts, such as dioceses where he was a patron or communities closely linked to his spirituality. With a recent decree issued by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the name of the Holy Father, his memorial is now extended to the whole Church, and priests everywhere may celebrate it using the common liturgical texts.

In an explanatory note released Feb. 3, Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the dicastery, said the decision aims to “present his figure as an extraordinary example of the constant search for the truth that enlightens and saves.”

A universal memorial with common liturgical texts

Roche’s message also outlined the liturgical texts and biblical readings proposed for Newman’s memorial, emphasizing how each reflects key aspects of his life and spirituality.

The Collect prayer, Roche noted, “reveals the essence of the saint’s spiritual journey: God guided him with his ‘kindly light’ until leading him to the peace of his Church.”

The first reading, taken from the Book of Sirach, presents a man filled with the spirit of understanding by the Lord’s will, reflecting the wisdom that characterized Newman. Psalm 39 (2, 4ab, 7-10) highlights his complete docility to God’s will, “even in adverse situations.”

The Gospel passage from Matthew (13:47-52) recalls that Newman “became a disciple in search of God’s truth,” enabling him, as a doctor of the Church, to “bring out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Finally, the Liturgy of the Hours proposes a passage from “Apologia pro Vita Sua” in which Newman recounts his conversion to Catholicism.

Roche concluded by emphasizing that Newman’s “contributions of great theological and ecclesiological significance” continue to inspire the spiritual and intellectual journey of the faithful and that his “constant effort to move beyond shadows and appearances toward the fullness of truth remains a luminous example for every disciple of the risen Lord.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.