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Show Anniversary of Newman's Concersion Oct. 9. fifty-six years since Cardinal Newman joined the Catholic Church, it was on Oct. 9. 1S43. At this time Newman's name is again in the public eye, in connection with the universal sinking of his well known hymn. "Lead, -i -Kindly Light." This w as the late President Pres-ident McKinley's favorite hymn, and on the occasion of his death it was sung in almost every city, village and hamlet from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This hymn was written under peculiar pecu-liar circumstances. Newman, who was of Huguenot extraction, at an early age entered Oxford university. He took his degree, became vicar of St. Mary's Oxford, and finally select preacher to the university. About this time his first religious misgivings arose. He . . journeyed to Italy in 1S32. ' While in Rome he held himself aloof 1 from Catholic influences, but he called 1 twjee ujon Dr. Wiseman, who was at i that time rector of the English college in Rome. In Sicily he was attacked by a long and dangerous illness. His attendants at-tendants despaired of his recovery, but he reassured them, saying: "I shall not die; I have not sinned against ' light.'! He declared afterwards that he diij not know what he meant by these strange words. On his return voyage he was becalmed a whole week I in the Straits of Bonifacio, and while there ie wrote the exquisite lines, "Lead,; Kindly Light" j i The great spiritual reaction in Eng- I land, known as the Oxford or Tracta- rian movement, attracted the attention I not only of Englishmen, but of the en- ""H tire world. Inch by inch Newman ) fought his way, and step by step the f ground crumbled beneath his feet, un-' un-' v til - -"j i poii the threshold V- -hureh. In 1843 s vicar of St. jrrnal retrac-N.had retrac-N.had said On Oc-vas Oc-vas re- This year being the centenary of the birth of Cardinal Newman, it is proposed pro-posed to raise a memorial to his memory mem-ory in Birmingham. Plans for a handsome hand-some church formed part of an original scheme to honor the great churchman, and a sum of money subscribed at the time of his death is still in hand. Dr. Ryder. Provost of the Oratory, has therefore issued a circular making an appeal for funds to build a church which shall be worthy of the illustrious name and of the association so intimately intim-ately connected with the introduction of the Oratory into England and the foundation of the Birmingham house. Plans have been prepared for a suitable church, which it is estimated will cost at least $115,000. The Duke of Norfolk has contributed 15,000 to the fund. |