Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

Bishop James Conley led the celebration of the feast of St. John Henry Newman on October 9 at the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, located on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. The event included a late evening Mass and marked two significant milestones: St. John Henry Newman's elevation as the 38th Doctor of the Church and the 10th anniversary of the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture.

During his homily, Bishop Conley explained to students that St. John Henry Newman's feast day is observed on October 9, not on his date of death like most saints, but on the day of his conversion to Catholicism in 1845. He highlighted the importance of friendship in Newman's episcopal motto, which he also adopted: "That motto has two meanings," Bishop Conley said. "Our heart speaks to each other. Newman was a great champion of friendship. In fact, he has 32 volumes of letters to friends that he wrote throughout his life… But it also means the Heart of Jesus speaking to our hearts."

The feast took on added significance following Pope Leo XIV's announcement in July that St. John Henry Newman would be declared a Doctor of the Church. Bishop Conley noted, "Newman joins the ranks of some very distinguished people… St. Thomas Aquinas, the other patron of our Newman Center. St. Augustine. St. John of the Cross. St. Thérèse of Lisieux. St. Catherine of Siena. St. Bonaventure."

Bishop Conley outlined three criteria required for sainthood and designation as a Doctor of the Church: sanctity of life, depth in doctrinal insight, and ongoing relevance today.

He recalled that during Newman's beatification ceremony in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI blessed the cornerstone for what would become Lincoln's Newman Center—a moment witnessed by Bishop Conley and Dr. John Freeh alongside University of Nebraska-Lincoln students at both beatification and canonization ceremonies.

Stressing Newman's intellectual contributions, Bishop Conley described him as an author whose works span theology, history, fiction, essays, and sermons—each reflecting deep doctrinal understanding.

On contemporary relevance, Bishop Conley pointed out that numerous Newman Centers now exist globally at secular universities: "It was the dream of his lifetime to come back to Oxford and establish a Catholic Center," Bishop Conley reflected.

The occasion also celebrated ten years since founding the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought & Culture in partnership with St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward; its first course was offered in spring 2016 and programming has since expanded to include dual-credit courses with Pius X High School.

After Mass, Bishop Conley joined current pastor Father Ryan Kaup and FOCUS missionaries for “Community Night” at the center where students learned about FOCUS’ annual SEEK conference—a five-day national gathering focused on prayer and faith formation for college students across America.