Lead Kindly Light

Many books have been written by and about St John Henry Newman. Pope Leo XIV has recently named him a Doctor of the Church. Why? Because his teachings have made a significant, lasting contributions to our Christian understanding of our faith.  

For many years Newman suffered because his ideas were in advance of his time and not understood. He was rejected as a traitor by his friends in the Anglican Church when he became a Catholic and here his motives were  suspected.  He was even reported to the Vatican on suspicion of heresy.  

His conversion to Catholicism brought much bitter suffering into his life. Still he never wavered in his convictions and his fidelity to his conscience. Just before he died he was unexpectedly named a Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII who fully recognised his contribution to Catholic teaching. 

Years later his teaching was to have a profound influence on Vat II. His ideas have now become a natural part of our thinking: the right to religious freedom, fidelity to conscience, involvement of the Laity, the Church’s place in the world and the return to the Scriptures. Newman is now a canonised saint.  

“Lead kindly Light amid the encircling gloom, lead Thou me on.  The night is dark and I am far from home, lead Thou me on.” { Newman}

Serious problems occurred because of the parish priests and other Churchmen, sometimes because of the Religious or lay people, all of whom sorely tried the patience of Nicolas Barre and caused him much suffering. {ML}

Directors must be prepared to be criticised, accused, contradicted, blamed... even when they act solely under the inspiration of the Spirit of God.  {MD 21}