Pope Leo XIV has formally added Saint John Henry Newman — the 19th-century English theologian, convert, and Doctor of the Church — to the General Roman Calendar, making his optional memorial available for annual celebration throughout the universal Church on Oct. 9.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published the decree on Feb. 3. The document was signed by Cardinal Arthur Roche as prefect and Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, O.F.M., as secretary.
The new designation means St. Newman’s feast, previously observed primarily in regions such as England and Wales following his 2019 canonization, is now included in the Catholic Church’s official worldwide liturgical calendar.
The faithful now have the liturgical option to celebrate his memorial on Oct. 9, the date of his reception into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1845.
The decree ties the change directly to the recent proclamation of St. Newman as the 38th Doctor of the Church on Nov. 1, 2025, during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
In his homily, Pope Leo named St. Newman co-patron of the Church’s educational mission alongside Saint Thomas Aquinas and praised him as a “radiant light” for the faithful, invoking imagery from Newman’s hymn “Lead, Kindly Light.”
>> Pope Leo proclaims St John Henry Newman Doctor of the Church <<
Doctors of the Church are saints whose teachings are deemed especially authoritative and beneficial for the universal Church, and their inclusion in the General Roman Calendar is a customary step to encourage wider liturgical remembrance and study of their writings.
The decree highlights St. Newman’s lifelong service through intellectual inquiry, preaching, teaching and care for the poor, quoting his words: “God has created me to do Him some definite service … I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught.”
It describes his spiritual journey as a model of moving beyond “shadows and images into the fullness of the truth,” offering guidance for believers navigating intellectual and spiritual uncertainty.
Along with the decree, the Vatican released approved Latin liturgical texts for insertion into the Roman Missal, Liturgy of the Hours and Roman Martyrology. These include:
A Collect emphasizing God's "kindly light" guiding Newman to the peace of the Church.
Mass readings: Sirach 39:8-14 (on being filled with the spirit of understanding), Psalm 39 (with refrain "Behold, I have come, Lord, to do your will"), and Matthew 13:47-52 (the parable of the net, illustrating a disciple who draws from treasures both new and old).
A passage from the saint’s "Apologia pro Vita Sua," where he describes his conversion as a ship finding safe harbor after stormy seas for the Office of Readings.
Episcopal conferences are required to translate the texts, approve them, and publish them for local use after receiving confirmation from the dicastery, in accordance with norms established in Pope Francis’ 2017 apostolic letter Magnum principium.
Vatican officials said the move highlights St. Newman’s continuing relevance as an intellectual, convert, and pastor whose work continues to shape Catholic education and faith formation.
The late Pope Francis pointed to that legacy in his encyclical Dilexit nos, noting that St. Newman adopted the motto Cor ad cor loquitur, meaning “heart speaks to heart,” to express his belief that faith is rooted in a personal encounter with the heart of Christ.