John Henry Newman: A Life Sacrificed

Kathryn Swegart was surprised to read about the many twists and turns in the life of Saint John Henry Newman, as detailed in a new book from Ignatius Press. 

John Henry Newman: A Life Sacrificed

By Ida Friederike Gorres
Publisher: Ignatius Press

The young Anglican priest sat on his bed and sobbed uncontrollably. For three weeks he lay near death in a room far away from his home in England, far away in a land called Italy. Anxiety overwhelmed him and so he decided to stroll the streets of Italy, entering Catholic churches and sitting quietly in a back pew. He felt a calmness wash over him. The Real Presence was unknown to him. 

Finally, he was able to leave Italy only to be stifled by calm winds that brought his ship to a halt. They drifted for a week.  John Henry Newman picked up his pen and began to write, composing the famous poem, "Lead, Kindly Light." He watched waves lapping against the ship and thought about one word that had guided him since a strange, hidden conversion experience struck him at age 15. The word was “dogma.” 

You might ask a reasonable question based on the title of this book. How did Newman sacrifice his life? He was not tortured, nor did he die a martyr. Yet the hound of heaven imprinted a deep mark on his soul. Truth was outside the mind of Saint John Henry Newman. It was immutable, beyond his intellect. He had to sacrifice his own serious misgivings about the Roman Catholic Church. He read the early Church Fathers and saw that they taught and practiced the ways of Catholicism. Newman realized that he could no longer accept the notion that the Anglican Church was a branch of the Roman Catholic Church. That was impossible.  

When Newman converted to Catholicism, he lost friends, family, and status in the Anglican Church. He was not welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church with open arms. He was greeted with suspicion. Through it all, the man submitted in humility to God’s will. 

It is interesting to note that this book, published by Ignatius Press, was written in German and recently translated into English. The unpublished manuscript lay hidden for decades. Gorres had great insight into the sanctity of John Cardinal Newman, predicting that one day he would be a canonized saint. 

A Personal Experience with the Saint

I digress slightly here. In 2019, my husband and I were on a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. A group leader led us on our free day to Saint John Lateran Basilica. Security was tight, but we managed to enter the church. What was going on here? Every pew was filled. I heard many British accents. I saw smiles and witnessed jubilation. I looked down the aisle and saw the portrait of a man propped up on a stand. Candles flickered on each side of the picture. I recognized the face. It was John Henry Cardinal Newman. We had stumbled into the thanksgiving Mass for his canonization that had occurred the day before. 

I was pleased to learn more about this Doctor of the Church. 

It was eye-opening to read A Life Sacrificed. It perplexed me that Newman had grave misgivings about the Church. It saddened me that he was not welcomed by Church leaders. Like all saints, Newman had profound humility, leading many into the one, true Church. 

For those who are not afraid to tackle a challenging book, I recommend Ida Friederike Gorres’ insightful writing on a beloved saint. It is worth the effort. 

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Copyright 2025 Kathryn Swegart
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