Saint John Henry Newman 1801 – 1890

Saint John Henry Newman will be formally proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on Saturday 1st November 2025 – All Saints’ Day.

This picture is now in the possession of the The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Birmingham, England

I have recently completed a portrait of St John Henry Newman (1801-1890) who will officially be created a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV on November 1, 2025. A Mass will be held to celebrate the proclamation of St. John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City. Many dioceses and parishes will also hold Masses around this time to honour the event including a High Mass at the Oratory in Birmingham.

Cardinal John Henry Newman was the 19th-century Anglican convert who was an immensely influential, unifying figure in both the Anglican and Catholic churches. This is particularly relevant today following the recent meeting between King Charles and Pope Leo. King Charles prayed at the Sistine Chapel with Pope Leo XIV on October23, 2025. This was an historic event as it marked the first time a reigning British monarch had publicly prayed with the Pope since the English Reformation nearly 500 years ago. 

St John Henry Newman was canonised in 2019 by the then Pope Francis. It was recently announced by Pope Leo X1V that they had approved the decision to name him a “Doctor of the Church”. He is only the second English man to receive the title (the first being the Venerable Bede (673-735) and one of just 38 saints with that title throughout the history of the Catholic Church. By naming him a Doctor of the Church, the Vatican has affirmed that Newman’s insights are not only historically important but enduringly relevant for the Church’s mission in the modern world.

Newman was brilliant student at Oxford, ordained an Anglican priest in 1825 and became a leading voice in the Oxford movement—a reform effort that sought to reclaim the Catholic roots of Anglicanism. Newman’s profound theological reflections led him into deep study and prayer, culminating in his conversion to Catholicism in 1845. Two years later, he was ordained a Catholic priest and later founded the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham. He remained in England for the rest of his life, serving as a priest, educator, and spiritual guide.

Multiple Roman Catholic schools throughout the country have been named in his honour.  

My portrait comprises of over 2000 used postage stamps.