On Oct. 13, 2019 Pope Francis will canonize Blessed John Henry Newman. To celebrate the canonization, Dr. Dominic Aquila, professor of history, will host a series of four weekly discussions on selected readings from Newman’s work leading up to Oct. 13.

The sessions will meet on Fridays in the first floor conference room of Tiller Hall from 11:30 to 12:20 pm.

Topics will include:

• Sept 13 — “Faith and Obedience” from Parochial and Plain Sermons

• Sept. 20 — “Knowledge Its Own End” from The Idea of a University

• Sept. 27 — “Personal Influence: The Means of Propagating the Truth” from Oxford University Sermons

• Oct. 11 — Excerpts from “The Dream of Gerontius”

Blessed Newman was the most influential churchman of the 19^th century. His Searching mind and intellectual honesty led him into full communion of the Roman Catholic Church In 1845 from the Anglican confession.

He wrote 21 books and more than 20,000 letters and individual pieces. His writings reflect an original and piercingly insightful mind and keen observer of the human heart. He is also celebrated as one of the greatest stylists of the English language.

The canonization of Blessed Newman has special importance to the UST community — he is considered one of the intellectual fathers of the Basilian order, along with St. Thomas Aquinas.