THE centenary of Cardinal Newman's first visit to Dublin after he had been received into the Church is being celebrated in Dublin all this week, coinciding with the new move in England towards his beatification.
During the centenary commemoration of the refounding of the French Oratorians the week before, the Cardinal's work for the Church was stressed on several occasions.
Cardinal Newman visited Dublin to give his famous series of lectures on "The Idea of a University," which led two years later to the founding of Ireland's National University.
Dublin's commemorative week began on Sunday, when an exhibition of Newman books, manuscripts and documents was opened at Newman House, St. Stephen's Green, by Dr. Michael Tierney, President of the National University of Ireland.
Dr. Tierney stated that the celebrations were taking a simple form and were a prelude to the 1954 anniversary of the founding of the Catholic University. Lectures dealing with Newman's ideas on University education, Faith and Reason, Literature. Science and Medicine have been given each day by experts.
Among the first visitors to the exhibition were the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop O'Hara, Archbishop McQuaid of Dublin, representatives of the Government and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
More than a dozen Bishops attended the centenary celebrations of the restoration of the French Oratory.
Cardinal Gerlier, Archbishop of Lyons, accompanied the Superior General of the French Oratorians, Fr. Duprey, who acknowledged Cardinal Newman's indirect part in shaping the new role of the Congregation.
Newman's name, in fact, was listed on one occasion with those of St. Philip Neri, Cardinal de Berulle, Condren and Malebranche.
One of his 'old boys' recalls the 'Cardinal
PERSONAL memories of Cardinal Newman were given to Toe CATHOLIC HERALD this week by Mr. J. P. Boland, one of his "old boys."
"I learnt, with great interest, that there is a movement for the beatification of Cardinal Newman." writes Mr. Boland, "for I had the great privilege of being educated at the Oratory School (then in Birmingham) during his lifetime.
"Indeed, only a few weeks before his death, at the end of the summer term of 1890, I was one of five boys, leaving school that term, who received his blessing and was presented with The Dream of Gerontius by him as a farewell gift. Too feeble to write his full name, the initials 'J. H. N.' are on the fly-page of that treasured little hook of mine.
"In my early years at the school the Cardinal took a great interest in the production of the Latin plays of Terence or Plautus which he had revived in usum puerorum, as the acting editions told us.
"Sometimes he would even attend
a rehearsal. 13elloc. I well remember, was one of our star actors, and it was a joy to any of us to act in the same play with him.
"In later years, during the 21 years I was secretary of the Catholic Truth Society, some of the hest-known of the Cardinal's pamphlets, such as 'The Second Spring,' were kept regularly in print, though not many of his books lent themselves for reproduction, in part, as pamphlets.
"It is only the box-tenders, who personally looked after the sale of pamphlets, who would be likely to have heard of the actual influence of Newman's pamphlets on his readers."
A distinguished Dutch authority on Cardinal Newman, the Rev. Dr. Zeno, 0.F.M.Cap., writing to THE CATHOLIC HERA' D to welcome the news about his proposed cause, says: "It is often said on the Continent that the English Catholics do not appreciate their great modern 'Father of the Church.' The English know his public life fairly well. but his saintliness is not understood."