Saints, Doctors, and Battles - The Week Ahead

One name dominates the calendar of saints on the homepage this coming week, and that's John Henry Newman. It isn't the only we will see the spotlight on him this year because on 28th September, Pope Leo announced that Newman would be declared a Doctor of the Church on 1st November. You can read more about it at the Catholic Sun here. 

It is interesting that Newman is being declared a Doctor on a day given over to the world of education. He was a teacher by trade, being an Oxford don before his conversation to the Faith. After becoming a Catholic, Newman continued to teach through his writings. He also founded the Catholic University of Ireland, which still functions today as University College Dublin. Indeed, one of his most famous books is The Idea of a University. If you read the Catholic Sun article, you'll see the pope highlighting the way in which Newman,

“contributed decisively to the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine.”

Nothing here about education. But as Fr. Ian Ker wrote, Newman once said, "from first to last, education... has been my line." Perhaps we might say that education was the seed bed for Newman's ideas

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This week, we also celebrate the the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which has its origin in the Battle of Lepanto, fought between the navies of the Holy League and Ottoman Empire on 7th October 1571. The Holy League inflicted a decisive defeat upon the Ottoman fleet. In thanksgiving, Pope Pius V instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, which is now celebrated as Our Lady of the Rosary. Lepanto was fought because of the Ottomans' desire to expand its empire west. Had their navy won the day, Europe today might look very different to how it turned out with Islam being the dominant religion. 

If you enjoy reading poetry, I highly recommend G. K. Chesterton's The Battle of Lepanto here. It is every bit as exciting as you would expect it to be!

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Finally - I almost forgot; today (4th October) is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi! He has a special place in my heart, for which reason this blog is named after the opening line of Francis' Admonitions. It is only in the last year or two that I have felt a calling to learn more about this incredible man. As a result, I learnt about the phrase not from reading the Admonitions, which I haven't yet, but thanks to Pope Francis' encyclical. You'll notice I have linked to an online copy of the Admonitions. That is actually the first time I have seen them, so I know what I'll be reading in the week to come!

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There we are. Wherever you are, I hope you have a good week ahead. I shall pray for you. Please pray for me, a sinner. As I write these words, it is very windy outside (here in London UK, I think we are getting the edge of Storm Amy). Rather than think about storms, I am imagining the wind as the Holy Spirit rushing to where He needs to be. I'll keep my window open for as long as I can.

St. John Henry Newman - pray for us

St. Francis of Assisi - pray for us

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The Battle of Lepanto - Wikipedia