Newman University will sponsor a pilgrimage tour to England for individuals wishing to attend the beatification of 19th century Catholic theologian and educator John Henry Cardinal Newman, for whom Newman University is named. The eight-day Cardinal Newman Tour will take place Sept. 15 – 22, 2010, with the beatification scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 19. Pope Benedict XVI will preside at the ceremony at the Birmingham airport, located near Coventry. The tour group is limited to 40 persons.
Beatification is the recognition by the Catholic Church of an individual’s ascension to Heaven and ability to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name. Typically the individual being beatified must have personal attributes of charity and heroic virtue, and have performed or been responsible for one miracle. It is the last step before canonization as a saint.
“We are thrilled at the prospect of attending Cardinal Newman’s beatification ceremony,” said Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D., who will lead the tour. “We hope as many people as possible will be able to join us for this sacred and long-awaited occasion.”
The trip will include visits to many of the places where Cardinal Newman lived and worked. The itinerary includes tours of London and the city’s major landmarks, and trips to Birmingham for the beatification ceremony and to visit the Birmingham Oratory, Stratford-Upon-Avon to see William Shakespeare’s birthplace, and Oxford to see Oxford Oratory, Littlemore and Cardinal Newman’s home. The tour is being managed by Around the World Travel of Hutchinson, Kan.
Final plans are still being made, but Newman officials said total costs, which include airfare, land transportation, lodging and some meals, will not exceed $3,000 per person. Interested parties must make a $250 per person non-refundable deposit no later than May 18, 2010.
In addition to Carrocci, Newman University personnel who will take part in the trip are Assistant Professor of Theology Father Joseph Gile, Chaplain and Assistant Professor of Theology Father Joseph Tatro, and Director of Mission and Archives Charlotte Rohrbach, a member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC), the university’s founding and sponsoring order. U.S. Region Leader Jan Renz, ASC and others associated with the religious congregation and the university will also participate in the tour. Tour plans include the opportunity to participate in daily Mass with the Newman priests.
“This is a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of an historic and holy event,” Rohrbach said. “I urge anyone who is interested to reserve early, as we expect the tour to fill up quickly.”
To reserve a place on the Cardinal Newman Tour or for questions or more information, contact Rohrbach or Jo Wooderson at Around the World Travel at 800-832-0624 or [email protected].
